- What gains do African-Americans make in the years after the Civil War?
- What challenges to equality do they experience during Reconstruction?
- Is Reconstruction a success or failure?
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Reconstruction: From Freedom Struggle to the Fight for Equality
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I don’t think Reconstruction was a full success but I also don’t think it was a total failure. The good part about Reconstruction were the amendments and laws passed granting former slaves political freedoms and rights like the 14th Amendment (which guaranteed citizenship, equal rights and applied in all states) and the 15th Amendment (which prohibited states from denying men the right to vote based on race but not based on gender, literacy, or whether your ancestors had the right to vote). African Americans gained rights to vote and schooling. Even though only black men could vote and schools were segregated, they gained a lot more right than before. They exercised their right to vote by taking part in elections. America’s first black governor, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, served as governor from 1872-1873 in Louisiana.
The bad part about Reconstruction was that the federal gov’t dictated who could vote and who is or isn’t a citizen of a state. Another bad thing was that corruption was widespread. Reconstruction ended because it cost too much money and white southerners couldn’t accept African Americans exercising basic rights. Exercising the right to vote was a challenge because of the KKK. The development of the KKK (a terrorist organization targeting republicans both black and white founded in 1866) killed many men and women to prevent them from voting. They directed most of the violence toward African Americans. Furthermore, President Andrew Johnson created challenges for African Americans too because he tried to stop them from gaining certain rights, and according to “Reconstruction and 1876: Crash Course US History #22” he was also a racist.
During Reconstruction, citizen ship was provided to anyone born in the US, including (now ex) slaves and African American men were given the right to vote and even hold political positions.Blacks took their new political freedom and used them gladly, showing up at protests and putting in their votes. Yes, certain leaps were made toward racial equality but it was cut too short.
Racism still ran rampant, especially in the South. The KKK formed, using violence against blacks and republicans. Land that was promised was not given.
It seems that Reconstruction was started but the job was never finished.
I think that Reconstruction, overall, was a failure. It did bring important changes for African Americans like giving them some education, allowing them to hold positions in office, and bringing the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution. The Amendments abolished slavery, citizenship and equal protection under the law, and bans denial for the right to vote based on race, respectively. However, the main reason why the Amendments were added was due to black codes, which popped up all over the South after the end of the Civil War. Black codes were based on former slave codes and their primary purpose was to protect the white supremacy and keep the black population as a cheap labor force. The Amendments were passed in response to the black codes (though they would soon come again as Jim Crow laws) and white southerners even found ways around the Amendments. For example, many places had literary tests that blacks had to pass in order to vote. Considering that the majority of slaves were illiterate, most blacks could not vote. Also, schools were segregated by race, which went against the whole equality struggle. I think that a huge aspect of the failure of Reconstruction was the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, which used violence against blacks and Republicans. After a while, support of Reconstruction faded because many considered the issue to be over and the era ended with blacks being second-class citizens.
During the Reconstruction period blacks made several, very important, gains. One of those being the Bill of Rights which is accompanied by the 14th and 15 amendment. The 14th amendment defined all American men as citizens, including free blacks and former slaves. The 15th amendment aided black men by giving them the right to vote. This allowed blacks to keep the Republican party in power, which was beneficial to blacks.
Another thing that blacks during the Reconstruction era was schools. A multitude of black universities sprung up around the country. This meant that blacks finally had the opportunity to pursue some form of higher learning.
There were also a lot of bad things which happened in this tumultuous era. One of those things was the Compromise of 1877 which ended Reconstruction in the South. Essentially, it meant that the Republican run North would not interfere with Southern government. This lead to things like Jim Crow laws and blacks losing their right to vote.
Terrible things were happening before the Compromise of 1877, like racial violence. The KKK would form in 1866 and commit violence on Republicans and blacks.
In the end, I do not think Reconstruction was a success. The point of Reconstruction was to reintegrate the South and all the former slaves who were now free back into the Union. They ended up just letting the South do whatever they wanted with their state governments. Even though the blacks were free rampant racial tension still ran wild and would, and still does, remain today.
The Civil War ended which meant slaves were now free. Rather than being a struggle of freedom, the Reconstruction Era was a struggle of equality. The Reconstruction Era was a moment of hope once the slaves were freed in 1865. It was moment in which the United States was more democratic than it had ever been before. During the Reconstruction period, the United States worked towards reintegrating both a formally slave population and a formerly rebellious population back into the country.
In my opinion, Reconstruction was not a success because there were more failures than positive outcomes. Part of this was because of Andrew Johnson, the president after Abraham Lincoln’s death. Johnson called to form all white governments. He also declared that all land be returned to its former owners. Republicans and Congress were not happy that the reconstructed south looked so much the pre-Civil War south. After 1867, they took the lead of Reconstruction and Congress overrode Johnson. Republicans and Congress took the liberty to creating that 14th Amendment, arguably the most important amendment. This amendment defined citizenship, equal protection and also extended the rights of the Bill of Rights in all states. Despite efforts made, there were still many limitations for blacks at the time. For example, there were laws that were known as “black codes” that replaced the word “slave” with the word “Negro.” Reconstruction was a failure because white southerners could still not accept the freedom that blacks had. Without federal troops, states could go back to limiting the rights of blacks.
However, there were highlights that benefitted Blacks during Reconstruction. Not everything was unsuccessful. For example, universities and primary and secondary schools were established. Reconstruction amendments also gave slaves some economic and political rights. For example, they now had the right to vote.
