Reconstruction Dbq Research Paper

“…the slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery” (W.E.B. Dubois). Reconstruction was an era, from 1863 to 1877, used to rebuilt the damage done in the South by the Civil War. Many people resisted in the South, so it was difficult to carry out the new ideas of Reconstruction. Rebuilding the United States was not an easy task, only lasted 12 years ending in 1877. The Compromise of 1877 settled the intensely disputed 1876 U.S. presidential election, which was pulled federal troops out of state in the South, and ended the Reconstruction Era. The United State come up with three Amendment to help the African Americans there are the 13th Amendment: ended slavery, 14th Amendment: gave blacks Americans citizenship and civil rights and the last one was the 15th Amendment: right to vote. Was the North or South to be blamed for ending the period of rebuilding in the United State after the Civil War? Reconstruction is the process of rebuilding or reorganizing

William Smith Smith AP U.S. History – 7 3 January 2015 Essential Questions 1. The most prominent reason why Reconstruction was considered a failure was the status of African Americans after reconstruction was already over. The agreements following the Civil War were made in order to make African Americans equal in the eyes of the law and the opportunities they were able to pursue. But after the war the southern states were widely ignored as they passed laws to segregate the races and prevent blacks from voting. They remained very low on social tiers as well, and very little people in the south changed the way they treat black people.

Reconstruction was a failure because negroes still faced restrictions such as what they were allowed to do without the permission of whites. Some examples of the negroes needing permission from the whites would be they couldn't rent or own a house in certain places and if you failed to follow the rule then you would be ‘immediately ejected’ (Document D). Also negroes were required to be in the regular service of white persons, and that said person is responsible for the negro (Document D). Although negroes were not slaves anymore the wrongs of all the whites were not ended and they were not quite free yet. The government left their freedom in worse condition than before reconstruction (Document E).

Bringing the Southern states came with many unfortunate problems that gave African Americans such a hard time mainly in the South, but partially in the North also! Some of the issues like Jim Crow laws and Black Codes greatly impacted African Americans because they wanted rights that had continuously been denied to them, they eventually got them in the 13-15th Amendments, but those Jim Crow laws and Black Codes restricted those rights—this unfortunate time of Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877. Although the period stopped, the issues

Forever. 170). The Klan were white southerners who were organized and committed to the breaking down of Reconstruction. By methods of brutality, “the Klan during Reconstruction offers the most extensive example of homegrown terrorism in American history” (Foner. Forever. 171). The Ku Klux Klan as well as other groups killed or tormented black politicians or threatened the blacks who voted in elections. The Klan strongly disagreed with the northern idea that slaves should become part of the government. The Historian Kenneth M. Stampp states, “for their [the North] supreme offense was not corruption but attempting to organize the Negroes for political action” (Stampp. Era. 159). This corresponds with Foner’s idea that the South was not open to the idea of change but more so consumed with the idea of recreating a society similar to one of the past. However, the goal of white power groups was not just politics. The Klan wanted to restore the hierarchy once controlling the South. Foner observes that, “the organization took on the function of the antebellum slave patrols: making sure that blacks did not violate the rules and etiquette of white supremacy” (Foner. Forever. 172). Like the power the southern whites formerly held over the slave population, the Ku Klux Klan wanted to control the African American population still living in the South. They did not want the freedmen to become integrated into their society because they saw them as lesser people. By suppressing and

Reconstruction did not successfully grant African Americans equal social, economic, and political rights. Reconstruction was not successful in giving blacks social rights. Racial groups treated Blacks, like the KKK. These groups' main goal was to threaten blacks

The relationships between the North and the South made reconstruction not successful, because they did not trust each other to do anything for each other. The KKK made this unsuccessful, because they killed African Americans and had a terrible impact on the world because of their bad actions. The reconstruction of the South

The twelve years after the Civil War, known as Reconstruction, proved to be a difficult time for America. Although new amendments were created that gave African Americans more rights in society, the Southern Democrats shackled the full potential of the Reconstruction era by restricting blacks’ freedom, voting rights, and economic independence.

