Reconstruction Dbq Essay

After a life of slavery and no rights, slaves became free. However, this caused problems. A group of people called the KKK caused harm to African Americans, using fear tactics to force certain actions upon them, sometimes ending in death. The reconstruction period, 1865-1877, was a time when the United States of America was trying to recover from the war. The United States was once again a united country, but during the war things got destroyed and the states were still divided with their beliefs. Many areas of the south were burned or wrecked, therefore they needed to be rebuilt. Also, many Southerners did not agree with the laws to make former slaves free. This caused the establishment of the Ku Klux Klan. Reconstruction was a success because

During the time period of 1860 and 1877 many major changes occurred. From the beginning of the civil war to the fall of the reconstruction, the United States changed dramatically. Nearly one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence which declared all men equal, many social and constitutional alterations were necessary to protect the rights of all people, no matter their race. These social and constitutional developments that were made during 1860 to 1877 were so drastic it could be called a revolution.

Reconstruction was the period after the Civil War. During this period, the U.S faced many challenges such as how to reunite the North and the South and put the Civil War behind us. In addition, the nation needed to address the status of four million freed slaves by granting them citizenship, and protecting their citizenship rights. As years passed, many historians went back and forth of whether or not Congress was a success for the freedmen, or a total blowout. These pieces of evidence concludes that the Congress’ Reconstruction was unfortunately a failure for the freedmen rights.

Reconstruction was a time period of major change in the United States of America for both African Americans and White citizens. After the Civil War, the reconstruction process started out as a failure, but over the years turned into a huge success because of how African Americans were able to live normal lives. Overall, Reconstruction was a success because freedom and growth of equality for African Americans was increased greatly.

The Reconstruction of the United States was an experiment in interracial democracy. The Civil War victory by the North brought to a close the establishment of slavery but, in turn, opened Pandora's box. The questions and answers pertaining to economical, political, and social equality for freedmen had yet to be addressed on a practical level. The Southern states, still bitter from defeat and economic stresses, strongly rejected the societal transformations thrust upon them. The Northern states' focal point remained on the necessary political powers by which to enact constitutional amendments, therefore empowering the federal government with the capabilities to enforce the principles of equal rights. On paper, slavery was abolished, but in reality, African-Americans were once again enslaved on a ship without the security or knowledge of what the next port held for them. The Civil War had not truly ended. It was still active under the guise of Reconstruction, but now coats and flags of many colors existed, and battles were merely fought on alternate battlefields. A war of ideas lacking in substantial practicality resulted in repetitious battles being won and loss. The motivating forces that set Reconstruction into motion were for the most part the North's quest for unification among states', and the emancipation of slaves. However, the primary objective of Reconstruction was to grant political, economical, and social opportunities for the freedmen. The

After the Civil War, the state of Civil Rights, much like the South, was in ruins. The era after the war witnessed one of the most open and widespread discussions of equality since the founding of the United States. Throughout the 100 year period between Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement, Civil Rights have been positively redefined despite much opposition. While the Reconstruction era after the Civil War presented many challenges towards the advancement of Civil Rights, there were many examples of success in the progression of black rights.

The Reconstruction Era lasted up to 1877 from the time just after the Civil War. The Reconstruction failed to bring about social and economic equality to the former slaves due to the southern whites’ resentful and bitter outlook on the matter, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Jim Crow laws.

The aftermath of the civil war left the U.S in a terrible position; thus calling for the dawning of the Reconstruction era. The idea of Reconstruction was brought up by Pres. Abe Lincoln, but it was brought out by Andrew Johnson after President Lincoln was assassinated. The hopes for former slaves was lifted when the 13th-15th amendments were established and many rights for black men were created. While Southern state governments abolished slavery, they did nothing to alter the status of freedmen and women; to show, the rights once held by former slaves were taken away from them. Black men could not vote, they could not own property, and they were forced into sharecropping, which made debt highly likely. Slavery was still punishment for crimes, but the biggest punishment for crimes committed by blacks was lynching.

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

When Reconstruction began in 1865, a broken America had just finished fighting the Civil War. In all respects, Reconstruction was a time period of

With the Freedmen, Reconstruction may have helped them gain freedom and protection under the constitution, but these protections were flawed and loopholes were found. To spite the radical republicans, the south created Black Codes that had rules like, “Every Negro is required to be in the regular service of some white person, or former owner, who shall be held responsible for the conduct of said Negro” (Louisiana). These laws were in effect before the 14th amendment came and was in laymen’s terms slavery. Freedmen were known to vote Republican in the south because they gained freedom because of the Republicans. However, the South wanted no one to vote for Republicans because in their eyes it was the Republicans that ruined them. So, to ensure that Freedmen did not vote for Republicans, they invented the KKK. The KKK was a political group that wanted to stop votes for Republicans in the south. By any and all means necessary. One example is Adam Colby, who was a Freedmen and a republican. The KKK tried to bribe him to get him to stop his Radical Republican activities. When Adam didn’t rise to the bribe, they broke into his home on the 29th of October and took him to the woods where they whipped him and left him for dead (“Testimony”). Not only this, but Freedmen had a very hard time finding places to live. Many places had a “whites only” mindset and would not sell to Freedmen. An example of this type of situation is when a young Freedwoman was looking for a home with her husband. An agent told her and her husband he had just the place they were looking for but could not give it to them because “all the white people in the neighbourhood would be down on me” (“The”). Reconstruction brought an even uglier side of the

Through the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the constitution, the republicans tried to protect and establish black freedoms. At the same time southern state legislators were passing laws to restrict free blacks’ freedoms. Through the use of black codes and vagrancy laws, the south attempted to keep blacks in a state of slavery. These laws were worded in a way such that blacks rights would be so restricted that it would remain impossible for them to gain any real freedom.

Reconstruction was the time between 1863 and 1877 when the U.S. focused on abolishing slavery, destroying the Confederacy, and reconstructing the nation and the Constitution and is also the general history of the post-Civil War era in the U.S. between 1865 and 1877. Under Abraham Lincoln, presidential reconstruction began in each state as soon as federal troops controlled most of the state. The usual ending date is 1877, when the Compromise of 1877 saw the collapse of the last Republican state governments in the South

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

During the time of Reconstruction, the federal government did little to help the people of America as a whole, they concentrated on bettering African American lives and “reconstructing” the South. The focus during this time period was to protect the rights of African Americans, which had long and hard been fought for. The federal government made it their priority to ensure equal rights among all black people. Also, the readmission of the Confederate states was essential to the federal