Pros And Cons Of The Reconstruction Era
To My Honorable Congressman, Right now, in Congress, they are preparing to vote on the Resolution to end Reconstruction. The Resolution states that if the states in rebellion have successfully fulfilled the requirements of the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 and 1868, have in good faith implement policies and regulations in accordance with the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and willingly allow the Federal Government to restructure southern politics, society, and the economy, then the Federal Government will remove federal troops from southern states and give them the reins to control Reconstruction to individual states. I advise you to vote to not end Reconstruction because these claims will enrage the Southern Democrats and Southern states.
A few days after the civil War ended, President Lincoln was assassinated and never had the chance to implement his Reconstruction plan. The Reconstruction Era occurred in the period of 1865 to 1877 under the reign of President Andrew Johnson who was the predecessor of President Lincoln. Congress was not scheduled to convene until December 1865, which gave Johnson eight months to pursue his own Reconstruction policies. Under his Reconstruction policies, the former Confederate states were required to join back into the Union and heal the wounds of the nation.
Washington and DuBois in the Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction Era began in the years following the Civil War in which many African-American slaves finally achieved freedom after centuries of slavery. The Civil War brought about freedom to approximately four million slaves but also brought about a new set of challenges and struggles that the African-American community would have to face. The Reconstruction Era, also known as the Radical Reconstruction, occurred during the years of 1865 and 1877, in which many freed African Americans struggled to assimilate into society while also being faced with numerous societal and economical limitations.
Following the ending of the Civil War in 1865, America was in an era known as the Reconstruction. The Reconstruction lasted until 1877. Citizens were attempting to rebuild our nation following one of the deadliest war in American History. In this time, the Fourteenth Amendment and Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution were ratified. Although slaves were freed, African Americans still faced intense racial prejudice and discrimination.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves and reigniting anger within the South and white supremacists. This, arguably, led to the serious debate over the whites’ allowance of African Americans to use their rights, and was more prominent in the South than North. While the American Civil War was occurring, this debate grew larger in size and more prominent in society and politics. Thus, the Reconstruction Era began, in which the U.S. government chose to protect African Americans and support them in using their rights. However, white hate groups did not want African Americans to have a voice in the matters of society, as they continued to see them as slaves and of lower class due to their skin tone.
There were many outcomes from the Reconstruction era. Some were successful, but most were not. The few successes were mostly beneficial to the Union; however, they did not resolve the problems that Reconstruction was supposed to. The purpose of Reconstruction was to end slavery, giving African American males the same rights as white males. This did not happen as there was the poor treatment and discrimination of African Americans after the war.
Reconstruction had a negative effect on the United States politically. One example of reconstruction that had a negative effect politically was the Grandfather Clause. It practically banned the chance of voting for Freedman because most dads’ and grandpa’s were not free before the civil war so then the Freedman couldn’t vote. Another tough impact reconstruction created was the Jim Crow Laws. This made sure there was a separation of facilities based on color and race.
Black activism rose greatly during the Reconstruction. Before the dreadful Civil war, African Americans could vote in only the higher Northern states, because of segregation Sadly, they had no office holders. Because of this, many blacks organized Equal Rights Leagues throughout the South, during the first two years of the Reconstruction. Regulating the lives of freed people, the Congress created “black codes”. Black activism grew a lot!
The thirteenth amendment stated that all former slaves were granted freedom. The reconstruction period, “did create the essential constitutional foundation for further advances in the quest for equality”. It laid the building blocks for the future building for civil rights not just for blacks but women and other minorities. Former slaves, “ found comfort in their family and in the churches they established”. Blacks took community in each other and bonded over the mutual idea of freedom .
Racism’s Impact on Reconstruction While the issue of slavery evidently contributed to the divide that resulted in the American Civil War, it is debated whether prevailing ideals of racism caused the failure of the era following the war known as Reconstruction. With the abolishment of slavery, many of the southern states had to reassemble the social, economic, and political systems instilled in their societies. The Reconstruction Era was originally led by a radical republican government that pushed to raise taxes, establish coalition governments, and deprive former confederates of superiority they might have once held. However, during this time common views were obtained that the South could recover independently and that African Americans
The objectives of Reconstruction in America were to reestablish the union of the North and the South and to help the liberated slaves accomplish social liberties. Amid this time, numerous achievements were made with a specific end goal to increase rise to rights for African Americans, for example, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth alterations, which nullified servitude, gave numerous African Americans citizenship, and gave them the privilege to vote. While the slaves were actually liberated, they were not really free as a result of state laws attempting to undermine these revisions, which were endeavoring to amplify their social liberties. Remaking was not effective due to state government endeavors to restrict the privileges of African
The American civil war led to the reunion of the South and the North. But, its consequences led the Republicans to take the lead of reconstructing what the war had destroyed especially in the South because it contained larger numbers of newly freed slaves. Just after the civil war, America entered into what was called as the reconstruction era. Reconstruction refers to when “the federal government established the terms on which rebellious Southern states would be integrated back into the Union” (Watts 246). As a further matter, it also meant “the process of helping the 4 million freed slaves after the civil war [to] make the transition to freedom” (DeFord and Schwarz 96).
The Reconstruction Era was catapulted by the Civil War, which was won on the back of “freedom for all.” In 1863, an ultimate turn occurred that would alter the outcome of the war and society as it had been previously known. The Emancipation Proclamation, was an executive order by Abraham Lincoln that granted freedom to slaves that resided within Union territory was issued. While this was an important piece of legislature the final destruction of slavery was the thirteenth amendment, which stated “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as 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 Reconstruction period of United States history was a critical and difficult time for the country. It was a period of great progress, but also of tremendous suffering. During this time, the United States made several significant achievements that would forever change the course of history. The most important achievement during this time period was the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865.
Reconstruction era, which was followed by post-civil war, was meant to unite the states back together, reconstruct properties, and most importantly, abolish slavery in the South. Although the factors such as amendments legally freed former slaves, yet WRITE THESIS After the end of civil war in 1865, Reconstruction era, which was controlled by President Abraham Lincoln, appeared to quickly coalesce the Northern and Southern states. reconstruction amendments, which were approved between 1865 and 1870, played a huge role on giving legal rights to blacks and former slaves. 13th amendment constitutionally abolished slavery in 1865 and followed up by that, 14th and 15th amendment admitted equal citizenship, protection, and rights of suffrage despite the one’s race or skin color. Former slaves were no longer belongings of their owners.
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