Historian Eric Foner, describes Reconstruction in the US, as a “splendid failure”. Reconstruction, was the period after the Civil War, in which the government tried to “fix” the country from all the harm caused. There are some good things to have come out of it, like the African-Americans representation in the government, or the ability to establish Schools, and Churches. But with the positives, there were negatives, in a large way, whether it be the start of terrorist groups like the Klu-Klux Klan, or economic hardships like the Panic of 1873. Overall, I feel that the negatives outweighed the positives, but there are still important positives to come out of it. Some of the more, “splendid” things that came out of Reconstruction, was that African-Americans got to vote, and that they were finally …show more content…
After the war, African-Americans were allowed to vote after the 15th Amendment was passed, this was a huge step for them in gaining more of the staple rights for Americans. In 12.2, when it is discussing African Americans as voters it says, “African Americans-gained voting rights as a result as a result of the Fifteenth Amendment”(12.2). This quote is saying how this amendment finally gave them the right to vote, making them a part of important decisions, and making them more of citizens this amendment was passed during the reconstruction period, which is why I feel that this was one of the success of the period. Another “splendid” part of reconstruction, is that African Americans were allowed to establish schools, and churches, allowing them to take control of their life. Also in 12.2 it discusses
Although slavery was declared over after the passing of the thirteenth amendment, African Americans were not being treated with the respect or equality they deserved. Socially, politically and economically, African American people were not being given equal opportunities as white people. They had certain laws directed at them, which held them back from being equal to their white peers. They also had certain requirements, making it difficult for many African Americans to participate in the opportunity to vote for government leaders. Although they were freed from slavery, there was still a long way to go for equality through America’s reconstruction plan.
Reconstruction failed because freedman became their own group somewhere between slave and full citizen. They no longer had to serve their master for the rest of their life however they had nothing going for them: no land, no investments, no specialized skills, and no education. Freedman could not leave the plantation they grew up on because they had nowhere to go and no way of getting there. Planters could then take advantage of the situation and the freedman would then end up living in the same quarters and not able to make a profit due to the steep prices the planters sold grain and cheap prices they bought from the freedman, leaving freedman always in the debt of their former masters, just as their ancestors had been when they were indentured
The Reconstruction failed badly for many different reasons. Racism is one of the major key roles that caused the reconstruction to fail. No one could seem to see that blacks where equal since they believed that the blacks where less than them. Slavery also played a key role into the failure of reconstruction. Before the war slaves where considered three fifths of one.
The Reconstruction was unsuccessfull because of some important reasons. First, the South was still aracist part of the United States because they created the Jim Crow Laws, what means that the people who lived and administratedthe South were not intelligent. The second example is that Abraham Lincoln, who started and incentivated the Reconstruction, was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, so it made the Reconstruction process to be less efective. Finally, the last problem was the Solid South, it is a name that the South recieved because it was a solid white, solid racist and solid Democrat, what means that they were not able to support black people. Concluding, all of these examples shows why the Reconstruction was unsuccessfull
(Voting Rights Struggle). As a result, they created an association that created two clauses that helped change the laws and give more freedom to African Americans. The South started to give African Americans responsibility and representation in government. According to the video “The Failure of Reconstruction,” the struggle between North and South shifted from the battlefield to the
“Should blacks receive full voting rights, and what rights should they require. Radical republicans posed that freed slaves should recieve voting rights, but president Johnson quickly turned this down. But congress passed a bill that gave freedmen full rights including voting rights that lasted a few years. In our discussion, we came to the conclusion that freed men weren’t quite ready to vote yet, as they needed to be educated first. We agreed that this way was the best for the freedmen to be admitted back as citizens.
With reconstruction there were many doors opened for African Americans. They were able to be free, and to become a citizen, and male slaves over the age of 21 were able to vote. Also there was education for children and some adults, and there were marriages for former slaves. In the image drawn by A. R. Waud, he displays a male African American voting for the first time. This image shows how constitutionally this was groundbreaking for the former slaves.
Maceo Cardinale Kwik Reconstruction Reconstruction was the twelve years after the civil war. Those twelve years were full of readjustment fixing the ruin the United States had fallen into. The problems that had the United states in disarray were how to, rebuild the South, reunite the states, and ensure the rights and protection of the newly freed African Americans. The civil war left the South in shambles, and newly freed slaves struggled to adjust to their new freedom. Most Southerners hated reconstruction and everything else about the North.
The Reconstruction Era of American history was plagued by many problems. One of the most important problems being the recently released from slavery Freedmen. Freedmen were in a tricky situation in which they had just been released from their owner and had nowhere to go, but the Federal Government made many successful attempts to help them out. The Government helped alleviate all the problems Freedmen had from their finances to basic needs and rights, and in doing so, made the period of reconstruction more helpful than harmful for Freedmen. The events of reconstruction were helpful to freedmen as they were not only freed from slavery, they were given rights directly from the federal government.
Although many attempts were made to prioritize freedom and equality for all, these values were undermined by racist Southerners who wouldn’t accept equality. In the end, Reconstruction had failed and former slaves endured another hardship akin to slavery. However, Reconstruction still could have prospered. There are multiple events that, if they had occurred, Reconstruction would not have failed. For example, had the government continued to fund the Freedmen’s Bureau, then the South would have legislated their discriminatory laws much later, if not at all.
Who is to blame for the death of the Reconstruction; the North or the South? The years following the Civil War in America were known as the Reconstruction. During this time period, many former slaves were beginning to see freedom. There was a great deal of resistance and tension rising between the North and the South. During the Reconstruction period, there were laws passed in the South limiting the freedoms of freedmen and former slaves.
Reconstruction is the time period after the Civil War, where the country attempted to improve the Union. There were many successes, but what also comes along with success is failure. During the reconstruction many failures were present; such as the lack of racial equality and blatant racism towards blacks, a failing economy in the South, and tense relations between the North and the South. This created a very intense and challenging period of time for the Union.
The reconstruction period was a failure because African Americans, mainly males, were not treated with equality although the constitution said that the they were free and had the right to vote, be educated and had the right to liberty, life and the pursuit to happiness. Organizations, like the KKK, were created to harm freed slaves and their families. Laws were created such as the Black Codes restricting former slaves from their rights. African Americans endured a lot of violence over the years. “In Grayson, Texas, a white man and two friends murdered three former slaves because the wanted to ‘ thin the niggers out and drive them to their hole’”.
No, I disagree with this proposition that Reconstruction was a missed opportunity. In the history of the United States, "Reconstruction" refers to the policies between 1863 and 1877 when the U.S. focused on ending the slavery, demolishing the Confederacy, and rebuilding the nation and the Constitution. Abraham Lincoln’s whole post war idea was to facilitate and reconciliation but he was assassinated and we left with Andrew Johnson. Although the slavery was banned, segregation created new social injustice, which lasted for another century. Economically speaking, the South was never recovered completely and there were specific problems left unsolved over state rights.
Reconstruction a Failure or Success? Throughout the years, America has gone through many different political changes. Many presidents selected with different plans for our future. Sadly, many of those objectives have failed or came to an end.