Free African American Reconstruction

Were African Americans free during Reconstruction? After the Civil War in 1865 and for the next 17 years America was in Reconstruction, during this time period African Americans were referred to as freedmen and women or negroes. Many important things happened during these 15 years, one of them being the 13th Amendment being passed stating that all men were free (Doc. A). The definition of freedom is, the ability to do whatever you want and control your own actions, without external pressure. So were African Americans really free?

It seemed as though black people were finally starting to be recognized as actual people. According to the article “Reconstruction” on the website ushistory.org it says, “Under federal bayonets,blacks, including those who had recently been freed, received the right to vote, hold political offices, and become judges and police chiefs.” African Americans were finally able to hold some type of power in political offices and could have jobs of importance, however, many Southerners were angered by black people having this new sense of freedom. From the same article it says, “Many Southern whites could not accept the idea that former slaves could not only vote but hold office. It was this era that the Ku Klux Klan was born.” Douglass’s dream of equality was starting to slip away with white supremacists discriminating against black people. To this day, there is still racism and discrimination among not only African Americans but all races and this goal of equality has yet to be reached and may not be achieved ever.

Reconstruction was a time period of major change in the United States of America for both African Americans and White citizens. After the Civil War, the reconstruction process started out as a failure, but over the years turned into a huge success because of how African Americans were able to live normal lives. Overall, Reconstruction was a success because freedom and growth of equality for African Americans was increased greatly.

In the town of Opelousas strict Black Codes enforce how African Americans can live in that certain town.

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.

The American Civil War claimed the lives of over 700,000 people. The war was fought from 1861-1865. The results of the war were described as; a union victory, abolishment of slavery, territorial integrity preserved and the destruction and dissolution of the Confederate States. The twelve years that followed were called the Reconstruction Era, 1865-1877. The purpose of the Reconstruction Era was to restore National Unity, strengthen the government, and guarantee rights to freed slaves. The reality of reconstruction though was; violence (260,000 dead), newly freed slaves suffered the most, and Lincoln's hopes of trust and rededication to peace were lost when he was assassinated on April 15th, 1865. It is these realities of the Reconstruction Era and beyond that this paper will address and how those realities affected the newly freed slaves. Life in post-bellum America for African - Americans was violent and filled with fear because of white supremacy, lynching, and the brutal mutilations of blacks.

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.

American Reconstruction began in 1865 at the end of the civil war. The period's main focus was to rebuild the country after war by enacting and changing many key pieces of legislature in the American government. One divisive factor that needed to be addressed was how much representation African Americans deserved in America. During the reconstruction period, African American rights were extended through various new amendments and working opportunities, however, these rights did not last long as they were undermined by black codes and sharecropping.

The reconstruction era was a difficult time for the African American slaves from 1865 to 1877 because the slaves were freed and there were no jobs for them, had very little or no education, and had very limited opportunity in the south. Reconstruction was one of the most critical periods in American History. The Civil War changed the nation tremendously, and most importantly by bringing an end to slavery. Reconstruction was a period of great promise, hope, and progress for African Americans, and a period of resentment and resistance for many white

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.

In light of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, the question has arisen as to the freedom of African Americans. In modern media, there have been assertions that African Americans don’t have social freedom. Do African Americans have social freedom? Documentaries, journal articles, and news stories present case studies that belie widespread practice of racial prejudice. Using Felix E. Oppenheim's model of measuring social freedom, an analysis of these case studies indicate that African Americans, in both the economic and legal systems, are subject to racial discrimination, thereby limiting their social freedoms.

The main places freed African Americans had access to education were Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. As seen in the legend, while these states did have the highest populations, the state with the highest percentage, Maryland, was only at 4.87 percent, a strikingly low number. While this number is extremely low, this is still remarkable, that a state can be so slave dependent, yet still have the highest percentage of freemen gaining their right to education. A main reason for this occurrence is Whigs in the North were mainly anti-slavery, and so the free blacks that had escaped and found their way into Pennsylvania or New York had a chance to learn. Education was more easily accessible in the north, due to no need for children

Over the years, it has been a slow struggle for Africans to gain the full freedom they deserve. They have led many movements and protests to gain these freedoms, such as the Harlem Renaissance, creating the National Equal Rights League, and the Civil Rights Movement. By December of 1865, the Africans’ protests forced the Congress to establish the Civil Rights Act of April 1866, giving them their own basic personal rights. They were now able to purchase, inherit, create law suits, and own personal property. The blacks’ ambition for higher success and freedom in the late 1800s led to the opening of many black universities and colleges. They were used to train community leaders and teachers. Some of the first black institutions established during this time include Fisk University in 1866, Virginia Union University in 1865, Benedict College in 1870, and Hampton Institute in 1868. In 1864, the National Equal Rights League was founded to attempt to establish the right to vote for blacks. Frederick Douglass believed that until the Negro man was given the full right to vote, slavery was not abolished. Finally, in 1870, Congress gave black men the right to vote in the Fifteenth Amendment. The amendment quickly showed improvement in African American freedom. Black men were now able to hold office in local and national elections. Africans began serving terms as the speaker of the house, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and treasurer in South Carolina. From 1868 to 1897, 133 Africans served in the state legislature in Louisiana. Many Africans that were given the opportunity to serve in the U.S. government include Benjamin S. Turner, Robert B. Elliot, Joseph Rainey, and John Adams Hyman. In the 1920s, the Harlem Renaissance flourished, making many whites aware of the beauty of the African culture. Many people became aware of the African American art, literature, politics, and music. Many of the famous blacks that led the renaissance included the composer Duke Ellington, actor Paul Robeson, musician Lois Armstrong, and blues singer Bessie Smith. The Harlem Renaissance’s influence spread internationally, and positively influenced many in the white community. Throughout the years of the black struggle for equal

In the early 1960s, when both men entered the struggle for African American liberation, it were the factors that set them apart that shaped both their outlook and the way they contributed to fight for Black empowerment. While Malcolm rose to fame by means of fierce attacks on Whites, Carmichael participated in non-violent workshops to prepare himself for his participation in the Freedom Rides. The first time Stokely encountered Malcolm X in person was during an event at Howard University in 1961, where Malcolm and Bayard Rustin discussed their diverging ideas on the nature and the objectives of African American liberation. Though Carmichael, who like many other students was excited to hear Malcolm speak at the event, thought that Bayard