...After the American Civil War in 1865, the South and the country had to be rebuilt. Reconstruction is the period of time when the government helped rebuild the South after the American Civil War. However, Reconstruction was a complete failure because it lead to the Jim Crow laws and racial segregation in the South, and the Southern rural economy got worse. African American rights were suppressed and denied after Reconstruction. The Ku Klux Klan developed during Reconstruction; they murdered African Americans to prevent them from voting. After Reconstruction ended, the terrorist group assisted white Democrats in their rise to power by threatening African Americans so they would not vote. Also, African American rights were trampled and suppressed with poll taxes, literacy tests, and the grandfather clause. Poll taxes forced a voter to pay a tax in order to vote while literacy...
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...As a leading country of the world, the United States of America has done everything to its capability when solving issues during its time. Our country has gained the reputation of equality for all races, but in different times it was the opposite. While the events of reconstruction were aimed at helping ex-slaves and freedmen, they were faced with racism and cruel laws, returning them to their state of oppression they once faced during slavery. Many say that laws and amendments passed helped African Americans gain assistance and rights throughout the United States. The harsh reality of the situation was that African Americans were treated barbarically and were faced with large amounts of racism. Susie Taylor King writes, “The Southland laws...
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...From the end of the civil war and into the 20th century all efforts to establish civil rights for African Americans had silently failed. Disguised by the erroneous idea of “freedom” the end of the war brought upon the people, inequality of race was still present in the American government, history, states, and streets. After the war ended and the 13th amendment was passed by congress, the fight for african american civil rights in the U.S. seemed to have taken one step forward. African americans were looking forward to their new lives and opportunities as “free men” but the reality was that old fashioned thinking and racist ideology still governed in the nation. The government seemed to make advances in favor for african americans even as...
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...The idea of reconstruction was to put the nation back together and readmit the states. Reconstruction as a thought had great intentions but was an overall failure. William A. Dunning claimed that the main cause of Reconstruction was “ignorant, illiterate blacks were thrust into positions of power for which they were entirely unfit.” However, there were numerous failures that had nothing to do with how educated blacks were. Contrary to what William A. Dunning thought; Reconstruction failed due to depression, laws were not enforced in order to cause change, and the weaknesses of the individuals who directed Reconstruction. Depression hit Reconstruction in many different forms. The depression of 1873 faced the supreme court with Slaughterhouse...
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...African Americans Dawn Burnside HIS204: American History Since 1865 Patrick Williams July 9, 2013 Throughout history African Americans have had a wicked, harsh, trouble, struggling life. During the period of the 1800s to 1900s African Americans were treated as if they were nothing, force to work over their own free will, they were force to work without getting paid. African Americans were not just slaves in the south there were many northern states that had slaves as well. Most African Americans were slaves to White families, but there were many who slaves to other work forces. Slavery continued until the reconstruction era, the period of change. But as a period of change came white still were not acceptance of African Americans. So they made the Black Codes, so they can still have control over African Americans. To get full freedom African Americans started the Black Civil Right Movement, and the New Nergo Movement, which led to the Harlem Renaissance. While reading this paper you will find why the Black Codes, African American Civil War soldiers, the Reconstruction era, the Civil Right Movement, New Nergo Movement and Harlem Renaissance are all important parts of African American history. African American Civil War Soldiers were believed to be unintelligence and didn’t have the courage to be a soldier, they were also treated unfairly. Like years and wars before many African Americans your volunteer or forced to protect their country. Which they used to try and gain...
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...When the Civil War ended in 1865, the United States had to confront the problem of a depredated South which needed to be reconstructed. The actual region of the South was in shambles. Buildings were destroyed by cannons and artillery, and fields that were once used as battlegrounds now occupied the rotting bodies of the dead soldiers. The new found Confederate Government was abolished after the Civil War, which left the south without local authority or representation in congress. The Freedmen found themselves without rights or property and it seemed like no one was going to help them. These issues faced the nation at the end of the war and it can be concluded that Reconstruction did a mediocre job of solving these problems. Lincoln, Johnson,...
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...The American Reconstruction occurred between the years of 1865-1877, when the American government tried to reunite and build the country back up again. As the Civil War ended, the South was in ruin and many of the large plantations were destroyed and no longer had their free labor. The economy and wealth in the South had been destroyed. The government now had to face the great task of rebuilding the South, uniting the North and the South into one cohesive unit and integrating into society the African-Americans, who had been enslaved for so many years. These were not small tasks to accomplish and while there was hope, the reconstruction era failed to achieve these goals. There are two main reasons why these goals were not met. The first was that President Lincoln had shown great leadership during this time and held much promise, but was assassinated before he could complete his job. The second was that although it once looked promising, there were not enough measures put into place to integrate and equalize the former slaves. Although the reconstruction era began to rebuild after the Civil War, it was not able to achieve all of its goals. It took many years after the era to finally unite the States and have...
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...The reconstruction period after the Civil War was difficult for everyone. However, the hardships that African American people faced during this time were more challenging. Through reading chapters from my text book and doing further research on this topic, I was able to gain better knowledge and information on the transformation of the south and freed slaves after the war was concluded. The people were set in their habitual thinking patterns and it was hard for most to accept the major changes at hand. Some people just refused to change altogether and made it very uncomfortable for freed people to live in peace. Because slavery and inequality had been the lifestyle of Americans for so long, the new free fate of African Americans made ex-Confederates...