I think Reconstruction after the Civil War was unsuccessful for many reasons. The nation was unified, but African Americans did not gain equality. There were laws for equality, such as the Freedmen’s Bureau and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. These were accomplishments that gave rights to African Americans. Nevertheless, some laws and groups have restrictions on these laws.

During the Reconstruction era, there were groups like the Ku Klux Klan who were out to kill and terrorize innocent African Americans, which was another reason why Reconstruction failed. Another negative that African Americans faced during Reconstruction was the Jim Crow Laws, which was ultimately another reason for Reconstruction failing. The Jim Crow Laws were made for African Americans not to be equal. “The southern states passed a series of Laws which discriminated against blacks and made sure that they were segregated from whites.” (Doc. E)

The period from 1865 to 1921 in the United States marked an important era characterized by significant changes in race relations and diplomatic attempts. Minorities in the US, particularly African Americans, faced severe challenges in the years following the Civil War as they dealt with institutional racism, segregation, and the lingering effects of slavery. While the goal of the Reconstruction era was to grant freed slaves equal rights, it was tainted by opposition and the enforcement of laws that discriminated against them, such as the Jim Crow laws and the Black Codes. African Americans' access to social, political, and economic opportunities was severely restricted by these policies, which also served to maintain racial segregation and

The Union Victory in the Civil War gave freedom towards slaves, however, the process of rebuilding the south introduced significant challenges. Attempts were made to rectify the inequities of slavery and to solve the problems that arose from the readmission to the union of the 11 states that have seceded. Reconstruction has been viewed more as a commendable experiment in interracial democracy, being the era of “repair” after he Civil War. Reconstruction was an era of total failure in the government’s attempt to create and reconstruct a society that was truly democratic. Although there were political and social changes during the Reconstruction Era that granted passages of freedom for the African Americans, policies such as the Black Codes and the actions of the white southerners restricted their rights and opportunities.

This included Congress passing the three Amendments. Congress was supposed to set up schools, giving medical services, manage lands, manage jobs, provide legal assistance, and even help them resettle. This did not happen. Reconstruction failed because the South did not want to accept that Blacks were freed and Congress not giving the economic supports to the Blacks. This was especially a problem when it came to Blacks trying to reintegrate back into the southern economy. Instead, of it being equal, Blacks were forced into semi-enslaved conditions as sharecroppers. The federal government was supposed to give them forty acres, but never did. That meant the freed Blacks could not adjust to the economy. This made freed Blacks to have to return to the plantations for work. The reason for Reconstruction downfall was the rise of white terrorist socities like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The Supreme Court’s destroying constitional and legislative gains for Blacks by ruling in favor for the South. Southerners repeal the loyaly oath required to re-enter national economy. The Hayes-Tilden Compromise in 1877 allowed the South federal troops withdrawl. The withdrawl of federal troops in the South left Blacks having to deal with racist government and terrorist groups. The ongoing Reconstruction deals with the police

“The first incarnation of the KKK formed just after the Civil War, using terrorist violence as a means of maintaining white supremacy, but its influence "waxed and waned," as Gordon puts it, over the decades that followed” (Waxman 2). The Ku Klux Klan, aka KKK, is a white supremacist group who has done many cruel things to African Americans. Throughout many years, the KKK has grown power over politics, the news, and television as ways to try and exterminate African Americans. The KKK is a group that think the white people have the power over the African Americans, and that African Americans should not be treated as fair. Overall, the Ku Klux Klan impacted society through violence, white supremacy, and the nationwide attention the group was

The Ku Klux Klan was a politically and racially motivated group that discouraged and frustrated attempts at racial equality (Bowles 2011). They were against all equality for anyone who supported a Union or was black. They were in control of the Southern states and they ran amuck abusing and murdering anyone they felt would threaten their way of life and the local and state governments sat back and supported their efforts to keep the blacks enslaved at all costs. In and article written by the Harper’s Weekly paper about the atrocities in the South it stated that,