African Americans During Reconstruction

Most of the officeholders were white men who had been on the political margins before the Civil War. In the Deep South, African Americans whom had just been freed from slavery were allowed to serve as state representatives and senators, county commissioners, treasurers, and occasionally sheriffs. They regarded the civil enfranchisement and the political empowerment of African Americans as the grossest of illegitimacies and the direst of threats. Initially through vigilante bands such as the Ku Klux Klan, but eventually through organizations with close ties to the Democratic

The Ku Klux Act gave the president great power to intervene with southern states affected by the Klan’s violent acts. Federal officials eventually arrested hundreds of people suspected to have been involved in the Klan and the violence then subsided. However, by this time, the Ku Klux Klan had achieved its main goals in the majority of the southern states and the white supremacist governments were then in firm control. Consequently, a variety of legal measures could be taken to suppress the blacks’ voting and civil rights.

History helps shape the future and what we can learn from it to make sure that we do not repeat the same mistakes. During Reconstruction, the country was trying to make amends after the war was over. The country needed to find a way to mend a broken nation because it was divided. The main issue during reconstruction was the status of African Americans because they wanted their civil rights, but could not get that. The question that needs to be answered is: who did the most to aid the cause of African American during Reconstruction, and why? Many organizations and people helped African Americans, but the Freedman’s Bureau did the most.

Problems for the South now went from battlefields to politics. Former slaves were now freed and had rights granted to them by the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendment. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment gave them equal rights and protection under the law, and the Fifteenth Amendment gave them the right to vote (Landmark Legislation). Now, this stirred up tensions between blacks and whites. Due to blacks being able to vote intimidated the whites because it could affect who was elected for president. One of the oldest hate groups, founded in 1865, was known as the Ku Klux Klan or KKK (Ku Klux Klan). The group intimidated and threatened African-Americans to ensure that they would not vote. Along with voting, the U.S. presidential election was another conflict leading up to the Compromise of 1877. Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, and Republican Rutherford B. Hayes were both candidates. The candidates began to have tensions after Hayes sent federal troops to South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida to enforce laws containing to race. The states were originally Democratically ruled. After the federal troops were sent from Hayes, Tilden did not like this.

African Americans have fought a great battle to become a part of society in America. Since being taken from African as slaves in the 1600’s there has been a continuous battle for equality since. Since the end of slavery Black Americans have had many accomplishments along with hardships. In this paper I will discuss some of the Major events in African American history beginning with the end of slavery which has lead to the America we know today.

The American Civil War was ending and African Americans gained freedom, freedom from slavery and to live life as common folk. However, being set ‘free’ was not enough for African Americans to really experience what freedom was really like. Respect and rights of citizenship are by themselves weak in the ability to survive without also obtaining economic power. This paper will examine the progression of African Americans after the Civil War of 1865.

The Reconstruction Period I think is a problem for the African Americans back then. They were treated unfairly during this period, when it was to being them a new started and hope of change. Don’t get me wrong there were some people who were for them to e happy, but not many. So, let start at the being; where it all happened. In January of 1865, Union General William T. Sherman issued a special field order Number 15, which temporary granted each freed family 40 acres of land off the region of Georgia in the islands and coastal area. Also the Union Army donated mules to them after the war was over. In the summer of 1865 when President Andrew Johnson was in office, his first act of Reconstruction was to give back all the federal control land back to its previous owner. When the land was giving back to the owners, freed men and women could sign a labor contracts with the planters or they could leave the land they occupied this was called Freedman’s Bureau. Soon after when the land was giving back, the former Confederate state stated “Black Codes”. Black Codes would deny African Americans to legal have equality and political rights. Also it would require then to sign yearly labor contracts with the planters. When this happen, Congress made the Reconstruction Act in the 1867, when the 14th (June 13, 1866) and the 15th (February 26, 1869, ratified on February 3, 1870) Amendments. These two amendments granted African Americans the right to vote, and equality before the law and

Reconstruction (1867-1877) under Congress was a fast tightening of a noose in the South. Congress no longer trusted Andrew Johnson’s loose plan for Reconstruction, so they began closing in on their plans. Radical Republicans made many lasting impacts in this period. Under Congress, the 14th and 15th Amendment was created, guaranteeing rights to African Americans. A newly created Freedmen’s Bureau help create many schools and colleges, lasting up to modern times. African Americans held power in office, although they were quickly brought down by the Ku Klux Klan’s terrorism. The main path Reconstruction took was based on the government’s plans. There