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...Name: __________________________ Date: _____________ 1.|Congressmen who favored vigorous Reconstruction measures held that| A)|although particular southerners had erred, the Union itself had endured through the Civil War.| B)|the Reconstruction process outlined in the Constitution should be closely followed.| C)|the president had sole responsibility for Reconstruction.| D)|the Confederate states, by seceding and making war against the United States, lost their status as states and should now be treated as conquered territories.| 2.|The First Reconstruction Act| A)|recognized the legitimacy of existing southern state governments.| B)|extended federal support for the education of freedmen in the South.| C)|guaranteed freedmen the right to vote.| D)|confiscated large southern plantations and divided them into smaller plots of land.| 3.|The black codes enacted in the South after the Civil War showed that southerners| A)|were willing to allow African Americans equality under law.| B)|sought to return African Americans to a position of servility.| C)|recognized the need for providing basic education for African Americans.| D)|would leave the destiny of African Americans up to African Americans themselves.| 4.|Andrew Johnson's initial plan for Reconstruction| A)|demonstrated an unforgiving hatred of all southerners.| B)|protected the political rights of freed slaves in the South.| C)|attempted, at least temporarily, to deny power to wealthy southern...
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...After the emancipation of slaves in 1862, the status of African-Americans in post civil war America up until the beginning of the twentieth century did not go through a great deal of change. Much legislation was passed to help blacks in this period. The Civil Rights act of 1875 prohibited segregation in public facilities and various government amendments gave African-Americans even more guaranteed rights. Even with this government the newly named “freedmen” were still discriminated against by most people and, ironically, they were soon to be restricted and segregated once again under government rulings in important court cases of the era. Reconstruction was intended to give African-Americans the chance for a new and better life. Many of them stayed with their old masters after being freed, while others left in search of opportunity through education as well as land ownership. However this was not exactly an easy task. There were many things standing in their way, primarily white supremacists and the laws and restrictions they placed upon African-Americans. Beginning with the 'black codes' established by President Johnson's reconstruction plan, blacks were required to have a curfew as well as carry identification. Labor contracts established under Johnson's Reconstruction even bound the 'freedmen' to their respective plantations. A few years later, another set of laws known as the “Jim Crow” laws directly undermined the status of blacks by placing unfair restrictions on everything...
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...The Reconstruction Period History 105 Class Marty Montgomery The Reconstruction period remains the most significant period in American history. The things that seized my mind the most was the liberty given to slaves and African Americans and the opportunity to vote since they did not have any of these opportunities before this time. While they were uncontrolled, existence was still mainly problematic for blacks’ around America principally in the southern states. It would take many years before life enhanced for the former confined African-Americans in the United States of America. According to Gao (1989), the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 abolished slavery; most slaves desired to unite with family members missing due to the slave trade. Freed African-Americans wanted to establish their own churches and schools, many schools for African-Americans opened in the southern states. Slave marriages had no legal standing at all after emancipation thousands of freed African-Americans registered their unions before the army, Freedman’s Bureau, and local governments. People in the South were trying to figure out a new system of labor to replace the one that was abolished by slavery ending, many of them wanted to reestablish the stronghold they had during slavery. Former slaves thought they should have a claim to land after the many years of excruciating labor they contributed during their enslavement. Only a small percentage of free African-Americans would succeed in purchasing land...
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...The Reconstruction Period History 105 Class Marty Montgomery The Reconstruction period remains the most significant period in American history. The things that seized my mind the most was the liberty given to slaves and African Americans and the opportunity to vote since they did not have any of these opportunities before this time. While they were uncontrolled, existence was still mainly problematic for blacks’ around America principally in the southern states. It would take many years before life enhanced for the former confined African-Americans in the United States of America. According to Gao (1989), the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 abolished slavery; most slaves desired to unite with family members missing due to the slave trade. Freed African-Americans wanted to establish their own churches and schools, many schools for African-Americans opened in the southern states. Slave marriages had no legal standing at all after emancipation thousands of freed African-Americans registered their unions before the army, Freedman’s Bureau, and local governments. People in the South were trying to figure out a new system of labor to replace the one that was abolished by slavery ending, many of them wanted to reestablish the stronghold they had during slavery. Former slaves thought they should have a claim to land after the many years of excruciating labor they contributed during their enslavement. Only a small percentage of free African-Americans would succeed in purchasing land...
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...Johnson became president after Lincoln’s assassination. 3. Black Codes prevented African Americans from reaching equality with southern whites. 4. Reconstruction Acts divided the Confederacy into 5 military districts. 5. Carpetbaggers were the name of northern Republicans. 6. The Compromise of 1877 made Republicans withdraw the federal troops from the south and the Democrats accepted President Hayes. 7. Sharecropping was a system that gave laborers a share of the crop, a cabin, seed, tools, and a mule. 8. Jim Crow laws were a series of laws that enforced segregation. 9. Madame C.J. Walker was the first black woman millionaire. 10. Booker T. Washington encourages African Americans to be educated...
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...undivided nation. The United States of America went into a Reconstruction era, which Northern political leaders created strategies to get the government of the South to rejoin the Union. This era attempted to rebuild a shattered nation by resolving some of the major issues with the Reconstruction Amendments. There were many changes being made during this time period from the abolishing of slavery to giving everyone equal rights and privileges, to granting African American the right to vote. This led to the creation of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth (Reconstruction) amendments which benefited African American in many ways and has change their life for the...
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...The Reconstruction Era commenced shortly after the Civil War, to stabilize the southern states. Lincoln took charge of this reconstruction, alongside Congress, by first establishing The Freedmen's Bureau, an agency whose goal was to help the newly “freed men” by providing education food, housing, and medical aid. However, Lincoln’s assassination followed soon after, destroying any hope for an orderly reconstruction. Andrew Johnson was sworn into office, who did not believe in racial equality and his interpolation of reconstruction was lenient toward the South, approving every Southern State (excluding Texas) creation of new governments. Some member of Congress- Radical Republicans- decided it was time for the government to intervene by giving...
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