Failure Of Reconstruction Dbq

During the 19th century, slavery expanded geographically and demographically in the South and Southwest of America, generating a wave of abolitionist movements. These events provoked a different response in the country’s society, since not everyone shared the same definition of slavery and freedom. These concepts started to get involved in almost every part of American sociopolitical life, creating differing points of view that would later conform the two sides in the Civil War of America: The Union in the north, and Confederacy in the south.

After the Civil War, there was a lot of rebuilding and reconstruction to be done but, nothing ever got accomplished. Personally, I think the North is at fault for the failure of reconstruction in the South because, they were concerned about blacks being a part of the government. Also, they were concerned the problems going on in their own government. Northerner’s were supposed to support the reconstruction of the South. And, they didn’t follow through with what they said they were going to do to help. So, here’s why the North is at fault.

After four years of gruesome fighting, the Civil War ended, leaving the South, confederate territory, in ruins and defeat. The North’s advantage over the South was industrialization and this led to their victory over the South. In order to move on from the war reconstruction is essential. However, this became a major controversy on how much power the South should have and the creation of methods to enforce the new laws with the abolishment of slavery. The North struggles with strategies to improve the South without restarting the Civil War. Also there was difficulty incorporating the former slaves into everyday society without confederate backlash. The failure of the reconstruction was because of the actions that were took by the presidents between 1865 and 1877. Republican President Ulysses S. Grant influenced the failure of

The reconstruction, which lasted from 1865 - 1877, had some feats but largely was a failure at accomplishing its goals. It succeeded in readmitting the Southern states to the union, but failed in integrating them fully; the Nation still remained divided by political lines. It helped to rebuild a war ravaged South until the North lost interest in the South and it gave former slaves and people of color more rights and political representation than they ever had before, but the South passed various codes, tests, and laws to limit the black resurgence and keep the old power structure. By 1870 the reconstruction successfully readmitted all the southern states that seceded under Andrew Johnson's plan, however all the states restored their conservative governments within 9 years of readmission (reconstruction map) because of Andrew Johnson's leniency to the South. After the division of the South into military districts in 1867, the governments established were under control of the radical Republicans and gave blacks the power to vote and participate in the government.

The victory in the Civil War in 1865 gave 4 million slaves freedom, but the Reconstruction in the south introduced a problem. For a while it was a dream that reconstruction might come true. Reconstruction was the action of rebuilding in the south. Many were hopeful that the Reconstruction may happen. There was terrorist attacks and acts of prejudice going on but who or what killed reconstruction? Although the South was an important contributor The north caused reconstruction to end.

After reading the primary source, it has become clearer to me that the efforts made toward helping freedmen receive civil rights during Reconstruction were ineffective. The southern states were forced against their will into Reconstruction by the north, only adding more tension to the relations between the whites and people of color. Shortly after the last of the northern troops were removed, the south’s favored party, the Democratic Elite, regained control of the southern government and began restricting the rights of the freedmen.

Forever. 170). The Klan were white southerners who were organized and committed to the breaking down of Reconstruction. By methods of brutality, “the Klan during Reconstruction offers the most extensive example of homegrown terrorism in American history” (Foner. Forever. 171). The Ku Klux Klan as well as other groups killed or tormented black politicians or threatened the blacks who voted in elections. The Klan strongly disagreed with the northern idea that slaves should become part of the government. The Historian Kenneth M. Stampp states, “for their [the North] supreme offense was not corruption but attempting to organize the Negroes for political action” (Stampp. Era. 159). This corresponds with Foner’s idea that the South was not open to the idea of change but more so consumed with the idea of recreating a society similar to one of the past. However, the goal of white power groups was not just politics. The Klan wanted to restore the hierarchy once controlling the South. Foner observes that, “the organization took on the function of the antebellum slave patrols: making sure that blacks did not violate the rules and etiquette of white supremacy” (Foner. Forever. 172). Like the power the southern whites formerly held over the slave population, the Ku Klux Klan wanted to control the African American population still living in the South. They did not want the freedmen to become integrated into their society because they saw them as lesser people. By suppressing and

The Reconstruction era was necessary for rebuilding the south. It was a success in some aspects and failure in others. The main purpose of the reconstruction was almost fulfilled, but it didn't stay after the reconstruction. Its aftermath was terrible in some aspects especially for african americans.

