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Reconstruction Dbq Essay

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The Reconstruction period after the Civil War was not effective. Numerous conflicts between President Johnson and Congress led to an inability to make decisions in government. Although laws were introduced by Congress to prevent slavery, Black Codes were created in the South which heavily restricted the rights of African Americans. Angry Southerners also created rebel groups in order to retaliate against the Radical Republicans. The Reconstruction was not effective as indecisiveness in government, the creation of Black Codes, and the introduction of rebel groups caused many of the problems prior to Civil War to be left unsolved. Throughout his presidency, Andrew Johnson repeatedly clashed with Congress. The former Governor of Tennessee, was the only southern senator to remain loyal to the Union. In addition, his plan for Reconstruction was often views as too lenient. For example, President Johnson had pardoned the former …show more content…

The Ku Klux Klan was a secret terrorist organization that was created by six well educated Confederate veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee in the December of 1865. Their main objective was to restore white supremacy through acts of violence such as murder, against both Black and White Republicans. The KKK had eventually spread to every southern state, and Klansmen would often terrorize republicans regardless of their race. Members of the KKK believed that African Americans were inferior to Whites and did not believe that Blacks deserved equal rights. Although the rebel groups were outlawed and made illegal, many of them remained in existence and appeared after the reconstruction had ended. This proved the Reconstruction to be ineffective as many Southerners were still fighting against the government and opposed them. In addition, African Americans were still deprived of their rights by these

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