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Chapter 18 the reconstruction era
Chapter 18 the reconstruction era
The importance of the reconstruction era
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African Americans weren’t actually free during Reconstruction because they were initially not accorded the full rights of citizenship under the constitution, they were forced into submission by violence and intimidation, and were abridged the rights they had later gained by Black Codes. Despite the fact that African Americans were liberated from slavery, during the early years of Reconstruction, they were not equal citizens under the law. Even though blacks had fought loyally for the union, they were initially denied the right to vote (Doc a). The President of the United States, President Johnson, regarded black suffrage as something to radical that would “change the entire structure and character of the State governments,” (Doc b).
The Reconstruction Era of American history was plagued by many problems. One of the most important problems being the recently released from slavery Freedmen. Freedmen were in a tricky situation in which they had just been released from their owner and had nowhere to go, but the Federal Government made many successful attempts to help them out. The Government helped alleviate all the problems Freedmen had from their finances to basic needs and rights, and in doing so, made the period of reconstruction more helpful than harmful for Freedmen. The events of reconstruction were helpful to freedmen as they were not only freed from slavery, they were given rights directly from the federal government.
With reconstruction there were many doors opened for African Americans. They were able to be free, and to become a citizen, and male slaves over the age of 21 were able to vote. Also there was education for children and some adults, and there were marriages for former slaves. In the image drawn by A. R. Waud, he displays a male African American voting for the first time. This image shows how constitutionally this was groundbreaking for the former slaves.
Everything has good and bad sides, same goes to the reconstruction, even the reconstruction caused many problems during that time, it was successful for the country later on and until today. The first and undeniable success was the reunification of the Union after four years separation. Also, the reconstruction pushed the economy of the South, crops and good productions from the South were finally able to sell to Northern and foreign countries. Followed by these successful was the advent of 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments which protected each and every citizen of the U.S, including African American, the marked point of these Amendments is the 14th Amendment which gives citizenship to anyone who born in the U.S, no matter if they are black, white or any other colored. Due to Frederick Douglass on Black Soldiers, during the Civil War, with the high demand for soldier to serve for the War, it forced the Union to allow blacks soldier.
Nigger. Mulatto. Blackface. Mammy. Zoo Ape.
Sources Analysis Freedom During the Reconstruction era, the idea of freedom could have many different meanings. Everyday factors that we don't often think about today such as the color of our skin, where we were born, and whether or not we own land determined what limitations were placed on the ability to live our life to the fullest. To dig deeper into what freedom meant for different individuals during this time period, I analyzed three primary sources written by those who experienced this first hand. These included “Excerpts from The Black Codes of Mississippi” (1865), “Jourdan Anderson to his old master” (1865), and “Testimony on the Ku Klux Klan in Congressional Hearing” (1872).
All around the world during the Jim Crow Segregation era, African American's resisted the unfair laws that was put on them. But do you know how African Americans in Louisiana resist these laws?The gains made by Black Louisianians during the Reconstruction Era was that black people got free. After years of slavery they was able to get free and even hold political power. But as the Reconstruction era came to a end, they face difficult challenges and unfair treatment like tenant farming and sharecropping. Black people lost all of their rights and people in power were segregating blacks and whites.
After the radical reconstruction African Americans were giving some rights but they noticed there were many ways they were still restricted on using or doing these rights. The congress gave them the 13th,14th and the 15th amendments. First, the 13th amendment was to get rid of slavery so they were all freed and able to get and own land but if these freed slaves didn’t not have any land or a job per say they were arrested and hired out to work on a farm.
Peter Schroeder Dr. Christopher Marshall Modern United States History 2/2/17 Writing Assignment 1: The African-American Experience with Reconstruction Reconstruction among the south refers to the point in time which the United States was attempting to establish a relationship between the union and the rebels. The Union had won the civil war, so the next step was to begin to mend the broken relationship between the north and the south. Though historians cannot agree on when it began, there is merit in saying that it started before the end of the Civil War. After victory, had been solidified for the Union, attention of President Lincoln turned towards reconstruction.
Ok after the war Mississippi abolished slavery but refused to ratify the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, and in March 1867, under the Congressional plan of Reconstruction, it was organized with Arkansas into a military district commanded by Gen. E. O. C. Ord. After a lot of agitation, a sponsor for the Republican constitution guaranteeing basic rights to blacks was adopted in 1869. Mississippi was taken back in to the Union early in 1870 after ratifying the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and meeting other Congressional requirements. While some of the republicans stayed in power the government was composed of new immigrants from some of the north they had African American and obedient Caucasians. In 1874 a man known by
During the Civil Rights Movement African American were the ones in risk of being killed. Yes, everybody is in risk of being killed by natural disasters, but not everybody during that time were at endanger of being killed because of their race and beliefs. This is the reasons why we fight for our lives as African Americans because we were and still are discriminated by, disrespected, racially profiled, and killed for no reason on a daily basis. The police couldn’t do anything but stand there, because they couldn’t call anybody on themselves.
The reconstruction period was a failure because African Americans, mainly males, were not treated with equality although the constitution said that the they were free and had the right to vote, be educated and had the right to liberty, life and the pursuit to happiness. Organizations, like the KKK, were created to harm freed slaves and their families. Laws were created such as the Black Codes restricting former slaves from their rights. African Americans endured a lot of violence over the years. “In Grayson, Texas, a white man and two friends murdered three former slaves because the wanted to ‘ thin the niggers out and drive them to their hole’”.
Reconstruction was an attempt reconcile the country and bring it back together, however it was not the success Abraham had hoped it to be when initiated before being assassinated. The failure had many effects on African American communities in both the north on the south both negative and positive. Socially black slaves were freed but not really accepted into society. Black codes were utilized which placed pressure on African Americans about things like when to meet with friends and where they should live. Discrimination against black flourished as the Ku Klux Klan a group of people who wore robes and mask went around pretending to be the ghost of Confederate soldiers.
The Civil War and the period of Reconstruction brought significant political, social, and economic changes to American society, and these effects continued into the 20th century. Post Civil War (After the Civil War – The period after the Civil War) - President Abraham Lincoln and Congress were determined to rebuild the nation. Lincoln wanted to restore the Union by readmitting the southern states that had seceded, as well as provide African Americans with more rights. Period of Conflict -
During the revolutionary era, 1750-1800, tensions were at an all-time high between the colonists and Great Britain. Within the thirteen colonies, the tensions between white and black Americans had been present for many years. Throughout the revolutionary era, African Americans faced many hardships, including: abuse on the plantations, fighting in the war, and attempting to gain freedom. Slave owners often abused their slaves, especially when they tried to run away.