In the years after the Civil War, African-Americans achieved important gains. Schools, such as Howard and Fisk Universities, and other primary and secondary schools were formed, which, like Jamel has said, meant that blacks had the opportunity to further their education. Congress also passed the Civil Rights Act by overriding the Presidential veto by a two-thirds majority. The Civil Rights Act defined persons born in the US as citizens and extended nationwide equality before the law regardless of race. In 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act, which divided the South into 5 military districts and required each state to create a new government, one that included the participation of black men. Congressional Republicans pushed the 15th Amendment which prohibits states from denying men the right to vote based on race. With these legal protections, blacks began to exercise their rights. They participated in politics by staging sit-ins to integrate street cars, they were voting in elections, and by holding office. About 2,000 African Americans held office during Reconstruction.
Despite many of these positive gains, African-Americans still faced challenges for equality. For example, despite passing the 15th Amendment, states were given a lot of leeway in denying African Americans the right to vote, which they did. White southerners also could not accept African Americans exercising basic civil rights, voting, or holding office, which was also one of the main reasons Reconstruction ended. In response to all this, much of the violence toward African Americans in the South became politically motivated. The KKK was founded in 1866 and targeted black and white Republicans, they beat and murdered men and women for intimidation and to prevent them from voting. There was also the massacre in Colfax, Louisiana, in which hundreds of former slaves were murdered. Black Codes were also put in place, and I agree with Green, they were just legal codes that replaced the word "slave" with "negro". Black Codes showed how unwilling white governments were ensure the rights of the new, free citizens.
In my opinion, Reconstruction was a failure. Some good things came out of it, such as the Civil Rights Act, the Reconstruction Act, and the 14th and 15th Amendments. However, the whole point of Reconstruction was to reintegrate the former slave ad rebellious black population back into the country. Along with this and the gains African-Americans achieved, white southerners' opinions towards accepting the new, free citizens did not change. There was also the Bargain of 1877, in which Rutherford B. Hayes agreed to cede control of the South to Democrats and stop meddling in Southern affairs in order to gain Presidency and the favor of the Electoral Commission. The Bargain of 1877 basically killed Reconstruction, without federal troops in Southern states and the state governments in the hands of white Democrats, the states were free to go about and restrict the freedom of black people, which they did, of course. Jim Crow laws were passed, which limited African-Americans' access to public accommodations. States also passed laws that took away black people's right to vote, and the social and economic mobility of African-Americans in the South declined greatly.
Overall Reconstruction was a failure. Reconstruction occurred during 1865-1877. During Reconstruction Blacks gained political rights and voting. The 14th and 15th Amendments exercised these rights which explained that there is equal protection, citizenship, and Bill of Rights to all states and prohibiting states from denying men the rights of citizens to vote due to race/gender. Southern states put the 14th amendment into affect by becoming part of the 5 military acts or they wouldn't be part of the union. Although schools were segregated Blacks were offered education. During this period, over 2,000 Blacks held office in the gov't over the U.S. and were not corrupt and from 1872-73 Pinckney B.S. Pinchback was the first black governor.
Blacks didn't earn property rights. They felt as though they deserved the land that they worked on while being slaves and they were promised that land however that promise was never fulfilled. Reconstruction cost too much and violence towards Blacks increased. The KKK was a terrorist group who attacked whites but mainly Blacks threatening them not to vote. When President Lincoln was assassinated Andrew Johnson who claimed to be a racist and was in favor of whites not Blacks. One reason why Reconstruction ended was due to lack of interest. Reconstruction was a fail because eventually it cost too much for the country to fund and violence was a problem.
I think Reconstruction was a failure, but I also think there was some success to it. In 1865, the North won the Civil War, meaning the slaves were finally free. While the struggle for freedom was over, the end of the Civil War brought about the struggle for equality. Ex-slaves and other Blacks had to be reintegrated back into society, and the Reconstruction started.
There are several gains and positive aspects of the Reconstruction period (1865-1876). For example, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1866. Even though it had been vetoed by President Johnson, Congress still passed it, giving equality to U.S. citizens and protecting their civil rights. The Reconstruction Act of 1867 required the states to make new governments, which allowed Blacks to be included. Black men were also given the right to vote during the period. Aside from economic gains, Blacks also had success in education. All Black colleges were started, giving Blacks the chance to learn more, and better preparing ex-slaves for freedom.
Although there are successes of the Reconstruction period, I think the challenge for equality overrides them. Even though slaves were free, they were not considered equal by everyone. There were limitations put on Black freedom. For example, they couldn't preach to other Blacks, had to work for whites, and many states stopped them from exercising their right to vote. Whites did not like the idea of Blacks having freedom and tried to deny them of their civil rights. The KKK was formed, targeting both Blacks and white republicans. This caused less black men to vote, and more southern democrats did. Eventually laws were passed (ex. Jim Crow laws), adding more limitations to black freedom.
In conclusion, while there were several successes during the Reconstruction period, it was a failure. Blacks gained their freedom, but they were in no way treated equal. In my opinion, it just seems like one problem ended (struggle for freedom), and another came about (struggle for equality).
The end of the civil war meant that blacks had more freedom. Equality was the purpose after this war. Schools were built for blacks, which what Jamel mentioned did promise an increase in the education for blacks. The 13th, 14th and 15th amendment also showed equality. The 13th amendment abolished slavery. The 14th amendment claims that all American men are citizens, this including blacks, The 15th amendment says that black males can vote. More than 2,000 blacks worked for the government. Pinckney B.S Pinchback was also the first black governor in Louisana.
Even though all of these positive gains happened, the Reconstruction was still a failure. Although Blacks had opportunity to schools, they were segregated. The president after Abrham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, declared that all land returned to the original owner. Many whites also refused to give Black males the right to vote. Reconsrruction later failed due to the fact of money costs, and that the South could not accept the freedom for Blacks. The KKK was later formed in 1866. Their target was black and white Republicans. They beat so many Republican men and women to not vote. They were a dangerous group. The "Black Codes" law were then set in place. These laws basically replaced the word slave to negro. In my opinion due to all of these unfortunate events, the Recinstruction was a failure.
