Was Reconstruction A Success Or Failure

Reconstruction a Failure or Success?
Throughout the years, America has gone through many different political changes. Many presidents selected with different plans for our future. Sadly, many of those objectives have failed or came to an end. One system that was put into effect was the Reconstruction. Although, some say it was a failure, there has been some research that labels it a success.
The Reconstruction period began in 1865, after the Civil War ended. President Lincoln and many congressional leaders began to puzzle over how to restore the people of the South into the Union, which would welcome the “10 percent plan” or in other words, a blueprint for the Reconstruction. According to Chapter one of Major Problems in American History

There were three main Republican leaders. They consisted of Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner, and the president that took over Lincoln, Andrew Johnson. These men were known as the Radical Republicans, and their nickname was the Radicals. After Lincoln’s death, the Radicals had two tasks they wanted to take effect. First, they blamed the south for causing the Civil War that ended prior. Secondly, they wanted to help the slaves because they felt they needed protection. His main concern was to make an economic opportunity for the slaves. He wanted them to make a living on their own and not depend of the “whites” as they have been used to. Then there was Charles Sumner, thinking on the same lines as Stevens. According to www.history.com/topics/charles-sumner ”He saw Reconstruction as the opportunity to establish civil rights for blacks, first in the South where Congress had explicit authority and gradually in the North. In 1865 he insisted that suffrage be granted to all black males. At the time of his death, Sumner was still vainly agitating for federal legislation repealing all discriminatory laws.” Finally, there was President Andrew Johnson. After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, just as the South surrendered in April 1865, and then Andrew Johnson inherited the problem of Reconstruction. Johnson supported Lincoln's plan after

Under the Compromise of 1877, the government could no longer intervene with state affairs. Also, there was nothing to keep the southerners from taking advantage to disobey the law. In fact, many southerners made up their own laws or black codes that put restrictions of African Americans. Even though protection laws were in place, they didn’t have much force behind them.
I guess when you ask the question, was the Reconstruction a success or a failure? It all depends how you look at it. Laws that were set up weren’t always followed correctly, but laws were still being set up to protect African Americans rights. It must have been a success because now today, they are known as citizens and have the right to vote. But then again, the rise of the Klu Klux Klan and other white supremacy groups, in combination with the Black Codes, began to intimidate freed slaves and push back their civil liberties. For me, the Reconstruction was a