Essay On Reconstruction Dbq

In the time period of 1860 to 1877, the social and constitutional developments caused a revolutionary change to the social structure of the South, but more so to the constitution. The fight for constitutional amendments became very important to the federal government after the civil war and during the reconstruction era. This caused major backlash from many people in the South, and state governments passed laws such as the Black Codes, which restricted black people’s freedom. As the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed, terrorist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were created to scare african americans away from voting, among other activities. The federal government responded to these retaliations by placing armed forces in the

They could vote, join the house of representatives, and have the same protection when it comes to trials and sentences just like the Whites did. The Enforcement acts were passed to end violence and empower the president to use military force to protect african americans. ‘’... The senate passed two more force acts, also known as the Ku Klux Klan acts, designed to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment and the civil rights act of 1866.. The second force act… placed administration of national elections under the control of federal government and empowered federal judges and united states marshals to supervise local polling

During the Reconstruction Era, African-Americans began to attain more political power. Therefore, African Americans began a large rally toward better social and economic fairness. This type of behavior startled the white supremacy and therefore, reacted with fear and violence (Alexander, 2010). This became the birth of Jim Crow, a series of firm anti-black laws. Whites believed that in order to “redeem” the South, it would be reinforced with a rising group known as the Ku Klux Klan, which “fought a terrorist campaign against Reconstruction governments and local leaders, complete with bombings, lynching, and mob violence” (Alexander, 2010, p. 30).

In the later 1800’s and early 1900’s the lynch law was created. The phrase lynch law “…refers to instances in which mobs, not juries, would decide whether people who have been accused of crimes were guilty (Wells). These mobs had the “…right to sentence people and execute them, usually by hanging” (Wells). Between 1882 and 1900 over 3,000 people were and a majority of them were African Americans living in the South. African Americans were lynched for a variety of reasons including prevention of negro domination, engaging in a fight with a white man, not exposing the hiding places of wanted relatives, and all other offenses “…from murders to misdemeanors…”

Although the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln and the conclusion of the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the United States, these events did not end racism in the U.S. With the rise of organizations like the Ku Klux Klan, who were determined to maintain their ideology of white supremacy in the United States, and the lack of protection for violence, African Americans were facing tough times. Although the 14th Amendment, which was passed in 1868, dictated equal rights and protection for all citizens of the United States, the 1896 ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson went against this amendment. The Supreme Court ruling of “Separate but Equal” in Plessy v Ferguson was both biased against Plessy and went

During the beginning of Reconstruction, Congress passed the 15th Amendment which stated that the right to vote will not be denied to anyone no matter their race, color, or previous servitude. It also states that the Congress has the right to enforce this amendment if it is not being enforced by the state governments (Doc E). That Amendment made it possible for blacks to vote for the first time ever in American history (Doc A). Since African Americans were able to vote, they voted to be represented by fellow Freedmen in the Senate and Congress (Doc B). Then, a group called the Klu Klux Klan, “dedicated itself to an underground campaign of violence against Republican leaders and voters (both black and white) in an effort to reverse the policies of Radical Reconstruction and restore white supremacy in the South” (www.history.com).

This paper will examine the harms caused by segregation laws in the United States (and in Canada) by analyzing Jim Crow laws restricting voting of Black Foax and the formation of the violent terrorist group, the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), and it will illuminate how these laws were dismantled by the actions of the Deacons. Segregation laws in the United States, or Jim Crow laws, meant that different rules were in place for Black and Wwhite people (“A Brief History of Jim Crow'', 2022). Jim Crow laws came to form, which meant that the state laws in the south would be different for Black and White people. Among many laws that were changed included rules regarding the right for a Black person to vote. Two years after the Jim Crow law was passed the court

Douglass details the progressions made by the African American community during this time, including the ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. However, he also highlights the setbacks caused by the rise of white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, and the failure of the federal government to fully enforce the laws intended to protect African American rights. Through an analysis of these texts, it becomes evident that progress in American society is often met with setbacks and challenges, particularly in the fight for racial equality. Despite the progress made since the times these texts were written, racism and discrimination continue to be pervasive in American society. The insights provided by Du Bois and Douglass remain relevant today as we continue to grapple with issues of racial inequality and social justice in the United

Furthermore, a further obstacle of change was the Ku Klux Klan which demonstrated America as ‘the united states of Lyncherdom’. Supreme Court encouraged Klan terrorism, castrating thousands of blacks as if it was acceptable, showing the massive social division. The ‘Mississippi plan’ emphasised this white supremacy as Newspaper defended lynches as ‘home –loving’ . This demoralised activist as it showed blacks had no legal protection.

