How Did The Ku Klux Klan Destroyed Reconstruction

Once former confederates had their right to vote brought back, they tried hard to win public office and if they did they would try and undo most of the social and economic reforms. Their efforts were in attempt to undo Reconstruction and restore the “Old South”. Some efforts under the Democratic Leadership were successful, and government spending was cut and many Reconstruction programs were hurt or

The south killed reconstruction because of their lack of interest in equal rights, their violence towards the north and blacks. “He was stabbed five or six

The failure of Reconstruction led to over ninety years of struggle for the rights of African Americans and caused major setbacks in the South. Reconstruction was the time from 1865 to 1877 when the United States attempted to rebuild the nation following the Civil War. Reconstruction was a struggle for many Americans, and it became known as the ‘Second Civil War’. Its main goals were to readmit the former Confederate states and its people back into the Union and to introduce African Americans into society. Who killed reconstruction: North or South?

One reason why the KKK limited social and cultural Reconstruction was because they were spreading white supremacy. The KKK had the strongly held belief that the white people are superior to those of all other races, especially the Black race, and should therefore dominate society. This mindset was one of complete opposition to Reconstruction. The KKK punished the Blacks therefore spreading white supremacy by bringing them to court, torturing, or even killing them. The period of Reconstruction sought to establish a culture in which Black citizens could thrive amongst white men, but because they were living in fear, they we not able to do this.

The Ku Klux Klan was hurting and impacting groups of

In 1865 The Civil War, a war which lasted four years, completely destroyed the South, and freed about 4 million slaves had finally ended. The period of Reconstruction was when the South rebuilt what had been destroyed and the South and North joined back together. The Nation also had to solve many problems including how the recently freed slaves would fit into society. Reconstruction was a failure for the Freedmen because Freedmen got to peruse their rights and not live in fear for minimal time, until President Grant did not run again for president and Rutherford Hayes became president leading to the former groups who terrorized the Freedmen to reorganize. In addition, a start to segregation began due to troops being removed from the South

Reconstruction was an attempt by Abraham Lincoln to rebuild the war-torn South. Its goals were to fix the economy, allow new freedmen to exercise their freedom, and restore white Southerners’ loyalty to the Union. Although the passing of the 14th and 15th amendment ensured that African-Americans’ rights are protected; white Southerners found ways to prevent them from enjoying their rights, such as the establishment of the KKK and the creation of Black Codes. The Government attempted to fight these problems with laws, such as the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. In spite of these revolutionary efforts; laws passed by the Government failed to be effective.

The Reconstruction era was a period in the United States that took place after the Civil War, from approximately 1865 to 1877. During this time, the federal government sought to incorporate both the Confederate states and newly freed black people into American society. This process was marked by a series of political and social changes, including the passing of the Reconstruction Amendments, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship rights, and voting rights to black Americans. Additionally, the Freedmen's Bureau was established to aid newly freed black people in areas such as education, housing, and land ownership. The era was also marked by the rise of racist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, which aimed to maintain white supremacy and

The most powerful people in the south, the KKK were the only ones that could have helped with the reconstruction of the south were not helping matters, that is why there was not and big developments. The south only wanted white people in power because they thought that the freedman were not equal and unfit to be part of any governments. The south wouldn’t even allow the freedmen to attend and public events. In conclusion even though the North had taken the soldiers out of the south and had given up on the freemen, the south has had a lot more problems reconstructing and making the freedman equal.

The goal of the reconstruction politically was to integrate Southern states/rebel states back into the U.S., and socially was to integrate the freed slave population to the society. However, ex-confederates of the South resisted this because of the fear of complete turnover of their lives, and to maintain the social hierarchy, where African Americans remained at the bottom by default due to their race. Several organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan were formed to resist reconstruction and preserve white supremacy. Congress responded to the resistance by establishing the Freedmen 's Bureau, whose aimed was to build public schools and universities, provide food and medical care, political equality between blacks and whites and equal access to the judicial system. Lincoln planned to be lenient

“... the slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again towards slavery” (W.E.B. Dubois). Reconstruction, though it was ended, was created to rebuild the Union. The main intentions of Reconstruction was to have the southern states that seceded to rejoin the Union and to establish and protect the right of the newly freed slaves, commonly known as freedmen. Three new amendments were added to the Constitution during this period, giving basic rights to freedmen, like voting, citizenship, and freedom. Things like racism and terrorism in the South ripped through the precious fabric of Reconstruction, tearing it to shreds.

The influence of the KKK has resulted in the widespread of violence and other organization groups such as the White Brotherhood, Men of Justice, and The Constitutional Union Guards. The reconstruction amendments only applied to the governments, not the action of the individuals. (Schewart 384) The government failed to give the freedman their land and it also disregarded to enable their self -defense. This change reflected the reconstruction of the federal, state government and its individuals significantly.

Reconstruction caused prejudice and inequality. To elaborate, the creation of the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Codes were both in the time period of reconstruction, which caused chaos and violence throughout the Union. One of the goals of reconstruction was to repair the economy in the South, because it depended on slavery, which was now illegal, due to the thirteenth amendment. The South’s economic system now depended on Sharecropping, which caused former slaves to be in constant debt and was unjust to the black society. The reconstruction time period, was a time of dispute between 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’”.

Racism’s Impact on Reconstruction While the issue of slavery evidently contributed to the divide that resulted in the American Civil War, it is debated whether prevailing ideals of racism caused the failure of the era following the war known as Reconstruction. With the abolishment of slavery, many of the southern states had to reassemble the social, economic, and political systems instilled in their societies. The Reconstruction Era was originally led by a radical republican government that pushed to raise taxes, establish coalition governments, and deprive former confederates of superiority they might have once held. However, during this time common views were obtained that the South could recover independently and that African Americans