Carpetbaggers Research Paper

During the Reconstruction period, the term "carpetbaggers" was coined by pessimistic Southerners who described the many Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War between 1865 and 1877. The figure shown is depicted wearing formal wear, suggesting that he is a working professional who is seeking additional opportunities in the South and carrying an inexpensive suitcase, or carpetbag.

According to Texas myth carpetbaggers were taking over positons in office, and dominating politically. These carpetbaggers migrated from the north, and they supported the Republican party. Democrats were upset with carpetbaggers coming to Texas, and described them exploitive and corrupt. These individuals were known as carpetbaggers because they brought everything they had in a soft suitcase made of carpet. These carpetbaggers were seen as something negative that only brought bad energy to Texas, and did nothing to benefit us. Democrats also described them as someone who could not be trusted.

The promise of freedom to all “slaves” came with the end of the Civil War. The 13th amendment, ratified on December 6, 1885 officially freed any remaining slaves. Then, the 14th amendment was ratified in the summer of 1968; it stated that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States” would be given citizenship. The 15th amendment followed and gave all men, but not women, the right to vote regardless of race. It appeared as if all freed men and women would soon be as fortunate as any white person. Unfortunately, this was an illusion. While Congress could ratify amendments, the states retained a massive amount of power and utilized this to reissue the Slave Codes as Black Codes. While all of the southern states passed Black Codes,

African-Americans were free during Reconstruction.Reconstruction was the period between 1865 and 1877, when the nation tried to build itself after the Civil War. During these times a series of documents were signed. These documents were called the Reconstruction Documents and included the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments to the US Constitution. These documents were created to give equality and fair rights for all races and ethnicities. According to the 13th Amendment, it stated, ”Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (para. 1). Furthermore Amendment 14 states,

The crucial process of slavery was the biggest economic salvation in the United States for hundreds of years. With time, many evangelical Americans began to emphasize the struggling lives of slaves in order for them to be saved through the grace of their mighty God. In the early 1800s, the Second Great Awakening rose to power to acknowledge the slaves and their rights as children of God. During the Civil War (1861-1865), the Abolitionist Movement managed to abolish slavery through the 13th Amendment on December 6, 1865. Later, Congress ratified the 14th Amendment in 1868 that granted black people the same rights as white people in the nation. The statement, "the right to vote ... to any of

After the Civil War, the radical Republicans attempted to reconstruct the nation by binding the tear between the two different sections of America while also attempting to give freed slaves the rights that they deserved. Although their intentions were good, the reconstruction ultimately failed. The ratification of the 13th and the 14th amendment successfully ended slavery, but it did not help freedmen conform to society. Slaves who were freed as a result often had no money and would have to work under white employers anyways. Moreover, freedmen would have to get resources loaned to them by their white employers, which would lead the freedmen to develop severe debt instead of making an income. Even though the 14th amendment stated that every

After four prolonged years of the Civil War that took place in America the nation transpired broken, and required much need of being rebuilt into a nation of one. The newly freed slaves, after the Civil War, moved to different cities, freed slaves built Black churches and communities; they were capable of attending school, and even became more involved in politics. With this new found freedom many documents, agencies, and associations also arose such as: the Freedmen’s Bureau, the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, and the Black Codes. These documents and organizations played important roles during the Reconstruction Era. Arguably, the Reconstruction Era in America was extremely restrained. African Americans gained basic rights as humans, but given the bare

Reconstruction (1867-1877) under Congress was a fast tightening of a noose in the South. Congress no longer trusted Andrew Johnson’s loose plan for Reconstruction, so they began closing in on their plans. Radical Republicans made many lasting impacts in this period. Under Congress, the 14th and 15th Amendment was created, guaranteeing rights to African Americans. A newly created Freedmen’s Bureau help create many schools and colleges, lasting up to modern times. African Americans held power in office, although they were quickly brought down by the Ku Klux Klan’s terrorism. The main path Reconstruction took was based on the government’s plans. There

Radical Reconstruction, also known as Congressional Reconstruction, sought to legislatively reconstruct the South so black men were ensured the same rights as white men. Radical Republicans’ demand for societal and political change was a concept many white Southerners struggled with, considering that they lived in a system that greatly benefitted them while ostracizing and oppressing black people to maintain that system. Southern Democrats and anti-black racists provided a fair amount obstacles for the rise of Radical Republicanism, including Andrew Johnson’s lack of compromise and belief that black people had no role in Reconstruction , and the regular violence against—and soon, lynching of—black people in the South . Eventually, mutual repulsion of Andrew Johnson is what drove the moderate Republicans to side more with the Radical Republicans so they can sweep the Congressional elections to gain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which marks the beginning of Radical Reconstruction.

achievement in a nation of equals. The Thirteenth Amendment put an end to slavery. The Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to former slaves. And the Fifteenth Amendment granted the right to vote to black men. Often referred to as the Civil War Amendments, they guaranteed fundamental rights to African Americans under the Constitution . Southern whites had not accepted this easily had the North of federal government. Slavery had been the entire South’s economic and social structure and could not be changes as quickly and easily as proposed. To the Southern landowners four million unpaid laborers were gone. To the Southern society former slaves were to be now equal. Most of which were illiterate and would have difficulty integrating political

Following the Civil War, America was in shambles. There were many groups with strong, conflicting ideas of how things should be. However, most groups had one idea in common: reducing the rights of African Americans as much as possible. Freed slaves had very little freedom under the law, were treated like a lesser species by those around them, and faced dangerous environments everywhere they went. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation may have legally freed slaves, but African Americans were barely more than paid slaves.

After the civil war the south had to change drastically. Slave labor was no longer an option and most southern citizens didn't like this change. It took 4 years for the 14th amendment to be put into place allowing former slaves to be citizens. After slavery the southern government instituted laws known as black codes. These codes granted blacks certain rights such as the right to marry, own property,vote and

After Rights were given to African Americans that declared them citizens and gave them the ability to vote many white southerners with political power were not happy.The redeemer legislation were opposed to the changes the 13th,14th,and 15th amendments made to the position and role of african americans in Southern society and can be deemed unconstitutional. The Redeemers were a white political union in the South during the era of the Reconstruction that had opposing views to the changes occurring and fought politically and physically to keep certain rights away from African-Americans. They were lead generally by the rich landowners and professionals who controlled Southern politics in most areas during that time. They had a range of tactics to prevent

Before the Civil War most African Americans were slaves. Slaves were people who were considered property and were sold to other plantation owners as a source of labor. They worked on plantations and were treated very poorly. Slaves had no rights. They couldn't vote, they couldn’t own property and they couldn’t become educated. Slavery was legal in the United States until the Civil War. The Civil War was fought because of the growing differences in the North and South, the opposing views on slavery, and the Union’s desire to preserve the United States. The North won and slavery was abolished. After the war, slaves were considered people and had achieved legal rights including the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments put in place by the Congress. The 13th amendment was a change in the Constitution stating that slavery was abolished. The 14th amendment stated that if you were born in the U.S. you were a citizen. The 15th amendment said that the right to vote cannot be denied. Although established in the Constitution, African Americans still felt restricted from these amendments for these 3 reasons: Black Codes were put in place by the Confederacy, slaves were poor and uneducated, and they felt threatened by different violent groups.

In the reconstruction era the freed slaves had the opportunity to be paid in cash for work, but, the rich white southerners took advantage of the vulnerable African Americans and guided them to poor jobs and away from the American Dream. The 14th amendment gave African Americans the right to life, liberty and property. “Nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”(Text of the 14th amendment). The founding fathers wrote this amendment to