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Reconstruction Dbq Essay

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The Reconstruction of the United States was a time of political controversy following the civil war. Throughout 1863-1877 several plans were put into place in an effort to unify the confederate states back into the union. Part of this process was to give newly freed slaves rights as free men. Some parts of the plan were successful and others were a complete disaster. One of the most infamous fails of the reconstruction era was the black codes. After the civil war the fight of freedom for black men began, but was quickly denied by southern whites who instead developed laws that segregated whites from blacks. The black codes were supported by President Andrew Johnson who was a southern Republican. These codes state that Freed colored men will …show more content…

This action infuriated the Ku-Klux members which led them to murder Senator John W. Stephens. Albion W. Tourgee argues on behalf of all the victims of intimidation and threats. In his letter on Ku Klux KLan activities he mentions the length to which the Klan will go in order to keep African Americans below them and submissive to their satisfaction. The intimidation is so severe in most cases that the abused victims have to resort to begging that no action will be taken against their abusers in fear that the Klan would retaliate and murder their family (Tourgee 1870). Tourgee claims that the government is filled with cowards that take no action against the murder of American citizens. He even states that citizenship in the country was made a privilege instead of a basic right. African Americans at this time were already citizens and should have the same rights to vote for what they believe in without fear of being attacked during their …show more content…

They lived under fear and discrimination and were nowhere near equals to their white employers and intimidators. Not much had changed from the start of the black codes into the ratification of the 15th amendment, except for the increase in violence towards the black community in an attempt to maintain them as an inferior class. Even though the free men now had rights it was as if they were still unable to act upon their political views because of the widespread violence against any white or black man the fought for the advancement of African American rights. The freedoms they were granted were strictly limited, so they would benefit white citizens and retain the newly freed men as laborers without their consent. On paper the reconstruction of the union seemed to be progressing, but in reality the amount of cruelty that forced African American citizens to stay in the shadows proved that the nation was quickly failing in their attempts of a

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