During Reconstruction there were some successes but it was overall an ultimate failure. Following the conflict-ridden, harsh Civil War, Abraham Lincoln had a preparation to patch up the country and make it complete once more. He wanted gathering and resolution. Then he got shot and died. Andrew Johnson was then put in charge. Andrew Jackson thought that the south in no way had the privilege to be successful in the first place. He was a racist and didn’t believe blacks ought to have a position in reconstruction. Jackson made supposedly new white governments that were really just the same as the previous ones. There was an argument among Johnson and Congress. The argument among Johnson and Congress guaranteed that Reconstruction would fail. In 1866 share cropping started. Share croppers were provided with tools and seeds. They also got a little share of the crops they gathered, not a lot though. It wasn’t only blacks who share cropped poor white men did it too. In 1866 the civil rights bill happened. This bill made anyone born in the U.S. a citizen despite of their race. Two other successes were the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments. The fourteenth amendment meant that all had assured residency, the same rights, and that this was valid in every state in the U.S. The fifteenth amendment meant that it was forbidden for states to reject men the right to vote according to their race but not according to a person’s sex, education, or if their relatives had the right to vote. Unfortunately in 1866 the KKK was formed. They attacked black and white Republicans; they hit and killed men and women to create fear and to stop them from voting. Shortly after black codes happened. Black Codes demonstrated the reluctance white governments had to guarantee the rights of the newly liberated people.
In 1876 it was the election and this showed the entire ordeal worse than it was before. The country stopped it, leaving the country still extremely separated. The Bargain of 1877 pretty much slayed Reconstruction. The lacking of federal soldiers in the states in the south and with the areas governments in the control of white democrats, the states were free to depart and limit the liberty of blacks. Jim Crow laws been approved, meaning it was restricted for African Americans to have the right to use community housing. States in addition approved laws that stole black people's right to vote, and the communal and financial movement of African Americans in the southern states decreased a lot.
The gains were the reconstruction laws and amendments that were accepted established past slaves political liberty and rights. Particularly the right to vote that in my opinion was really significant. The bad part was that the blacks required and desired areas of land that would put together the blacks as economical individuals. This would have made it necessary to take away lands from others. That defiance of property rights was indeed over the limit for everyone except the majority of radical republicans. So as you can see reconstruction had successes but in the end it was overall a failure.
In the years after the Civil War many African-Americans were able to vote, and 2,000 gained political seats. Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, who was in office in Louisiana from 1872 to 1873 , was the first African American governor. Blacks were also able to desegregate public forms of transportation and schools, thought segregated, worked to educate both whites and blacks. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (like Howard; 1867, Fisk; 1866, and Shaw University; 1865) were being built at a rapid pace during this time as well.
Then, the Civil Rights Act was passed by a predominately Republican Congress with a 2/3 majority against a presidential veto. The Constitution was amended with the 14th Amendment that defined citizenship, secured equal protection of rights and extended the Bill of Rights to the whole country. With the election of President Grant in 1868 the 15th Amendment was born and it "prohibited the states from denying men the right to vote based on race..."
Challenges to equality experienced during Reconstruction (1865-1876) included:
The fact that President Andrew Johnson "didn't think blacks should have any role in Reconstruction" was no good for African Americans. But later, Confederate states, after being split into five districts, were required to include blacks in their government somehow.
Johnson's perspective and his party's platform was eerily similar to that of the old Confederate governments that they replaced. Then, there were black codes such as the following, "Sec. 1. Be it ordained by the police jury of the parish of St. Landry, that no negro shall be allowed to pass within the limits of said parish without special permit in writing from his employer..." and other "codes" that kept black from being able to preach to a group of blacks without special documentation, while others claimed that the conduct of the negro was the responsibility of his employer. There were also loopholes in Amendments that should have benefited blacks the most. For example, although the 15th Amendment was supposed to secure the black man's right to vote, women could not vote, you had to be literate to vote, and your right to vote could be contingent on whether another family member of yours could vote.
In closing, Reconstruction was a failure because it did reintegrate blacks into society, but blacks had such a small window of opportunity to move up out of their role as the "lesser man" and after President Hayes signed the Bargain of 1877 guess who went right back to their old tricks again? The Democratic South. Without Republican troops in the South, and Republican influence on the South's political affairs the blacks were reduced to glorified slaves (a.k.a sharecroppers). Now, instead of being worked to death without pay, blacks were being overworked and underpaid. But, at least they had land. Because land = wealth and status, right? Not to mention that Americans being so fearful of taxes and Blacks being afraid to vote hurt Republicans' chances of retaining their political power, which also led to the end of Reconstruction. And just like pulling a rubber band, political violence inflamed by groups like the KKK, threw America right back to where it was before Reconstruction.
The way I see Reconstruction is that it had its benefits and saw some success, but at the same time it didn't fufill all that it needed to. The purpose of reconstruction was to come off of the Civil War and have total equality between races. But the sad truth is true equality would not be achieved. SO we come to the end of the Civil War in 1865, the slaves are free, abolition was a success. But equality is an entirely different deal. But the biggest gains we see for the black community are The Civil Rights Act, Amendments the 13th,14th,15th amendments which essentially by law make Black me equal with might men in the sense that they bare free and can vote. Another big step that Reconstruction led to was the new schooling established so that blacks could achieve a higher education, and that is really important to equality, because to have equality you need equal oppurtunity.
