What Role Did Reconstruction And Education Play In Making African American Education

Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877. One of the goals of Reconstruction was to determine what was to be done with the four million freed slaves. Reconstruction succeeded in forming a republican government, new social legislation, and schools for African Americans. Although there was harsh, unconstitutional, and simply immoral treatment of African Americans, Reconstruction sent them on almost a century long path to equality. Before the Radical Republicans took over the government, Democrat, Andrew Johnson was President. Johnson vetoed Lincoln’s Freedmen’s Bureau Program. The Freedmen’s Bureau was a service to help refugees and freedmen who were suffering from the war. They provided provisions, clothing, fuel, and temporary shelter (Schweninger). He kept Lincoln’s 10% Plan with some changes. If southern states wanted to rejoin the Union, 10% of the voting population had to swear allegiance to the United States. Also, they had to ratify the thirteenth amendment and no former confederate could run for federal office. The southern states were readmitted into the Union. Because they couldn’t run for federal office, they ran for state office instead, which lead to the creation of Black Codes in the southern

The number of competent teachers rose and people were becoming more enlightened everyday (Lee). Education would play a key role in making African Americans equal. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois both agreed that an education would lead to the whites respecting them. However, they disagreed on what form of education was best. Washington advocated that all African Americans get a vocational education and learn a trade or skill. He believed that with a job, the whites would eventually respect them. He founded the Tuskegee Institute, a school for African Americans. In this aspect, Du Bois disagreed. He believed that African Americans should get a college education, become a professional, and demand