The Reconstruction Era During The Civil War

After the Civil War, the southern whites were extremely resentful and bitter. In 1865 the southern states began issuing “black codes,” which were laws made subsequent to the Civil War that had the effect of limiting the civil rights and civil liberties of blacks. This term tends to refer to the legislation passed by southern states to control the labor, migration, and other activities of newly freed slaves. When the slaves were freed, they still had

In the beginning of 1865, the Civil War came to a close, abandoning over 620,000 dead and a destructive path of devastating all over the south. The North now was confronted with the task of reconstructing the destroyed and aggrieved Confederate states.

A revolution is a dramatic and sudden change in an organization in the social order that is replaced by a new, more favorable system. When Historian Eric Foner called the Reconstruction period “America’s Second Revolution”, his characterization was correct. Reconstruction can be viewed as a revolution because the previous social order, slavery, was replaced suddenly by a more favorable one, freedom for African-Americans. There was a long period of politicization for incorporating free African-Americans into white society. Reconstruction also revolutionized the preconceived notion that the states had autonomous power.

As the civil war was ending many people could see that the odds of the north winning increased dramatically however many people can argue this idea based on the several events that took place during the second phase of the civil war. Carl Schurz concluded, “The Civil War was a revolution, but half accomplished.”(Roark et al 434) Reconstruction started before the civil war ended until 1877, when people of the United States tried figuring out how to put the country back together. Many people had different ideas on how the reconstruction should be handled as a result conflict began between different political groups, between groups in the south, between north and south, and between congress and senate groups. The dramatic transformation of southern states took place during the reconstruction that proved their victory was the organization and formation of government, being reunited in the union, and acquiring constitutional and legal status of African Americans.

The end of civil war in the United States of America brought about many problems, in particular for the South. Some of the problems were political, economic decay and social disorder. The war destroyed the plantations and crops thus causing many to starve to death while others became homeless. The reconstruction became the only hope for the people. Radical reconstruction began in 1867, which enabled the freed black men to have a voice in the government. Before the civil war, the Southern state had enacted laws that suppressed all African American. This fact angered many people from the North who were seeking to end slavery. Therefore, during the reconstruction era, the black people wanted their voices to be heard.

There were still acts in place to limit rights and a corrupt government. Some southern states set up black codes to restrict rights against the African Americans. Under these laws, no African American can own or rent a home, carry a weapon, and all must work for white (document A). These laws go around the 13th and 14th amendment of abolishing slavery and all have citizenship. White Americans believe that African Americans will bring disarray to the government. The freedoms of the African Americans were still confined during the reconstruction. African Americans are apparent to argue and be aggressive in the picture (document G). This shows that African Americans were unfit for government and were not capable to be a part of it. Restricting the

One of the main goals of Reconstruction was to create equality for African Americans, but the rules and laws that were created, were not enforced by the government. Soon after the 13th Amendment was passed, most Southern states started to enforce Black Codes. These codes, as described in St. Landry’s Parish’s Black Codes, required African Americans to work under a white man, not to have a house or land, and to receive permission for meetings, preaching, carrying weapons, and selling items (Document 6). The purpose of the St. Landry’s Black Codes, and Black Codes in general, was to inform the public about the rules African Americans have to follow, but also to maintain the social order of whites coming before blacks, and to limit African American’s rights. Southern whites continued to take away African Americans rights throughout Reconstruction.

1. The war in 1862 was only more than a year old and the people in both the Union and Confederate sides didn’t anticipate it would last that long, but it is going to go on. Close to the end of the summer in this same year, the Union has made huge progress in claiming confederate lands, winning some major battles. They have put the confederacy in the defensive. They have taken over New Orleans, with even black troops major on the ground of New Orleans. They have taken Missouri and are working hard to take over the Mississippi Valley and maybe even Richmond itself. Bruce Catton puts it this way in The Civil War, “Except for guerrilla activity, Kentucky and Missouri has been swept clear of armed confederates, Western Tennessee had been reclaimed, there was a Yankee army in Cumberland Gap, another one was approaching chattanooga, and a third was sprawled out from Memphis to Corinth, preparing to splice down through Mississippi and touch hands with the Union occupation forces in Baton Rouge and New Orleans” (85) So not only that they Union had taken over regions, they are advancing as well, but they did not win the way this year for some reason. Firstly, because they did not have generals and army heads capable of taking them to victory. General Halleck, chief of the Union Armies and Pope in charge of one of the Union armies in Virginia, were major examples of this.