In 1866, Congress passed The Civil Rights Act of 1866 which allowed them to be genuine citizens and thus granted them federal protection under the law. Score for the blacks. Furthermore, the South was placed under military rule to ensure that this act was being enforced. During this tremendous time of freedom, blacks were allowed to vote and hold office – something that finally extended a voice and position in our country to their community. Meanwhile, whites were growing tired of all the nonsense. They wanted their beloved Old South back. Many refused to attend the integrated Reconstruction-era state constitutional conventions. Southern whites would use highly exaggerated and publicized incidences of “social injustices” to protect their claims of being thrown over to so-called negro domination. Any action was necessary that could help clinch their argument and overturn the Reconstruction

Reconstruction did not help African Americans move closer to the American Dream. Even though there were positives, there were also negatives. Due to Reconstruction, hate groups started, there was not any safety for African Americans, and the Black Codes or Jim Crow laws. One of the most infamous hate groups to rise was the Klu Klux Klan. KKK for short. African Americans were terrorized by this group. They are responsible for many hangings, burnings, and other horrors that were inflicted upon African Americans. Also, there was not any safety from the groups. It was not like being in the center of a city was going to help. There are unfortunately many pictures of African Americans being hanged in very populated areas. Also, there was the rise of Black Codes(Jim Crow laws). It is like how the saying goes, out of the frying pan and into the fire. Some of the codes, but not limited to, was the Grandfather clause, which basically said that if your grandfather could not vote, you cannot vote. There were also many other ways that African Americans were restricted from voting. There was poll tax, and unfair evaluations of voting tests. This also included segregation of schools (separate but equal). There was even a law forbidding a white person from marrying a black person. However, even though all of these horrific things came because the end of slavery,

During The Reconstruction era, African Americans faced many obstacles on their way to success. Reconstruction of the United States refers to the remodeling that took place after the civil war. The country was injured in all areas. Its society, economy and physical structure had been In January of 1863; President Abraham Lincoln lifted the chains off thousands of African Americans’ shoulders by releasing the Emancipation Proclamation. Unfortunately, this relief was short-winded. The Emancipation Proclamation stated that all people who were deemed as slaves, were to be set free from slavery and guaranteed to no return to it. At first glance, this new legislative act appeared to provide endless opportunities for newly freed African Americans. Instead, life after the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation conceived more problems for African Americans than those they possessed during the bondage of slavery. After the Emancipation Proclamation was passed, African Americans faced various issues including a lack of opportunities, an unfair starting point and continuous discrimination.

In many aspects, Reconstruction had many successes, which included the ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments by the Southern States to be emitted back into the Union. Although the nation had been brought back together, many other issues plagued Reconstruction such as racism and corruption rendering it a failure. Many Confederate veterans began gaining power in the new established Southern governments, counteracting many of the laws and regulations set up by the Republicans. Such laws passed by Southern Democrats as the Black Codes limited many of the freedoms that former slaves had established since the Civil War. Other examples of racism are seen with the establishment of the Jim Crow Laws, which made it legal to practice segregation meaning the separation of black and white societies. Corruption during Reconstruction, which aided in its failure were the Carpetbaggers from the North who took advantage of the Southern States during its rebuilding of the states’

The Reconstruction era was put into effect by Congress in 1866 and lasted until 1877. Reconstruction was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War. The reconstruction plan granted the means for readmitting the southern states into the Union, and tried to come up with the methods by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society. America's position as a country was established on principles of freedom but those beliefs were weakened by slavery. At the end of the Civil War, many blacks felt that they were entitled to start collecting the benefits that had been denied for so many years. Being able to vote, own land and have a voice in political affairs were all goals that they believed were reachable.

To scare them from voting, they would attack, lynch, and carry out assassinations on black and white activist. This group called themselves the Ku Klux Klan. President Grant utilized the “powers given him by the Ku Klux Klan act to their full extent, declaring nine counties in the South Carolina upcountry to be in a state of rebellion against the U.S.” (Shapiro). Essentially, President Grant went after this group with every tool in his arsenal. He saw the group for what it truly was, a group of men who were not happy about the changes started by President Abraham Lincoln and continued by himself. Over 800 indictments were issued and carried out. Many of these men were ultimately released, but the word was out and the KKK went dormant. President Grant had made his point. This type of behavior was not just an attack on a distinct group of people, it was an attack on the nation itself. Attacks on the United States were dealt with swiftly and mercilessly. Having the backing of the federal government begins to send a message to its citizens. An attack on one of us in an attack on us all. Prompting people to not turn a blind eye to these injustices led to a change of

Through the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the constitution, the republicans tried to protect and establish black freedoms. At the same time southern state legislators were passing laws to restrict free blacks’ freedoms. Through the use of black codes and vagrancy laws, the south attempted to keep blacks in a state of slavery. These laws were worded in a way such that blacks rights would be so restricted that it would remain impossible for them to gain any real freedom.