Reconstruction Dbq Essay

Reconstruction in 1865 through 1877 was terminated by Southern men due to their lack of acceptance of African Americans in restricting their political rights, not following the North’s precedence of equality, and the assassination of many a men by their ever so popular Klan. Reformation began after the Civil War which was fought over sectional differences and heavy slavery in the South. Southerns had always been pro slavery which contributed to their low treatment of African Americans as a whole. Once the South lost the War they could no longer legally enslave African Americans, but that did not change their persona in the eyes of the rich white men. Equality was a concept for white men according to the South, especially considering that

Their actions stretched even to white privileged Northerns. The Klansmen had no remorse, they killed men who did not agree with their opinion. Albion Tourgee writes in a letter to Carolina Republican Senator Joseph C. Abbott and shows the truth about being Republican of 1870, “John W. Stephens, State Senator from Caswell, is dead. He was foully murdered by the Ku-Klux… Another brave, honest Republican citizen has met his fate at the hands of these friends.” (Document A). From this letter you can see Tourgees clear use of the word “another” meaning that other Republican men were targeted and killed by the KKK all because they fought to have the South follow the same rules as the North. It was as though the KKK felt personally battered so they enjoyed doing to same to men that caused such emotions. Politics within the white community was not the only issue. As mentioned before African Americans did not get the political freedom that was actually granted to them not only because of their race and low standing but they were “ ‘unfitted for the proper exercise of political duties… blacks needed a period of probation and instruction’ “ (Document D). The idea of them being an unfit race who was in need of probation and instruction seemed to more closely relate to white Klansmen of the South. Their actions spoke louder than words and it seemed as though they were begging to be put in their place. African Americans were not to be punished, if anything it was the white men. They enslaved African Americans, beat, and battered them for years yet when they finally get their freedom it’s as though life will never continue to flourish. The South proved that they needed probation that was never forced upon them. They should’ve have accepted the way of equality in order to give black men what they deserved. As the South was very clear with their ways of dealing with reconstruction, which was