Was Reconstruction A Success Essay

The era of Reconstruction was an important time for the United States. It had begun towards the end of the Civil War of the United vs the Confederate states, and it addressed the issue of bringing the Union back together after years of severe, bloody war. It lasted through the 1860s and 70s, and there were many different ideas, or “plans,” regarding how the Confederate states should be treated, and what to do with the controversial idea of slavery. There was also a lot of disagreement regarding blacks, specifically, their treatment, citizenship, and rights. There was a full spectrum of opinions, from the idea of white supremacy to the notion of complete equality. As with many events or times in history, there are clear signs that show whether

The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments made to the constitution are a good example, as they changed blacks’ lives greatly, giving them freedom, citizenship, and the right to vote (respectively). However, Reconstruction could have definitely accomplished more. It didn’t really achieve what was expected of it. Think about it, Reconstruction gave America a fresh, new start after the Civil War. There was an opportunity to fix everything at once, to make the United States a better place to live in. If the South didn’t agree to terms that the United States stood for,they shouldn’t have been allowed to join it. What really happened? America ended up looking very similar to how it did before the Civil War. Slavery was abolished, but other systems similar to it, such as Black Codes and convict leasing, existed. The Confederacy was defeated, but its members easily came back into the United States government and kept sharing ideas. America seemed to regain its power and was fighting for black rights, but the country was also making agreements, like the Compromise of 1877, which fed it even more power and caused blacks harm and terror. Reconstruction definitely did not accomplish enough in terms of change that could have been