The During The Reconstruction Era

It was clear to people in the late 1800s that the Civil War caused many national problems along with problems within the union. However, the Civil War assuaged many problems for the country. For example, slavery was abolished, the supremacy of the national government had been confirmed, and secession had been proved false. Some people may believe that the main reason why the congress’ reconstruction efforts to ensure equal rights to the freedmen failed was because virtually no one in America thought blacks were equal to whites. Basically it was because people still have racial thoughts; slaves didn’t get to fully acquire the meaning and prerogatives of their rights; in other words they were uneducated.

During 1866 in the South white southerners reestablished civil authority in the former Confederate states by restricting freed blacks’ activity and ensured their availability as a labor force now that slavery had been abolished. For instance, labor contracts, if fragment they would be arrested as vagrants and fined or forced into unpaid labor or flogged also known as whipping. Congress found a way to blockade Black codes such as the Reconstruction Act of 1867 that required the 14th and 15th Amendment. The 14th Amendment granted equal protection of the Constitution to former slaves and enact universal male suffrage before they could rejoin the Union. The 15th Amendment guaranteed that a citizen’s right to vote would not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This is one of the most famous and major accomplishments that occurred during the Reconstruction

Congress comes in to play in December 1865. The Congress was made up mostly of Republicans and they refused to let past Confederates to take their seats in Congress at this time. This marked the beginning of Radical Reconstruction or sometimes known as Congressional Reconstruction. The president and the congress did not agree on many issues. Congress overrode President Johnson on the Civil Rights Act of 1866, The Fourteenth Amendment, and the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill. The Fourteenth Amendment spelled out rights of both black and white citizens as equal. It prolonged Federal powers for the enforcement of civil rights. States that approved the Fourteenth Amendment were considered reconstructed, and Tennessee did so. President Johnson advised other southern states to oppose doing this. Congress passed many laws to limit President Johnson’s powers. They passed the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 which set new

The Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in the U.S. After the Civil War, the withdrawal of the federal troops from the south, and the Fourteenth Amendment was what they emancipated. The reconstruction lasted 12 years from 1871 until 1883 when the Supreme Court ruled the Civil Rights Cases in which some Acts were invalid because they addressed social as opposed to civil rights. Although Congress responded with legislation that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1866, States kept on the books laws that continued the legacy of the black codes which were established by white Southerners, seeking to control the freedom of the 4 million black Southerners former slaves and, therefore, second-class citizenship were imposed for the newly freed slaves; being that they were landless and with little money to support themselves. Furthermore, the Court noted that the Fourteenth Amendment protected people against violations of their civil rights by states, not by the actions of individuals. It was aimed to provide the means for the Southern states to recognize that African American and Whites can live in harmony, together, without slavery. That was President Hayes, who in 1877 thought, that it was a new Era having new feelings for respecting each other, but the Southern states did not welcome this. In that same year, South Carolina’s Governor Hampton promoted the full equal protection right to blacks and whites. All good intention to change the

Government had brought the seceded Southern states back into the Union, and they ended slavery and they tried their best to protect newly emancipated the slaves. But they rebuilt the nation after a lot more four years of fighting. The reconstruction occurred in 2 phases, the Presidential Reconstruction was very lenient in order Southern states to rejoin the Union quickly, this was initiated by President Lincoln but was carried out by President Andrew Johnson. The Congressional Reconstruction was stricter and protected rights from former slaves and they kept Confederate leaders from regaining power. But, before the Civil War Lincoln proposed his 10% Plan, which was lenient and allowed the Confederate states could re-enter the Union when, 10% of their population had sworn an Oath of Loyalty and they ratified the 13th Amendment ending all slavery. But, the Radicals in Congress had rejected his plan because, it did not protect ex-slaves and didn’t keep them from regaining power, they also wanted to have 50% of the population to swear to an oath of loyalty. But, the states could come back once they ratified the 13th amendment. But, the southern passed black codes in order to keep African- Americans from getting any land, jobs, voting rights, and also protection under the law. Finally, in 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau had been established and offered assistance to former slaves and to protect their new

The amendment prevented voting restrictions due to race. Hiram Revels, a black senator, became the first out of sixteen blacks to be elected to Congress. This portion of Reconstruction succeeded for the most part, but something had to be done to stop the South from disobeying the laws.