Democratic voters were enfranchised while Republican influence was fading and by 1876, military rule was only left in 3 states. During the election of 1876, the democratic candidate Samuel Tilden won 184 electoral votes over the Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, however, 20 electoral votes were contested as the states under military rule sent back two sets of returns. The electoral crisis of 1877 was resolved by a special committee of 8 republicans and 7 democrats. Because of their majority, the republicans were able to “win” the negotiations. Hayes won the presidency in return for an end to military rule in the South. The already influential democrats would win complete control if the troops removed, effectively ending Radical Reconstruction.

The term Civil War is defined as a war between citizens of the same country fighting for different views. The American Civil War (1861 – 1865) was the important step on the way to American independence and prosperity for all that is clearly visible today. As with every war, people pay with their lives for the benefit of the living and the future. We must look not only at the white people that took part and gave their lives in the Civil war, but at the brave African Americans that gave their lives as well to fight for what they believed in. Throughout the years before the Civil War, African Americans were questioned and thought to be less than dirt but when it came to the war, they proved to be valuable and have a significant impact on the war and the advancements in America.

The Civil War is something almost everyone has a general idea about. It is more than a huge part of America’s history and is the central event in America 's historical consciousness. This war, unlike the American Revolution which created the first American states, determined what kind of nation it would be. Though there are many reasons for the cause of the American Civil War, one of the main reasons is the different attitudes the North and the South had toward slavery. In January of 1863, The Emancipation Proclamation was

               Reconstruction in  American society after the Civil War, which claimed many lives and displaced numerous families, was a period of integration of the Freedmen into the society by granting them their political and civil rights. However, one may ask, did reconstruction fail or succeed due to the high rate of racism at that period? According to Historian Steven Hahn, Reconstruction failed when Freedmen lost their military support of the North which increased the rate of violence towards the freedmen. Also, David Blight a Historian argues that reconstruction failed as a result of the high rate of racism and the injustice in the American society against the African American at that time. I agree with Hahn and Blight that, Reconstruction failed as a result of  lack of injustice and racism against the African American, because the Freedmen were still being persecuted, had no equal rights to vote or own businesses like their white counterparts and also lacks the basic support of their Government. The Government's support and protection for the African American was vital for the Reconstruction movement to have succeeded, Although, the Radical Reconstruction made a tremendous effort to see that reconstruction movement was a success. However, with the compromise of the 1877, the withdrawal of the federal troops and high rate of racism towards

The idea of all men being equal wasn’t a new idea at the point of the civil war considering this quote “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.”(The Declaration of Independence) This quote in itself shows our country and our

“It’s called destruction before reconstruction. People will have to see the danger of war, the hopelessness of war before things can improve.” ~ Elizabeth Joyce. After the bloodiest war America has ever seen, the Civil War finally came to an end. Slaves were free and slavery was abolished due to the 13th Amendment.

America is a country that allows people freedom and equality. In the Declaration of Independence, it states that “all men are created equal” and most people agreed with that. However, there were a few people who thought that slaves were not part of the equality factor. Those people, who were mostly slave owners, saw the African Americans as property and did not see them as equals. Since there was such a big difference in views, it created many tensions between the people. Some people wanted to get rid of slavery and give them freedom and equality, some wanted to get rid of slavery but not make slaves equal to other people, and others wanted to keep slavery as it is. Mostly, there was a disagreement between the South and the North and since there is a difference in other factors such as political and economic, these things began to create tensions and drive them farther apart. During 1783-1859, there were numerous cultural, political, and religious tensions and differences between the United States North and South which led to the unforgettable American Civil War. For this essay, I will be using six sources to support my thesis.