Reconstruction Dbq Essay

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The period of time in American history known as the Reconstruction lasted from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to 1877. It was a period of time when the United States was trying to form another union and be a full country again after years of division. This division was caused by the Civil War, which caused the United States to split into two parts. The North and The South still used their differences to cause further problems and the slaves that were emancipated were caught in between this fight. Many of these issues were related to the rights of African Americans and how they would join American society. As it may be, the Reconstruction was not the potential solution for the problems caused by slavery and the Civil War as African Americans …show more content…

It forced the societies to have to create jobs and housing for all the slaves who had been emancipated. Document Collection 1 explains that this was a great challenge for the country after the Civil War as it forced the country to adapt to the needs of millions of new people that had not been part of their society. Many of the freedmen opted to sharecropping, a contract in which freedmen were able to rent small plots of land and pay the rent back with the selling of the produce. Although blacks received some resources for their work, the contracts that they signed were biased against them and due to the lack of produce it would eventually lead to the freedmen becoming bankrupt. This caused many African Americans to have to work for their masters for the rest of their lives trying to pay off the major debt they had built up, ruining their chances at a new …show more content…

Instead the Reconstruction caused the major issue of having to incorporate freed slaves into an American society increasing the demand of jobs and housing. The main issue from this was that despite the amendments being passed and federal law claiming that no state shall make their own laws, the Southern states decided to create their own laws known as the black codes. Document Collection 4 states how the laws restricted the rights of freed slaves and made them feel like slaves. Examples of such laws are not being able to come near the town unless specified by your master, not being able to rent or own housing under any circumstance, and etc. It proves how the South had a different view on slaves being emancipated and how they were willing to falsely accuse someone just because they were black. These actions justify why the Reconstruction was a failure and lists/explains the issues that came from this time

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