Reconstruction Dbq

495 Words2 Pages

The Reconstruction era was a historic period from 1865-1877 where slavery was in the process of being abolished. It was a very long process, the north and the south fought over whether or not they could own slaves. The north disliked slavery because it was inhumane, while the south liked it due to the free labor. Each side had their mind set on their own goals and as a result there were many political outcomes, failures and successes To begin with, there were many different effects from the Reconstruction period that were negative. The North wanted to abolish slavery altogether and to do so they passed many bills and amendments. Southern states then had to find their own ways to attempt to keep slaves. After the assassination of Lincoln, Andrew …show more content…

Source 1: Policies and Politics in Post–Civil War America “The codes were bodies of law that restricted formerly enslaved people from voting, owning property, and traveling.”(paragraph 6). Southern states were able to do this because for a period of time there were no laws or amendments prohibiting it. The goal of wanting to keep slaves was unfair and should be frowned upon. Not only that, but there were many different effects from the Reconstruction period that were positive. Despite a few negatives, the Reconstruction era also had many positive outcomes. Through all of the hard work from the north, slavery is abolished in America to this day. Starting in 1865 on December 7 the first effort was made; the 13th amendment was ratified. Now slavery was made illegal, meaning African Americans could live freely. Although it was illegal to own slaves, the South still did not have to treat African Americans fairly. As a result, the Civil Rights Bill was created and it was a massive success for the black community. According to source 1 Policies and Politics in Post–Civil War America “That act ensured the civil rights and citizenship of formerly enslaved people”(paragraph