Essay On Black Experience During Reconstruction

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.

The Civil War and the period of Reconstruction brought significant political, social, and economic changes to American society, and these effects continued into the 20th century. Post Civil War (After the Civil War – The period after the Civil War) - President Abraham Lincoln and Congress were determined to rebuild the nation. Lincoln wanted to restore the Union by readmitting the southern states that had seceded, as well as provide African Americans with more rights. Period of Conflict -

When reconstruction ended, we all could say we were united under one nation. This ensured that blacks would always be free from going back to the life of a slave; although, many people were so against reconstruction it caused a lot of hate in the south towards the blacks. The black people were given rights that were much like the rights that white people had. The southern states had new constitutions and recognized the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments’ after reconstruction ended in 1877. Education was provided to the blacks, not just the whites.

In the 19th century, slavery and the Reconstruction was a sore subject for the South. Reconstruction forged civil rights for African-Americans, but once the North’s influenced waned in the South, the South terrorized African-Americans and blocked them from accessing their newfound rights. While Reconstruction may have brought civil rights, those rights were quickly squashed by the South’s racism. Even after certain freedoms were securely gained, every new attempt to make African-Americans equal to the white populace was contested. A large group of people were happy to see slavery ended and civil rights rise.

Following the ending of the Civil War in 1865, America was in an era known as the Reconstruction. The Reconstruction lasted until 1877. Citizens were attempting to rebuild our nation following one of the deadliest war in American History. In this time, the Fourteenth Amendment and Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution were ratified. Although slaves were freed, African Americans still faced intense racial prejudice and discrimination.

The reconstruction was a period during US history, which took place after the Civil War when the South restructured into the Union from 1865 to 1877. The end of reconstruction was a justification that freed all African Americans from slavery. Although they had set this decision and law, African Americans still suffered from social, economic and political barriers, which caused major tension between blacks and whites. The civil rights act of 1875, racial discrimination was banned from public facilities, such as schools or public transportations. The fourteenth amendment protected people against violations of their civil rights b states, not by the actions of the individuals.

North or South: Who Killed Reconstruction? One may believe the Reconstruction was a period from 1865-1877 in which the United States government put into effect a program that would repair the damages in the South caused by the Civil War, return the eleven Confederate states to the Union, and grant rights to African Americans? Reconstruction in America came shortly after the end of the Civil war. It lasted twelve years, starting under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln and ending under Rutherford B. Hayes leadership, due to the Compromise of 1877. Over the twelve year period the program managed to achieve some good things, such as the thirteenth amendment that ended slavery, fourteenth amendment which gave African Americans citizenship and

These codes varied based on the states, but included aspects such as denying African Americans the right to vote, serve on juries, testify in court against southern whites, own property, attend public schools, and also included a mandate where they were forced to work low income, non-desirable jobs. This was not at all a more desirable situation for the freedmen in the south than they had when they were enslaved, so they had to turn again to the Northern leadership for help. At a convention in Alexandria, Virginia, a group of black men urged the North to help because they stood side by side with each other and fought for the same things in the war, and that nothing but military protection would protect the freedmen from falling back into what southern whites believed to be “their rightful

During the beginning of the Civil War, African Americans were banned from enlisting into the federal army due to President Lincoln's decision. The Union stated that the war was “a white man’s war” as Ohio congressman Chilton A. White described the American government was made “for white men to be administered, protected, defended and maintained by white men”. [Book] Some slaves fled the South and were called “contraband”, coined term by General Benjamin F. Butler ; they were put to work for the Union. Despite opposition from the president, African-Americans formed militia in hope to be called for service in many areas in the North. Some blacks felt they owed no allegiance to this county.

- Almost 1,500 examinations were conducted that show a circumstance of race bigotry. According to the experiment bus drivers were two times more likely to let caucasians abroad the bus without paying then a person of color  which came out as 72 percent versus 36 percent aforetime. Furthermore, the rider who had a mutual race as the bus driver the bus driver was more likely to let them ride for free. However even a colored driver still favored the white person or the colored person.   - About 16 percent of white kids naturally introduced to the poorest one-fifth of U.S. families will ascend to end up noticeably an individual from the main one-fifth when they turn 40 years of age, as indicated by another review by Brookings Institution scientists

In the period of reconstruction, there was a lack of racial equality and racism towards blacks. The 13th amendment abolished slavery, with the exception of allowing it as a punishment for a crime (“Thirteenth Amendment” 19). Although it abolished slavery, there was still a lack of equality towards blacks. The Black Codes were state laws in the south, that were implemented in 1866. These laws limited the rights of African Americans and were

Post Civil War, African Americans started to gain rights to gain rights, and soon gain rights equal to whites. While there were some people/things standing in their way (KKK, Black Codes), in the end they got what they needed; Equality. Many acts and laws were passed to aid the new rights now held by African Americans, as well as the numerous people willing to help. New Amendments were added to give African Americans rights after the war, all giving them some equal rights to whites. The first of the three added was the Thirteenth Amendment, it gave African Americans freedom from slave owners, and stated that no one could be kept as a slave in the U.S..

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’”.

Carpetbaggers were basically people in the North that came south to help the Radical Reconstruction that sought financial or political gain. The name originated from them carrying their valuables in small suitcases made from pieces of carpet. They brought the North the Capital. The South had scalawags, which were basically white Southerners who supported the Radical Reconstruction. The South also had Redeemers, which were conservative Southerners.

The reconstruction was said to have brought a change. However, Newly free slaves faced many challenges, and whites in the south saw blacks as way less than they did before. Black codes were introduced as a way to give people of color freedom in a constitutional form. They were unique to southern states and they each had their own variation of them. It was a way to restrict the black labor force and freed people as much of slave status as possible.