Why Was Reconstruction Important To American History

Reconstruction is during which the United States began to rebuild the Southern society after they lost to the civil war. It lasted from 1865 to 1877, and it was initiated by President Lincoln until his assassination in 1865. President Johnson continued Lincoln’s agenda to continue the Reconstruction. Throughout the process of Reconstruction, one of its main purpose was to guarantees for equal rights for all people, especially for the African Americans. Even though slavery was abolished after the civil war, many Southerners were still against the idea of equal rights for all black people, such as the Republicans.

This was critical because a majority of the people were against this and would still go on to disown African Americans. The next Amendment is the 14th, this allowed anyone that was born in the U.S to be considered a citizen and get treated with the equal amount of laws. The passing of this Amendment would ensure equal rights to everyone. Lastly the 15th Amendment is passed and this made it so African American men can vote. It was very important for this Amendment to pass at a time like this.

During reconstruction, only black men were able to vote. Even though they were able to vote they were not allowed to own property or have the same rights as white people. Another factor that led to reconstruction

The reconstruction acts gave former slaves the right to vote and hold public office. It also established the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments that gave African Americans discriminatory rights and guaranteed African American men the right to

From 1865 to 1877 the country was under said reconstruction. During the reconstruction many voices felt the need to contribute to the improvement in any way that they could. For starters probably the biggest part of the reconstruction was the implementing of the Fourteenth Amendment. This Amendment prevented states from denying rights and privileges to any U.S. citizen. Another

There are different perspectives on the history of Reconstruction; some people believe that rebuilding the South during the period of 1865 to 1877 was a very important stage in the United States history because it was the start of American Society as a home of freedom. However, others view Reconstruction as a negative impact on African Americans. Ronald E. Butchart sees Reconstruction as the main reason for educational discrimination against African Americans. Reconstruction in the South helped African Americans in good ways, such as giving them the freedom they deserved. Like anything else, Reconstruction in the South had purposes, achievements, and failures.

The Reconstruction Era of American history was plagued by many problems. One of the most important problems being the recently released from slavery Freedmen. Freedmen were in a tricky situation in which they had just been released from their owner and had nowhere to go, but the Federal Government made many successful attempts to help them out. The Government helped alleviate all the problems Freedmen had from their finances to basic needs and rights, and in doing so, made the period of reconstruction more helpful than harmful for Freedmen. The events of reconstruction were helpful to freedmen as they were not only freed from slavery, they were given rights directly from the federal government.

Congress pass the Civil Rights Act that gave all citizens under law, the right to make contracts, the right to own/sell property, and the right to equal treatment. This is significant because these acts allowed freed slaves to receive equal treatment as non slaves. , March 2, 1867- Congress pass the first Reconstruction Act Five military districts that were under the leadership of a military general were created. Elections were held and allowed black males to vote for the first time. This is significant because this was a really significant time where black males were allowed to vote in an election for the first time in history.

Reconstruction, whether that be good or bad, was a huge part of the 1860s. Major groups such as African Americans and Southerners were both deeply affected. However, the effect was super circumstantial for both groups. Problems in agriculture, government, the community, and some organizations were some of the defining moments in these two groups. Reconstruction on African Americans was very beneficial, as well as harmful.

Positive gains from the Reconstruction Era include: Freedmen’s Bureau: food, Medicare, and legal advice granted to newly freed African Americans; 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment which abolished slavery, granted citizenship to everyone born in the U.S, and granting everyone the right to vote. Negative effects from the Reconstruction Era include: the KKK: a group of whites who threatened blacks so they wouldn’t vote, and killed many; Black Codes: laws that limited the freedom from U.S citizens. The effects of the Reconstruction, which linger in our society nowadays, are the three amendments passed by congress, the Civil Rights act of 1866, and black schools and universities were established; most importantly, we are once again a unified

Reconstruction was a period of time dedicated to rebuilding the nation after the Civil War. The war ended with the South being defeated and their economy being devastated. Many Southerners struggled after the war with rebuilding their land and lives. The President and Congress had to decide the terms for which the former Confederate states would be permitted to join the Union. President Lincoln’s plan for reuniting the country was found in the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.

During the late 1800s, because the South had been decimated by the end of the Civil War, .the Reconstruction Period was initiated to aid the South’s recovery. Although the Civil War did abolish slavery and unify the North and the South, the war not resolve racial prejudice, the South’s damage, and the African Americans’ economic instability. The Reconstruction Period was initiated in order to prevent economic instability and the structural ruin, because since slavery was abolished, and the South was completely dependent on slaves, therefore slaves could not work for the South to maintain the economy, and slaves also could not fix up the damages done to the structures done to the South during the war. By starting the Freedmen’s Bureau and passing

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.

They wanted to keep the former slaves down even after they were freed. To add more fuel to the fire, another reason why reconstruction is a failure is because of the information that we can find in document G. Abram Colby a former slave who was elected to the Georgia

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’”.