Throughout the book, Foner places much emphasis on the ineffectiveness of the laws during Reconstruction and the repercussions it had on African Americans achieving racial justice. The fourteenth amendment, which was passed by the Senate in 1866 and later ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to anyone born or naturalized in the United States, including African Americans. It also declared that states could not deprive anyone of their life, liberty, or property, and that everyone had equal protection under the law. Surely, one would think that since it was written in the law of the country that it would be practiced, but nonetheless, terrorist organizations like the KKK carelessly disobeyed the amendment and heartlessly tortured African Americans along with white Republicans who supported Reconstruction. Foner shows an example of some of the actions of the KKK when he explains the story of the Colfax massacre, “The bloodiest single act of carnage in Reconstruction took place in Colfax, Louisiana, in 1873, where fifty or more members of a Black militia unit were massacred after surrendering to armed whites…”

After, The Supreme Court’s confirmation on the legality of slavery in the territories convinced a lot of Southerners that the Northern was seeking the destruction of the “peculiar institution” that was sustained, which made the Southern, and Northern ties almost on its last straw. Then Lincoln’s election was the final straw, and made seven of the Southern states seceding from the United States. When the Civil War was over The Union won even though their armies weren’t as great as the South’s they managed a close victory possibly because of The Union’s sheer number of troops, but even though The Union won they lost a great leader, Abraham Lincoln who was assassinated by a Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes which turned the hearts of the people of the United States dearly, thus ending the American Civil War at a cost of 620,000 soldiers from both sides, plus a great leader Abraham

Throughout American history, it is evident that the legal system has played a part in the oppression of African Americans, and in conjunction with other institutions, has assisted in the marginalization of African Americans; however, through the use of certain strategies and agencies, African Americans have been able to gain access into the legal system in order to fight for their cause. The legal system exists to provide rules that can be interpreted and enforced. According to Martin Luther King Jr., in a legal system “There are just laws and there are unjust laws.” These unjust laws are what made it possible for African Americans to face discrimination and oppression. One of the most well known examples of racial discrimination comes from the Jim Crow laws.

The end of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1865 did not lead to an end to racial discrimination and violence against Black people in the country. Instead, the Reconstruction era following the Civil War saw attempts at political, economic, and social reforms to grant Black people greater rights and opportunities, but also saw significant backlash from white supremacists who sought to reestablish white supremacy and maintain Black people's subordinate status. The rise of Jim Crow laws in the late nineteenth century, which institutionalized segregation and discrimination against Black people, contributed to social conflict and tensions between different racial groups. Additionally white supremacist organizations such as The Ku Klux Klan, most prominently, used violence and intimidation to terrorize Black communities and prevent them from exercising their rights as citizens. The Reconstruction era also saw the rise of the sharecropping system, which effectively replaced slavery with a new form of economic exploitation that perpetuated the poverty and subordination of Black people in the South.

However, despite all the measures to protect the rights of African Americans using a plethora of acts and laws, the acts and laws enacted were unable to change the opinions of white Southerners towards African Americans holding office and voting rights. After the implementation of the 1867 Reconstruction Acts, Republicans ended up losing control of the state of Louisiana as a result of white violence, depressing African American voter turnout. One major force backing the white violence was hate groups. Hate groups, such as the KKK, were

However, sometimes they resorted to physical punishment to get what they desired. The Ku Klux Klan put fear into the hearts of African Americans, making them too afraid to do anything because of the possible repercussions that could occur. Moreover, this group made African Americans afraid to even vote, giving ex-Confederates political control over most of the southern states. Giving these people control during this time can be considered unconstitutional because it counteracts the Fourteenth Amendment, so Congress passed legislation to combat the Klan in 1870 and 1871.