After the Civil War, between 1865 and 1877, was a period known as Reconstruction which was a time of rebuilding the United States. Reconstruction was a failure for three main reasons, segregation became more prominent, slaves were still unprotected, and economical obstacles became a substantial problem. Reconstruction was meant to be a time period of rebuilding and unifying the North and South into one undivided nation of compromise. There were many goals of this period such as reorganizing the Southern states, readmitting them into the Union, and setting rules against slavery so blacks and whites could live in an equal society. However, these goal were not completely met because even though slavery was banned blacks still faced massive amounts of segregation and many Southerners were still poverty-stricken even after this time period(“Sectional Conflict, Civil War, and Reconstruction” 1). …show more content…
This act stopped the cruelty of slavery, but did not stop whites from persecuting blacks even after the 14th and 15th amendments were passed. Segregation became an enormous part of the United States as is stated in the following quote, “from this period on, segregation became a rigid legal system separating the races from cradle to grave—including segregated hospital facilities, cemeteries, and everything in between—no longer tolerating any flexibility in the racial interactions that had previously existed”(Lawson 1). This quote demonstrates how segregation was a hefty problem even though slavery had been banished, but also how Reconstruction failed to provide equality between
About a hundred years after the Civil War, almost all American lived under the Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow Laws actually legalized segregation. These racially enforced rules dominated almost every aspect of life, not to mention directed the punishments for any infraction. The key reason for the Jim Crow Laws was to keep African Americans as close to their former status as slaves as was possible. The following paper will show you the trials and tribulations of African Americans from the beginning through to the 1940’s where segregation was at its peak.
The 12 years succeeding the Civil War composed of different presidents, elected officials, and law developing, the reconstruction of the south officially came to an end in 1877. Binding the south with the United States again came with challenges and successes that constantly altered the way of life. Post civil war reformation was intended to bring progress to the problems America faced, unfortunately due to the great resistance of change, the evolution of America quickly came apart at the seems.
Segregation was allowed to become an institution in the south with the failure of Reconstruction after the Civil War. When the federal government abandoned Reconstruction in 1877, the south were allowed to started segregation by passing Jim Crow laws. Freedmen were unable to gain land and became slaves to the sharecropping system. Sharecropping tied African-Americans to land they didn’t own and never allowed them to become economically independent. Segregation as an institution affected all aspects of everyday life for African-Americans and existed on many levels. Southern states passed segregation laws on nearly everything like schools, restaurants, hospitals, and public transportation. Racism
After the triumph of the Union came to Reconstruction. Reconstruction was in the time range of 1865-1877. President Lincoln,the former president of the Union, was assassinated ,afterward, Vice President Andrew Johnson became president. As a result of Lincoln not having a play by play action on paper as to what he was going to rebuild or reconstruct the Union, Andrew was left without an idea on what to do. Reconstructing the Union left many questions such as, what labor would take place if there were no slaves and what kind of rights would the 4 million freedmen get. I subjectively believe that the reconstruction was a failure with a few good things hidden in between . In this essay, I will detail my own plans for Reconstruction.
