Difficulties Of Reconstruction

The period of time known as Reconstruction was successful in unifying and rebuilding the United States of America after the Civil War. However there were many struggles brought about and faced during this important time. With the end of the war came the end of slavery in practical terms, but the South was desperate to preserve their way of life. Thus violence erupted and drew a dark cloud over the Reconstruction Period.

Out of the Civil war came three constitutional amendments; the Thirteenth, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments were positive steps towards racial equality in the United States. These amendments abolished slavery formally, prohibited unequal protection under the law and granted African-Americans the right to vote. In order to be readmitted into the Union, the Southern states would have to have recognized and abide by these amendments.

Nonetheless, Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson was a very lenient man, who pardoned most Southern whites and felt it was up to the state to decide how they wanted blacks to be treated. As a result, Northerners were infuriated that former confederate leaders were able to gain power again and thus allowing Black Codes to be put in place. Soon President John was impeached by the new political power known as Radical Republicans, but

This was unacceptable to the latter as they believed political positions should belong to Southern white Democrats and them only. It was during this time that The Ku Klux Klan came about to “obstruct and destroy Reconstruction government, to assassinate or intimidate black and white Republican officials, and to use violence to prevent people from voting.” (Foner,Eric.) In other words, The KKK tried “to use violence to restore a system of white supremacy that's been disrupted by the coming of Reconstruction.”