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

During 1866, even though the 13th Amendment ended slavery, Black Codes passed in the South, limited the rights of African Americans. Black codes had many affects on African Americans and the North itself. The Black Codes kept African Americans from owning any land or renting land. The South did not think of this as a new type of slavery. On the other hand, the North thought it was reinventing a new type of slavery. The Republicans got ride on slavery with the help of Congress and the Freedmen’s Bureau. Congress gave power to the Freemen’s Bureau to address the unlawful Black Codes. They punished anyone who did not give African Americans their rights by putting them on a special trial. Congress then passed laws that would take away Black Codes, but President Andrew Johnson vetoed the bill, which means the laws were rejected. Since there was so many Republicans in Congress, they were able to override the President 's veto and the bills became

The Reconstruction of the United States was an experiment in interracial democracy. The Civil War victory by the North brought to a close the establishment of slavery but, in turn, opened Pandora's box. The questions and answers pertaining to economical, political, and social equality for freedmen had yet to be addressed on a practical level. The Southern states, still bitter from defeat and economic stresses, strongly rejected the societal transformations thrust upon them. The Northern states' focal point remained on the necessary political powers by which to enact constitutional amendments, therefore empowering the federal government with the capabilities to enforce the principles of equal rights. On paper, slavery was abolished, but in reality, African-Americans were once again enslaved on a ship without the security or knowledge of what the next port held for them. The Civil War had not truly ended. It was still active under the guise of Reconstruction, but now coats and flags of many colors existed, and battles were merely fought on alternate battlefields. A war of ideas lacking in substantial practicality resulted in repetitious battles being won and loss. The motivating forces that set Reconstruction into motion were for the most part the North's quest for unification among states', and the emancipation of slaves. However, the primary objective of Reconstruction was to grant political, economical, and social opportunities for the freedmen. The

America was in disarray following the events of the Civil War. Southern economy was in shambles while congress was struggling to find a middle ground between the radical republicans and Lincoln’s lenient policies. Many Southerners faced the aftermath of uprooting their society and their way of life while thousands of newly freed slaves struggled to find a way to support themselves. The country needed a strong leader, however on the 14th of April, 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in the Ford Theatre in Washington (Farmer). Without the man that had once held the nation together, the country now faced an enormous obstacle; reconstructing American economics, politics and social life.

During the time of Reconstruction, the federal government did little to help the people of America as a whole, they concentrated on bettering African American lives and “reconstructing” the South. The focus during this time period was to protect the rights of African Americans, which had long and hard been fought for. The federal government made it their priority to ensure equal rights among all black people. Also, the readmission of the Confederate states was essential to the federal

After the northern voters rejected Johnson’s policies in the congressional elections, Republicans in Congress took firm hold of Reconstruction in the South. Congress passed the Reconstruction Act later, it temporarily divided the South in five districts and outlined how governments based on universal (male) suffrage were to be organized. This law also required the states in the South to ratify the 14th amendment. The definition of citizenship was expanded by granting all of the slaves “equal protection” of the Constitution before the slaves could join the Union. By 1870, all of the slave states had been welcomed to the Union. In this period the african-americans won the election against the southern governments and even the U.S. Congress.

In 1867, Congress passed a new Reconstruction Act, that threw out the state governments of states that refused to ratify the 14th amendment. The 15th amendment was ratified in 1870, providing a constitutional guarantee of voting rights for African American males.

However, it had been used to grant all the personal liberties and rights conveyed in the Bill of Rights. Among other things, this prohibited ex-Confederate leaders from holding political office, and also gave the freedmen their citizenship. The rejection of the 14th Amendment paved the way for the Reconstruction Act of 1867; this dismantled all Southern governments and launched military control over the South. The Reconstruction Act guaranteed freedmen the right to vote under new state constitutions and required the Southern states to approve the 14th A With the addition of African American votes in the southern elections and the help of "Carpet Baggers" and "Scalawags," the Republican Party gained almost complete control over the South.

In May of 1865 a new president A. Johnson unveiled his Reconstruction plan. Johnson gave pardons and restored property rights to former landowners if they pledged loyalty to the Union and the Constitution. Johnson’s nothing to say about black people rights after the war. 1865 the southern states revised the slave codes into what became known as the black codes. This practically stripped blacks of equal rights and justice.