With these good outcomes there were the failures. REconstruction couldn't carry out as long as it was supposed to simply because of the fact that it was too expensive. As we have the laws that give all black men freedom, we have the "Black Code" laws that in alot of ways removed the notion that there was equality. As it was said in class it took the old laws that used the word slave, and changed it to negro. This was probablty the biggest setback, along with the formation of the KK K which was group formed to stop equality from being achieved. As blacks received there own education and positive things, segregation was created and in some ways that also conflicted with equality. SO based on all of this Reconstruction ends somewhere in the middle.
In the years after the Civil War, I would say that African Americans made a fair amount of gains. Along with reconstruction came the Bill of Rights, which contained the 14th and 15th amendments. The 14th amendment was applied in all states and guaranteed citizenship and equality to all African Americans. The 15th amendment gave black africans the right to vote. In 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act. This separated the South into 5 sections and allowed each state to create a new government, which black men were allowed to participate in. Although schools were segregated, blacks were still offered an education. However, there were some downfalls due to reconstruction which occurred from 1865-1877. The Civil War ended and slaves were finally free, but African Americans struggled for equality during reconstruction. Money issues were a big factor in reconstruction. It was extremely expensive and the country could not afford it. In 1866, the KKK formed and they killed tons of blacks and threatened them not to vote. Laws were passed that were known as “black codes”, and they replaced the word slave with negro. In my opinion, reconstruction was more of a failure than success because the failures over power the successes. Even though blacks were free, they were not treated equally.
I think Reconstruction by itself was a failure. However, I also think that though this was a failure, it played a very critical role in American history. Reconstruction began in 1865, and ended in the year 1876 with politically motivated violence towards blacks in the South, and new Jim Crow laws put in place to limit African Americans' access to public accommodations and legal protection. It was an act meant to reintegrate both a formerly slave population and a formerly rebellious population after the Civil War.
Reconstruction started out fairly well, with the opening of HBCUs such as Howard and Fisk Universities, as well as many primary and secondary schools for blacks. A year after Reconstruction had started, the radical Republicans took the reins and passed the Civil Rights Bill, which defined persons born in the United States as citizens and established nationwide equality before the law regardless of race. Though this act started out well, factors such as the Great Depression, as well as the costs of things like public education that could raise taxes, eventually led to the end of Reconstruction. Once ended, the white Democrats wasted no time in putting in place laws to restrict the freedom of blacks, such as the Jim Crow laws and Black codes.
Though Reconstruction failed rather miserably, I don't think that all that happened during that time were fruitless efforts done in vain. It was still amazing that at one moment in time, even if it was only for a short moment, the United States had been more democratic than it has ever been, and a whole segment of its population that had never had an impact in American politics before were actually given the chance to participate. It was a monumental change, and though Reconstruction eventually failed, that change was certainly not forgotten; it echoed down to the civil rights movement that occured much later, in the time of Dr. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. This change, though brief, had a huge impact in shaping the mindsets of later generations to come, and I think, when put in that sense, it played a major role in American history.
The good part about Reconstruction were the amendments and laws passed granting former slaves political freedoms and rights like the 14th Amendment (which guaranteed citizenship, equal rights and applied in all states) and the 15th Amendment (which prohibited states from denying men the right to vote based on race but not based on gender, literacy, or whether your ancestors had the right to vote). Reconstruction ended because it cost too much money and white southerners couldn't accept African Americans exercising basic rights. Furthermore, President Andrew Johnson created challenges for African Americans too because he tried to stop them from gaining certain rights, and according to "Reconstruction and 1876: Crash Course US History #22" he was also a racist.
The fourteenth amendment meant that all had assured residency, the same rights, and that this was valid in every state in the U.S. The fifteenth amendment meant that it was forbidden for states to reject men the right to vote according to their race but not according to a person's sex, education, or if their relatives had the right to vote. They attacked black and white Republicans; they hit and killed men and women to create fear and to stop them from voting. Black Codes demonstrated the reluctance white governments had to guarantee the rights of the newly liberated people. The lacking of federal soldiers in the states in the south and with the areas governments in the control of white democrats, the states were free to depart and limit the liberty of blacks.
States in addition approved laws that stole black people's right to vote, and the communal and financial movement of African Americans in the southern states decreased a lot. The gains were the reconstruction laws and amendments that were accepted established past slaves political liberty and rights.
Reconstruction was not a success. Reconstruction was something that happened roughly between 1865 and1877. Throughout Reconstruction Blacks finally earned many political rights such as voting. The two amendments that go hand and hand these rights are the 14th and 15th Amendments. These amendments have to do with concepts such as equal protection, citizenship, and the Bill of Rights. It was all thanks to the states of the south that the 14th and 15th amendments are even in existence. The southern states became part of military acts to make this all possible. If they didn’t, then they wouldn’t be able to be apart of the union. Disgracefully, Schools were still being segregated, however, blacks were offered an education. Also, throughout this period, over 2,000 Blacks held office and Pinckney B.S. Pinchback was the first black governor. The bad thing was that blacks didn't get to earn any property rights. The blacks felt, as though they earned the land that they worked on during the time they were enslaved. In fact they were actually promised that land however all promises were broken. Overall Reconstruction was a very big expense that couldn’t be afforded. There was also a lot of violence towards backs and it kept increasing. There was even a group of terrorists who killed mostly backs in and attempt to make them not vote. This group was called The KKK. In conclusion, Reconstruction was not a success because not only was it too much of an expense for the country, but it made the numbers of violent attacks increase.
During this Reconstruction period there are some gains that African Americans make in the years after the Civil War. First there was the Black Colleges, such as the Lincoln University and Spelman University. This educational places where blacks can study and prove that they could be taught and they could learn.These universities aided them to chase after other dreams and more knowledge. The 14th amendment and the 15th amendment also was another gain. They allowed all the American men as citizens this includes free blacks and ex-slaves, also allowing black men the right to vote.
