Southern White Supremacy and Black Civil Rights 1863-1877 Essay

In 1865 reconstruction begun with the aim of securing racial equality between blacks and whites in the southern states. Du Bois believes that during this period blacks ‘stood for a brief moment in the sun’. There were significant improvements to black lies that took place during this period such as their freedom of movement, re-unification of family units and improvements in education. However reconstruction also failed to secure racial equality in many ways. Black people were still economically deprived and there was no real political equality as most black people were prevented form voting in the south and most had to live with the threat of

“During reconstruction, some 2000 African American held public office, from the local level all the way up to the US. Senate, though, they never achieved representation in government proportionate to their numbers.” The term Reconstruction Era or Radical Reconstruction in the context of the history of the United States, has two senses: the first covers the complete history of the entire country from 1861 to 1877 following the Civil War (1861-1865); the second sense focuses on the attempted transformation of the Southern United States from 1863 to 1877. Also, the period from the end of World War II until the late 1960s is often referred as the Second Reconstruction. One of the most important aspects of the Reconstruction 1861-1877 and second reconstruction 1945-1968, was the active participation of African American community in the political, economic and social life of the South.

Reconstruction opened many doors for its newly freed African American citizens. One the many doors, were those of political office. Though these doors opened for blacks in a variety of places, the social origins of

The Civil War and Reconstruction periods had many positive outcomes for America, such as the reunification of the Union, the expansion of the North and South’s economy, education for all, and much more. Although there were many positive results from these two periods, there was also an aftermath of much failure. The post Civil War, and Reconstruction period consisted of the formation of the Ku Klux Klan and the black code laws. Despite the fact that African American’s were no longer slaves, in many ways they were still not free. Furthermore, the creation of things such as the Ku Klux Klan and the black codes created high tension between the black and white races, a tension that can be argued is still present in modern day America. This essay will examine the aspects of how the post Civil War and Reconstruction period was a failure with regards to social, economic and political, and radical development for newly freed slaves.

After the devastation brought to the South from the Civil War America entered period called “Reconstruction” to help mend America. One of the most debated things to come out of Reconstruction was on whether it was a success or a failure. Many believe it was a success due to the Southern states participating in the US government again and the freedom of slaves. Others believe it was a failure due to the repression of African rights and failures to protect them both physically and financially. Reconstruction was a failure because of the restrictions of African American’s rights, the social separation/mistreatment of the races, and the continous poverty of the African American community.

The Reconstruction Era is a suitable starting point for African Americans. “Reconstruction- the effort to restore southern states to the Union and to redefine African Americans’ place in

The United States was a very divided country between the North and the South in the 19th century. “Reconstruction was a vicious and destructive experience, a period where when vindictive Northerners inflicted humiliation and revenge on the divided south” (Brinkley 351). During the time of reconstruction, President Lincoln and Andrew Johnson had large plans for the country but shortly took a sharp turn of the unexpected, radicals put in the Black Codes and amendments into the law, and the south had “redeemed” itself and began to rebuild.

In 1865, the United States government implemented what was known as Reconstruction. Its’ purpose was to remove slavery from the south, and give African-American’s the freedom in which they deserved. However, the freedom that they deserved was not the freedom that they received. With documents like The Black Codes restricting them from numerous privileges that white people had and the terroristic organization known as the Klu Klux Klan attacking and killing them, African-American’s were still being oppressed by their government as well as their fellow man. Slavery may have been abolished, but African-American’s were not yet given the freedom and rights that their white counterparts took for granted.

Radical Reconstruction was a unique period in America which enabled previously unseen social and political changes for the South. However, the impact of these changes was quite limited in their influence. Radical Reconstruction was the ‘progressive’ period after Presidential Reconstruction that spanned from the passing of the Reconstruction Acts in 1867 until The Compromise of 1877. During this period African-Americans briefly felt the political and social effects of government action, namely a political voice, the suppression of racial terrorist groups and increased civil rights. This essay argues that whilst these were real positive social and political impacts for Southern African-Americans, their effects were not radical.

During reconstruction the United States was divided on social issues, presidential campaigns were won and loss on these issues during this period. The struggle for development of African Americans and how they initiated change in political, economic, educational, and social conditions to shape their future and that of the United States. (Dixon, 2000) The South’s attempts to recover from the Civil war included determining what to do with newly freed slaves and finding labor to replace them. The task of elevating the Negro from slave to citizen was the most enormous one which had ever confronted the country. Local governments implemented mechanisms of discrimination to combat citizenship

The Civil Rights era was one of the most tumultuous times in American history. The country appeared at once to be striving forward for social progress and, simultaneously, coming apart at the seams. It is exactly this contradiction which drives our discussion the period known as the Second Reconstruction. Named in reference to the original Reconstruction era which succeeded the Civil War and the abolition of slavery in the South, the Second Reconstruction was akin to its namesake in the intended advance of racial equality and its concurrent effect of retrenchment of white supremacist ideologies. These opposing forces would define a period in American history rightly associated with a violent realization of long-simmering cultural conflict.

The African American during the Reconstruction Era probably felt victorious as well as discomfited. Prior to the Civil war, slaves vehemently hoped freedom would give them the right of equal status in American society, but to their surprise, their dream of an egalitarian America was impeded after the assassination of President Lincoln. Their lives became drastically different and difficult in an era that was increasingly contumacious to their well wishes. The end of the Civil War brought social, moral, economic and political changes within the historical context of Florida’s history. History books have, in general, portrayed Florida as the most progressive southern state in American history, especially when considering Florida’s

But, African American in the government wasn’t always the case, not until the Radical Reconstruction era did congress deem freedmen actual citizens of the U.S. On the other side of politics were the voters, after congress created the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, black voters made up large majority of the southern votes. At Least 256 african americans were elected, while more than 100 were born into slavery. Many politicians had been free before the, and had gained leadership practice from being ministers in church. They would be at the center of black communities, where they would gain most of their popularity and votes. “Since Georgia did not have a strong antebellum free black population like that in South Carolina, the Georgia freedmen turned to their ministers for political leadership,”( Drago 7). Black politicians changed African Americans in a way no one else really did, they themselves rose up and made sure that their voice was heard in the government. This also, changed American in the sense that, anyone can be anything they want if they put their mind to it. We just had our first ever black president, and although some may he did a horrible job, other would

1877 was a critical time in American history. However, 1877 was the point in time where African Americans were cheated out of the opportunity to achieve true racial equality in America. After Reconstruction ended, a slew of racist regulations, such as Jim Crow, and illegal housing laws were passed that handicapped an African American’s ability to pursue the American dream. Furthermore, the deferring onto the later generations regarding the topic of racial equality in America is the reason why there is racial unrest in our present time.

The post-civil war era of American history could be argued as one with great promise for African Americans. With the North winning the Civil War and Lincoln granting the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, surely the seeds had been sown for equality for all in America; blacks and whites included? Despite the foundations having been laid for equality, it may not be surprising that only small progress was made when Lincoln- the “saviour” of Blacks- had little interest in abolishing slavery in the first place; “if I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it”.