Social And Legal Changes During The Reconstruction Era

During the Reconstruction Era, efforts to reunite the United States after the confederacy's defeat in the Civil War occurred. This period can be marked as a stage from which the federal government would begin to target its powers toward formally succeeded southern states to help develop civil rights for African Americans who were slaves. The Civil War was a result of northern and southern states having disputes over slavery, and with the South defeated the federal government would work to reconstruct the social foundations that states were under. As the federal government weighed in on creating political reforms significant political, social, and legal changes would occur.

Legal changes would include the adoption of the Reconstruction

“Radical Republicans believed in the constructive power of the federal government to ensure a better day for freed people. Others, including Johnson, denied that the government had any such role to play” (Scott et al., 2014, p. 459). Congress positioned themselves as state overseers to make sure that the rebuilding of the south took on the proper initiatives of coming back into the union. Southern states had shown resentment to the new laws that had been passed by congress, as they became more involved with state affairs regarding African Americas. The 14th Amendment, the renewal of the Freeman Bureau charter of 1866, and the 1867 Military Reconstruction Act were passed by Congress, as President Johnson showed strong opposition to their actions. Southern states would have to change their form government to be reintegrated into the Union, along the process of this happening military supervision would occur. With the 1867 Military Reconstruction Act targeted towards former confederate states that did not originally ratify the 14th amendment, those southern states had to ratify fourteenth Amendment and make new state constitution in order to reenter the union. With these changes being enforced, Union leagues would come along to help black communities progress into white societies. “As extensions of the Republican Party, these

In the “Reconstruction and its Aftermath” article it goes over the various opportunities that African Americans were provide with the administering of the Reconstruction Amendments. It also goes over the role that they would play in communities as they rose to higher positions in societies. Black communities, such as the community of Nicodemus, would bond together through a new sense of empowerment from being free from under their white master's control. Wilberforce University could serve as an example African American intuition that fostered in creating skilled African Americans into society. “The articles of association of Wilberforce University, dated July 10, 1863, state that its purpose was “to promote education, religion and morality amongst the colored race “(Library of Congress, n.d.). In William L. Richter article “The Myth and Reality of Carpetbaggers”, he breakdown on the stereotype of Carpetbaggers, who were thought to be people that came to the south to make finical and political gain from off freed African Americans. He revivals that the truth to this stereotype was that carpetbaggers were northers loyal to congress during the reconstruction period and saw the opportunity in the south to develop better lifestyles themselves and African Americans. Those that were seen as carpetbaggers were white norther that protected the rights