The challenges that blacks face during reconstruction were violence towards blacks, and the KKK. The KKK was used to intimidate and set in fear in the hearts of blacks so that they would stop voting. This was a very dangerous group to mostly blacks but also some whites.
Overall I do not think the Reconstruction was a complete failure. It had its positive and negative to it.
The Reconstruction, I think was a complete failure. Reconstruction struck in 1865-1877. During the Reconstruction blacks had political rights and the right to vote. Also, in the 14th and 15th Amendments they used these rights and that found that there is equal security, Bill of Rights to all states, citizenship, and disagreeing with men rights to vote because of their gender/race. Schools were segregated but blacks had an opportunity to get an education. In the government and the U.S., over 2,000 blacks were held to office and were not shady. Blacks didn't earn property rights, I feel like they shouldn't of had to earn it because when they worked on land, I feel like they should deserve the land that they worked on and they worked on it while they were slaves. So if they did it for somebody else and worked hard on it they shouldn't have to earn it, they should just be able to keep it. The cost against the blacks from the Reconstruction like the violence increased towards the blacks. KKK was a terrorist group and they attacked the whites, but they mainly attacked them to to tell them not to vote. Although, when President Lincoln was assassinated Andrew Johnson claimed to be racist and favorite whites over blacks. I think Reconstruction was a fail because everybody lost interest in it and the cost kept building up, plus the violence was a problem also.
Reconstruction was successful but at the same time it was a failure. The good thing were that the ammendments and laws were passed. Africans gained rights to vote and go to school. But, it was a failure because the government determined who was and wasn't allowed to vote. Also, the KKK was a major part of this. They killed many men and women to prevent them from voting.
I look at Reconstruction as having its good sides and bad sides. It got the job done and showed some success but on the other hand it didn't meet all that it needed. Reconstruction’s duty was to achieve total equality between races. But to be honest true equality would not be achieved, until long after that. At the end of the war in 1865, the slaves were free, abolition was a success. Although total equality was not gained they were introduced to the Civil Rights Act. This act basically said that black men were equal with white men, as stated in the 13th,14th, and 15th amendments. Not only did it lead to the Civil Rights Act, it allowed blacks to further their knowledge by attending schools. As we have the laws that give all black men freedom, we have the "Black Code" laws that in a lot of ways removed the notion that there was equality. As it was said in class it took the old laws that used the word slave, and changed it to negro. This was probably the biggest setback, along with the formation of the KKK which was group formed to stop equality from being achieved. As blacks received their own education and positive things, segregation was created and in some ways that also conflicted with equality. I think the good ways out the bad and that reconstruction was more of a success then a failure
In the years after the Civil War, African Americans have made multiple gains for themselves. One of these was the Civil Rights Act established those who were born in the United States as equal citizens regardless of race. This effective made blacks and whites equal de jure, and gave the blacks what they have fought for. Another act, the Reconstruction Act, forced certain southern states to reestablish their governments, this time with black involvement however. This gave blacks the ability to hold a high position and be a part of the government. The 14th and 15th amendment furthered their citizenship by making all American men legal citizens and allowing black men to vote, finally giving them a voice. One more gain was that many schools were build for the black community to prepare them for society.
African Americans do face multiple challenges throughout the Reconstruction era however. Around this time, the Ku Klux Clan, a white supremacist group, was formed and used violence as a method to achieve their political wants. Most of the violence was towards the African Americans. There were also laws that restricted blacks, and these laws were essentially slave codes renamed into negro codes. The president during this time, Andrew Johnson, tried multiple times to further limit the freedom of blacks.
In the end, Reconstruction was not a total success, but it was not a full failure. Despite many obstacles and challenges against the blacks during this era, they also had many notable gains.
After the years of civil war Africans gain a little bit. They now how a better right to be educated. This is because there were a lot more universities opening up in the south. one class was even taught by Albert Einstein, who exposed them to advanced sciences with bombs and formulas that many other people didn't have the knowledge of. It could have given them an advantage if they wanted to keep fighting for equality. They were still faced with the challenge of being segregated with classrooms. The whites and the blacks both had schools but they weren't put together. The African Americans gained respect with the Bill of Rights, but specifically the 14th and 15th. The 14th says that every American man is a citizen, even a free black or former slave. The 15th gave blacks the right to vote. There were also some challenges that the African Americans faced. Some states had the leeway to not allow blacks to vote or have the equal rights like the whites. Also a group called the KKK was started up in 1866. It targeted Republicans and they killed many people to prevent people from voting.
I don't think that the Reconstruction was successful at the time but in the long run I think it definitely made an impact on America. Saying this because at the time there were still equality problems and racist acts being made. There was an improvement in voting and some of the rights for blacks but I don't think the reconstruction was completely successful. The goal was to take the south and make it in to a more equal land like the north. That didn't happen it was only started. I feel as if the KKK had a big impact on the failure of the reconstruction.
In my opinion the overall reconstruction was a complete failure. The purpose of this reconstruction was to come off of the Civil War and have all races fully equal, but this did not happen as it was planned. At the end of war in 1865, slaves were set free and abolition was a success, and they were introduced to the Civil rights act. This act basically said that black men were equal with white men which was stated in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. But in my opinion there was also a few positives, the 14th and 15th amendment furthered their citizenship by making all American men legal citizens and allowing black men to vote and finally gave them a chance express their voice. But I still think it was a good thing to do because it still provided citizenship for anyone living in the US, including slaves and African American men who were given opportunity’s to vote and chances to express there voices and thoughts.
In general, Reconstruction was a failure. Reconstruction occurred during 1865-1877. During Reconstruction Blacks gained political rights and voting. The 14th and 15th Amendments explained that there is equal protection, citizenship, and Bill of Rights to all states and prohibiting states from denying men the rights of citizens to vote due to race/gender. The 14th amendment was applied in all states and guaranteed citizenship and equality to all African Americans. The 15th amendment gave black Africans the right to vote. In 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act. Southern states put the 14th amendment into affect by becoming part of the 5 military acts or they wouldn't be part of the union. However schools were still segregated at this time Blacks were offered education, which was a hige leap.
