How Did Reconstruction Succeed

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After the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era began. It was a time of great turmoil between Southerners and Northerners who both sought for what they believe and wanted, one side seeking equal freedom for everyone and the other seeking to prohibit that. They both sought for Reconstruction but in different manners, ultimately leading to several successful achievements and numerous failures. Reconstruction was first underway at the end of the Civil War, when President Abraham Lincoln introduced the Ten Percent Plan. The Ten Percent Plan was a three part proposal that involved forgiving all Southerners except high ranking Confederate government and military leaders, it required ten percent of votes from the population in the next election, and lastly the emancipation of the slaves. Even with his clever plan Lincoln still faced some problems with Radical Republicans who felt that the South should be roughly disciplined and reconstructed. Eventually Lincoln and the Radical Republicans began to work together until they eventually agreed to the creation of a new amendment, the 13th amendment, which stated "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." The 13 amendment was …show more content…

One example is the creation of the Ku Klux Klan which was opposed to the rising rights of African Americans and change. There was also a rise of violence and racism against African Americans not only from the Ku Klux Klan but from regular Southerners as well. Many freed men also faced poverty as many business would not hire them because of fear bestowed on the by the K.K.K or by their personal disgust towards them. There were also several discriminatory laws but into place such as black codes and Jim Crow Laws which several restricted the way many “freed ‘men’” could live their