During the Reconstruction Era, Congress passed many laws to provide equal rights to people of color. But at the local level, specifically in the South, many Democrats took the law into their own hands. They supported the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) hoping to restore the pre-Civil War social hierarchy. The texts in Going to the Source illustrates two groups of individuals who opposed the KKK. In testimonies given by white witnesses, Republicans from the North felt the KKK posed a political and social danger in the South, but did not feel intimidated. The testimonies given by black witnesses were people who had experience of the Klan’s violence, and felt their lives were threatened. The Klan’s attacks on whites were more inclined towards social harassment, while their attacks on blacks, which consisted of voting intimidation and night rides, were violent and abusive because the KKK’s main goal was white supremacy.

Many historians argue about the result of the reconstruction. By reading the sources I concluded that the American reconstruction after the war was somewhat successful. According to Frances after the civil war, the north sent many generals to the south to control territories until the land was settling. According to her augments the claims that the generals would force the people to bow down to them. People in the south considered them as tyrants. Another thing that many people in the south were angry about was the fact that most black in the south had more right to vote that some of the whites themselves. She mentions that if blacks in the north could not vote why the blacks in the south should (366). This clearly shows the high disapproval

The United States of America faced great tensions throughout the 18th century because of the division on the issue of slavery, this was reflected through the way that African Americans were treated up until the Reconstruction. In the early 18th century if one was from African ancestry, they were condemned as inferior in the eyes of the white man. This would continue for over a century and a half into the Reconstruction Era in 1865. On the other hand, there was an abolitionist movement led by both black woman and men, and white woman and men. This movement was formed to completely abolish slavery, and used tactics of sharing experiences that slaves faced, and one of the most recognized advocates was Frederick Douglass. However, southerners did not agree with the abolitionist movement because they saw slavery as essential to their lives because it made their economy stable and flourish, and saw the Reconstruction Era as an encroachment on their freedom. Further, the Reconstruction Era was a hopeful time for emancipated slaves, but encountered problems because they saw freedom as…

The Reconstruction Era was from around 1865-1877, during that time many laws were passed to break down the color barrier. The 13th Amendment which officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude was passed on April 8th, 1864. Then came the 14th Amendment passed on July 9th, 1868 which granted citizenship to everyone born in the U.S. Finally came the 15th Amendment passed in 1870 which gave freedmen the right to vote and could not be denied on account of race or previous condition of servitude. There were many cases of brutality against African Americans after the Emancipation Proclamation and following the Reconstruction Era but why did Boyle pick this story and this case? Unlike most accounts you hear which end with the individuals being killed this story ends on a somewhat better note. If one were just to skim a majority of the book they would get the gist of what it was about and even then would be moved, but still left unhappy because of the wretched state in which Ossian was left in. However, if someone was to read the book thoroughly they would be able to see exactly why Boyle picked this story. The tale of Ossian Sweet is in depth and complex; it goes over a lot of his life and experiences. On some occasions it depicts how Ossian gained freedom and opportunities new to him, although with each new freedom society and other variables made those accomplishments less satisfying. It is not apparent if Boyle believes the Reconstruction Era was a ‘failure’ but it is

Reconstruction was the period when America was figuring out on issues pertaining to who was an American, what rights an American should enjoy and what rights other Americans were exercising. The post bellum period was a period after the civil war that had affected the United States of America. This conflict had mostly taken place in the south and therefore the people there were the for the most part affected by this warfare. After the civil war, racism was still a threat and a struggle for the nation, mostly to the African-Americans (Brown, 213). The progression of the black people was hindered by lack of education, lack of African-American political leaders for the black people. Reconstruction for that reason needed to be done (Brown, 213).

The reconstruction of America would decide how the south would rejoin the Union, what was to become of the nearly 3 million black slaves freed, how America was going to recover from such a devastating internal war. There appears to be phases that the Reconstruction Era went through, roughly three of them. The first is that of the Presidential Reconstruction, it lead to a more radical Republican party. After such we find ourselves in what was to be known as the Radical Reconstruction. A period where the blacks found their voices being heard. Finally we lead up to the end of the Reconstruction-era. It is said that the reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877, however it can be said that, to this very day, some reconstruction is still ongoing.

and in reality it was a demonstration of the failure to make a dependable political