A con would be that blacks didn't get to earn any property rights. The blacks felt, as though they earned the land that they worked on during the time they were enslaved. Blacks were promised this land, and the promise was broken. Reconstruction cost too much and violence towards Blacks grew. There was also a lot of violence towards backs and it kept increasing. There was even a group of terrorists who killed mostly backs in attempt to stop them from casting a vote. This group was called The KKK. Overall, Reconstruction was a failure because it costs too much for the country to fund and violence towards blacks was a huge problem.
During this time the Civil War ended. And since it ended it meant that slaves were now free. Instead of the slaves struggling for freedom they had to struggle for equality. The Reconstruction Era was a great moment in history once the slaves were freed in 1865. It was moment in which the United States was more democratic than it had ever been before. During this Reconstruction period the United States worked mainly towards building up a formerly slaved and formerly rebellious population and helping them reconstruct their lives and get them back on track with the rest of the United States.
I believe that the Reconstruction was half and half. I think it wasn’t a complete failure but I also don’t think it was a full success either. Some of the good things about the Reconstruction were the amendments and the laws. The amendments and laws granted former slaves political freedom and some rights. Some of the amendments that they were guaranteed were the 14th and the 15th. The 14th amendment states that they were guaranteed citizenship and equal rights in all states. The 15th amendment states that it prohibited states from denying men the right to vote based on race but not on gender, literacy or whether your ancestors had the right to vote. The African Americans gained rights to vote and also got better schooling, even though the voting was for males and not females and the schools that were allowed to attend were segregated they gained more than what they probably would’ve got without the Reconstruction.
Some of the reasons why I feel as if the Reconstruction was a fail is because the federal government dictated who could vote and who couldn’t. I also didn’t like how they also could say who is and who isn’t a citizen of the state. Another big thing that makes me believe that the Reconstruction was a fail is because corruption was widely spread. Reconstruction ended because it cost the state too much money. Also white southerners didn’t like the fact that African Americans were exercising basic rights. Finally exercising the right to vote was put away because of the KKK. The KKK was a development/ organization of terrorist pinpointing republicans who were mainly black. This started around 1866. The KKK has calmed down since then but it still exists today. The KKK killed many men and women just to prevent them from voting. President Andrew Johnson also created many challenges for African Americans which made the Reconstruction a fail. He tried to stop then from gaining rights and also according to the crash course video (Reconstruction and 1876 Crash Course US History#22) we watched he was racist. These are the reasons why I believe that Reconstruction was a failure
I think that the Reconstruction was a failure. Even though the Reconstruction was a failure, it did help the former slaves gain many positive things. They've gained citizenship, equal rights and granted men the right to vote. Even though they have gained more rights than they had before, I still think it was a failure due to the fact that there was still segregated schools and only men were granted the right to vote. That does not express true equality.
Some of the challenges that blacks face to equality is the right to property and the lack of protection the blacks had. The blacks were not given the property that they were promised, which is unfair treatment. Also, the KKK made violent attacks on blacks trying to deprive them of their rights to vote, which put blacks in a lot more danger.
I feel like the Reconstruction would have been more of a success if their was true equality and blacks were actually cared for and protected. If blacks still have to fight for rights and go to sleep unsure if they were going to be attacked by the KKK, does not give free blacks a safe, equal environment.
I think Reconstruction was an ovverall failure but at somepoints was viewed as a sucess. Some of those sucesses were the Bill of rights which is associated by the 14th and 15th amendment.The 14th amendment gave all men the right to be a citizen, including free blacks and men that may have once been slaves. The 15th amendment gave black men the right to vote. African Americans also gained rights for schooling.Even though there were many sucessions during Reconstruction there were also many failures. Some of those failures were that the federal government controlled who could vote and who could become a citizen.The gains were the Reconstruction laws and the amendments which gave past slaves rights and political liberty. There were challenges with money issues because things were very expense that were not affordable for the country. Also the forming of the KKK lead to the death of many blacks and threatened many not to vote. In conclusion I think Reconstruction was a bit of a failure but also had many successions during this time period.
After the Civil War, there were some attempts to strengthen the African American's social position especially toward the enslaved.
For example, the war was the fighting only for freedom of the slaves. During the Reconstruction era, In 1865 The Union established colleges for colored people so more of the population will have an education and provide possibly a job. Any Black man was allowed to vote. These were some principles of the 14th and 15th amendments.
But even if those attempts were made, the whites were still taking away equal rights from many African Americans. This causes blacks to not earn property rights. they were promised land that they never got. The cost of reconstruction was high and caused huge tensions towards blacks. Eventually a group of white racists who and cause terror, and kills African Americans known as the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). In the end overall, the reconstruction was a failure.
I don"t think reconstruction was a good thing. I think it was basically a failure. Reconstruction was how the federal government dictated who could vote and also which people are considered citizens of the state. Also corruption was widespread. Reconstruction was ended because it was too expensive and white southerners couldn’t accept African Americans exercising basic rights. Then came the KKK. The KKK was founded in 1866 they killed many men and women to stop them from voting. The KKK was mainly against the African American race. These are some things that lead me to believe reconstruction was not a success.
The Era of Reconstruction was an equality struggle, which means not everything ran smoothly. During the Reconstruction there were both some successes and failures. HBCU schools for example were a road to equality for blacks. Blacks wanted to work and grow intellectually and their gain of education helped them quite a bit. These colleges were a great opportunity for blacks to manage their freedom. The federal government dictated who could vote but eventually black men gained a right to vote, which was a big step forward. The 14th and 15th amendments served as a huge advantage for blacks and granted moments of hope. Many Republicans were not happy. A lot of the leaders were corrupt and violence was politically motivated. Hate groups began to form like the KKK, which was founded in 1866. Racial tension still filters into today.