By passing the Compromise of 1877 and removing federal troops from the south, white southerners reasserted their power over the freed blacks. Most blacks were forced to become sharecroppers. Where they farmed land that they didn't own and when harvest season came had to give most of their profit to the land owner. The fees were so high that the black workers would never get out of debt. Now "free" workers were working under the same conditions and the same families they had been slaves for before the Civil War. In order to further segregate the states enacted the Jim Crow laws. Southern states also performed literacy tests, registration laws, and poll taxes to prevent the black population from voting. The Supreme Court gave their approval to the segregation in 1896 during Plessy v. Ferguson. The Supreme Court declared "separate but equal." If one did not follow the laws placed before them they would be punished by the law or worse, the would be lynched by white civilians. The worst year was 1892, when a total of 230 people were lynched. Reconstruction ended before reconstruction could be completed because of that black Americans would be tortured because of their race for years to
After the Civil War there were still many changes that had to take place within the United States. The period of Congressional Reconstruction took place from 1865 through 1877. Although the outcome of the Civil War greatly affected things there were still various problems that had to be solved. This period of time after the Civil War was the reconstruction of congress. Congressional reconstruction was a very crucial time in American history, it changed the way of life in the South, the president caused difficulties with it, and Radical Republicans took over in congress. The goal of Congressional Reconstruction was to reunite the South with the Union. The outcome of Congressional Reconstruction resulted in a better
Government had brought the seceded Southern states back into the Union, and they ended slavery and they tried their best to protect newly emancipated the slaves. But they rebuilt the nation after a lot more four years of fighting. The reconstruction occurred in 2 phases, the Presidential Reconstruction was very lenient in order Southern states to rejoin the Union quickly, this was initiated by President Lincoln but was carried out by President Andrew Johnson. The Congressional Reconstruction was stricter and protected rights from former slaves and they kept Confederate leaders from regaining power. But, before the Civil War Lincoln proposed his 10% Plan, which was lenient and allowed the Confederate states could re-enter the Union when, 10% of their population had sworn an Oath of Loyalty and they ratified the 13th Amendment ending all slavery. But, the Radicals in Congress had rejected his plan because, it did not protect ex-slaves and didn’t keep them from regaining power, they also wanted to have 50% of the population to swear to an oath of loyalty. But, the states could come back once they ratified the 13th amendment. But, the southern passed black codes in order to keep African- Americans from getting any land, jobs, voting rights, and also protection under the law. Finally, in 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau had been established and offered assistance to former slaves and to protect their new
Due to the gradual elimination of African-American rights and the withdrawal of Federal troops from the South to enforce such rights, the end of Reconstruction surfaced in 1877. In the eyes of blacks, Reconstruction was a point in history where they could see their civil rights expanding before their very own eyes. On the contrary, whites were deeply disturbed at the way their once “white supremacy” government was dwindling in the rear-view mirror behind them. This fourteen year period known as Reconstruction houses the memories of temporary freedom, scandal, backdoor deals, and the unresolved social, political, and economical issues of our country.
The Reconstruction era was put into effect by Congress in 1866 and lasted until 1877. Reconstruction was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War. The reconstruction plan granted the means for readmitting the southern states into the Union, and tried to come up with the methods by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society. America's position as a country was established on principles of freedom but those beliefs were weakened by slavery. At the end of the Civil War, many blacks felt that they were entitled to start collecting the benefits that had been denied for so many years. Being able to vote, own land and have a voice in political affairs were all goals that they believed were reachable.
In the South, most whites had a very hard time adjusting to blacks being freed so they came up with the Jim Crow Laws. The Jim Crow laws kept the white and blacks segregated, keeping whites superior to others and blacks rights very limited. “The Court
The reconstruction era was a difficult time for the African American slaves from 1865 to 1877 because the slaves were freed and there were no jobs for them, had very little or no education, and had very limited opportunity in the south. Reconstruction was one of the most critical periods in American History. The Civil War changed the nation tremendously, and most importantly by bringing an end to slavery. Reconstruction was a period of great promise, hope, and progress for African Americans, and a period of resentment and resistance for many white
The Civil War left a country divided not only by property lines and borders but by beliefs as well. Not just religious beliefs, moral beliefs also. It left both sides, north and south struggling, trying to figure out what their next move towards reuniting the divided America was going to be. The period following the end of the Civil War would become known as the “Reconstruction Era.” An era that raised just as many questions as it did answers. A reconstruction of America that seems to carry on many decades later.
Segregation was a cruel act committed only to the black people after the Civil War. Everything occurred in the whole United States, which was meant to be “reconstructed.”
The Jim Crow Laws had large impacts on the life in the South, which was the segregation, and also had a long effect on the later life of people that lived in the segregation time.
Reconstruction is the period of rebuilding the south that succeeded the Civil War (1861-1865). This period of time is set by the question now what? The Union won the war and most of the south was destroyed. Devastation, buildings turned into crumbles and lost crops. The South was drowning in poverty. To worsen the situation there were thousands of ex-slaves that were set free by the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13 Amendment. "All these ex-slaves", Dr. Susan Walens commented, "and no place to put them," The ex-slaves weren't just homeless but they had no rights, unlike white man. The government and congress had to solve the issues present in the south and the whole nation