I feel as though the reconstruction is a failure because it was not fully complete and many African Americans still were treated badly. With this said, the reconstruction did not end slavery and blacks were still poorer than whites and faced great segregation. Some gains made in the years after the civil war were the rights given to African American men the right to vote and to hold political positions. Another gain was the creation of the Ammendment mainly the 14th and 15th Ammendment. The 14th Ammendment stated that citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves. prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude"( former slaves). African Americans showed great power in political positions by eventually having America’s first black governor who's name is Pinckney B.S. Pinchback he served as governor from 1872-1873 in Louisiana.
Some challenges to equality that African a American faced during Reconstruction were racial violence happening before the Compromise of 1877. Which formed the The Klu Klux Klan(KKK) in 1866 and commit violence on Republicans and black. The members of the KKK killed African American men and women to prevent them from voting. Furthermore, the Klu Klux Klan wanted to create an All American Country because they believed blacks were inferior to them also including Roman Catholics, gays, Jews, women etc.
Some gains that African Americans get after the reconstruction of the Civil war include the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment and the construction of Black schools. The 13th amendment abolishes slavery and/or involuntary servitude except by punishment for a crime. This is the big break the African Americans were looking for. Slavery is technically illegal. Of course, we can ask ourselves what is considered a crime or how is this amendment going to be enforced, but it is definitely a step forward in the road to finding equality throughout the States of America. The 14th amendment states that all people born in the US are made US citizens regardless of race. This is another way equality is being sought for. The 15th amendment states that citizens could vote regardless of race. This is another thing that is going into the direction of equality. The construction of black schools provides a chance for better education and success for the African Americans. Equal opportunity is yet another step toward total equality. All of these huge steps in the direction of equality for the future makes me think that the reconstruction of the Civil war was a success.
In my opinion, I think Reconstruction was not a success. Although there were pros, there were also cons. The amendments that were passed gave black men a chance to vote and also, any citizen born in the US was automatically considered a citizen regardless of their race. Schools also became available to blacks. Although these amendments limited slavery, it did not eliminate it. Given all those rights, blacks still struggled with equality. Violence played a key role during this time. The KKK was formed and they attacked blacks and white republicans. They hurt them and encouraged them NOT to vote. I think we need to keep in mind that freedom is not the same as equality. Money also played a key role. Reconstruction was expensive and the US could not afford it.
I think that it is half and half. The Reconstruction wasn't a total success but it wasn't a total failure as well. As we said yesterday in class, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment did help with the aftermath of the Civil war. It helped with former enslaved African American get a sturdy ground for them to start with. African Americans could now vote and go to school, even though they were separated. They use their new right to their advantage in taking part of political election races.
The bad half however was that the federal government could choose who could vote and who could be a citizen of the United States. Also at the time there was a lot of corruption among the nation. When the Reconstruction ended, mainly due to the fact that it costed way to much money, many white southerners wouldn't accept that fact that African Americans now had the basic same rights. They challenged the government when they created the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). They targeted many Blacks and Whites, killing them and trying to scare them away from the voting boxes. As further shown with President Andrew Johnson as he created more challenges for African Americans as a way to try and prevent them from gaining certain right that he may have thought that only White could have or handle.
I dont think Reconstruction was a successful part of uniting America as on country against slavery. The 14th and 15th Amendments were in place to try to rid and prevent slavery in the south but were not acted out accordingly by southern government. This was a failure in reconstruction because it was not the right idea of how to heal the nation after slavery.
the KKK and the White Party were another reason the Reconstruction of America was a failure. It is a failure because they were putting fear by violence into blacks to prevent them from voting for the republican party. Also President Johnson tried to stop blacks from having certain rights and also Black codes were just like slave laws but just replaced the word Slave with Negro. This was because whites didn't want blacks to have equal rights and freedoms like them.
It is very hard to say whether Reconstruction was a success or a failure. I think that Reconstruction clearly did have some good in it, but it was also evident that there were some failures in it to. Some of the successful parts of Reconstruction were the new freedoms and liberties that African Americans were given. There were now African Americans in public office such as the first black governor, Pinckney B.S. Pinchback, who served as the governor or Louisiana from 1872- 1873. The 14th and 15th amendments were passed. The 14th amendment granted citizenship to all persons born in the United States regardless of race. This was a huge step for free blacks because now they were legal citizens of the US. The 15th amendment gives all American men the right to vote regardless of race, color, or if they were enslaved. Even though this only gave African American men the right to vote, it was still a huge step in Reconstruction. Blacks also were being educated at great Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Education was vital for the progress of Reconstruction and of the country in general.
Along with these successes, there were definitely some failures. Reconstruction ended because of a serious lack of funds to keep it going. This was a major setback in black’s road to equality in the United States. Another setback was the Black Codes that were put in place after black men were given the right to vote, which in turn took away the feeling of equality that they were given. Also the Klux Klux Klan became very active during this time. The Klan was a terrorist group that terrorized, tortured, and killed blacks to stop them from voting. Blacks voting was a threat to them because if enough of them voted, things would not go very well for the southern states. The KKK slowed the process of Reconstruction.
I think Reconstruction was both a success and a failure. A lot of the gains that African Americans made during Reconstruction were from the 13th 14th and 15th Amendments. They did grant blacks the power to vote and to have a chance in the economic world. Also in colleges around the country they had a part in experiential learning and classical training. Also also they could fight in court. But at the same time there were a lot of dark outcomes of Reconstruction. For example, there were plenty of terrorist organizations like the KKK who torched blacks and burned them on sticks to intimidate them out of their power of voting. That way the South could try to get its powers back into Congress. The South would also promote Jim Crow laws so that way black people’s rights could be taken taken away even further. When the KKK was around it was an equality struggle for all races except whites. I think that those organizations were like that because they believed that their race might have been destroyed. For my personal opinion I believed Reconstruction was a victory for a short while. By 1866 the Constitution was extended for equal rights for all races. But then in time Reconstruction would go down hill because back in the day race was as important as being healthy. Over time black people became so segregated. There weren’t a lot of jobs for them. If they tried they would just get pushed away. They were segregated into poor neighborhoods. Some landlords would not rent to black people. They just didn’t want them in their houses. They were segregated in school and the schools that they went to were terrible. Southerners were not going to give over their power over blacks easily. Even though black people were free, Southerners saw them as servants for white people.
I think that Reconstruction had its ups and downs, but in the end, was not a success. However, there were positive effects of Reconstruction. The 14th and 15th Amendments guaranteed citizenship and equal rights (14th),while also prohibiting states from denying men their right to vote based on their race (15th). This allowed for blacks to keep the Republican party in power.
Even though there were many positive effects, there were just as many, if not more, negative effects. The Amendments were created to promote equality, yet whites that didn't agree with this, found loopholes and ways around the Amendments. For example, whites created a literacy test that was mandatory for voting. This lowered the amount of blacks allowed to vote, and therefore gave whites an advantage. Black Code also took away from the supposed "equality" by using laws that have been used in the past and replacing the word "slave" with the word "negro". This is an example of the white trying to maintain power. In 1866, a group known as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was formed. This was a terrorist group of racist whites who were violent towards Republicans (not just blacks). The KKK was determined to maintain white supremacy in the country. They used violence to do so. They would threaten, beat, and kill any who opposed them. Killing was a very extreme and effective method because when they killed someone, they stopped that person from voting while also striking fear to others. The KKK was a setback and made equality more difficult to reach. Therefore the Reconstruction was a failure, because even though the blacks were free, there was still racial tension building and it was not dealt with completely. This may be why we still see it today
Much like Savannah said, Reconstruction wasn't a full-on success but it wasn't a complete flop either. Laws were amended, the 14th and 15th amendments were formed, which allowed for equal rights in all states and the ability for all people to vote. It seems like the Reconstruction era allowed for Blacks to achieve more rights and also achieve some sort of education. However, there was still a lot of corruption and racism during the Reconstruction era. Furthermore, the KKK was formed and, as Maura said, some people didn't get the land that they were promised. In the end, I think Reconstruction had it's up and down and it was both a success and a failure.
I believe the Reconstruction era was both a gain and a lose. African Americans did get educated and it allowed them to have positions in the office and bringing the Amendments. African Americans were able to gain rights to vote and schooling. The schools were segregated by race, which eliminated the chances of equality. Also, African American men were able to have the opportunity to vote and express their thoughts.
I do believe that lose of the Reconstruction era was the KKK. They used harsh racist violence towards African Americans. IT seems like the Reconstruction was started but never was finished or just faded away
The end of the civil war meant that blacks had more freedom. Equality was the purpose after this war. Schools were built for blacks, which what Jamel mentioned did promise an increase in the education for blacks. The 13th, 14th and 15th amendment also showed equality. The 13th amendment abolished slavery. The 14th amendment claims that all American men are citizens, this including blacks, The 15th amendment says that black males can vote. More than 2,000 blacks worked for the government. Pinckney B.S Pinchback was also the first black governor in Louisana.
Even though all of these positive gains happened, the Reconstruction was still a failure. Although Blacks had opportunity to schools, they were segregated. The president after Abrham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, declared that all land returned to the original owner. Many whites also refused to give Black males the right to vote. Reconsrruction later failed due to the fact of money costs, and that the South could not accept the freedom for Blacks. The KKK was later formed in 1866. Their target was black and white Republicans. They beat so many Republican men and women to not vote. They were a dangerous group. The "Black Codes" law were then set in place. These laws basically replaced the word slave to negro. In my opinion due to all of these unfortunate events, the Recinstruction was a failure.
The bad part about Reconstruction was that the federal gov’t dictated who could vote and who is or isn’t a citizen of a state. Another bad thing was that corruption was widespread. Reconstruction ended because it cost too much money and white southerners couldn’t accept African Americans exercising basic rights. Exercising the right to vote was a challenge because of the KKK. The development of the KKK (a terrorist organization targeting republicans both black and white founded in 1866) killed many men and women to prevent them from voting. They directed most of the violence toward African Americans. Furthermore, President Andrew Johnson created challenges for African Americans too because he tried to stop them from gaining certain rights, and according to “Reconstruction and 1876: Crash Course US History #22” he was also a racist.
Just like what Savannah said, I think Reconstruction is not a full success but it was also not a total failure. Reconstruction grant black power to vote. It is also give blacks more freedom. The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments were also created. And also, blacks can go to school and get educated. But the federal government is the one choosing who have the right to vote. It is also started the corruption. Reconstruction itself was ended because it cost too much money. Some white people wouldn't approve the fact that now blacks have freedom. They created KKK and they killed many people so they cannot vote.
Reconstruction, overall, was a failure. Like Gianna said the Amendments abolished slavery, citizenship and equal protection under the law, and bans denial for the right to vote based on race, respectively.Blacks didn't earn property rights even though they knew they deserved it due to how long they slaved. Due their opinions danger came more and more to them.he KKK was a terrorist group who attacked whites but mainly Blacks threatening them not to vote.Reconstruction was a fail because eventually it cost too much for the country to fund and violence was a problem.
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