What Is The Key Issue In Chapter 4 Apush Dbq

After the conclusion of America’s Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln pitched the idea of “Reconstruction,” which would bring the southern states back into the Union. President Lincoln, according to many radical Republicans, was too gentle on the south. The government was divided on how to solve the issue of readmitting the southern states back into the Union. In addition to that, the government was not certain on what rights to enumerate to the newly emancipated slaves. These issues became more difficult to solve after President Lincoln was murdered. Lincoln’s successor, Vice President Andrew Johnson, was a Tennessee Democrat that lacked respect of the Republican Congress. The legislative and executive branches of the American government

For the greater part of the nineteenth century, black people were slaves for white men. The Fourteenth Amendment was placed into effect to protect the rights of the black community after emancipation. It stated that, “all persons born or naturalized in the United States” would be supported under the doctrine. However, this article failed to uphold the rights of the newly freed slaves. The blacks, ridiculed and scorned by the public, were greatly suppressed by the white backlash. The states put into effect laws that would suppress the blacks even further, even though they were protected under the Amendment. The states made stipulations on rights the African Americans were granted, like the right to own land, vote, and even hold certain jobs. Voting was a major controversy for the newly freed slaves, they wanted the chance to be heard through politics. Nevertheless, they were still denied the simple right to vote in many of the states if they could not meet the prerequisites for reading or could not pay a voting tax. They made contracts for them to work for white men, just as if they were slaves and nothing changed. Black people were still waiting for their salvation under this new piece of legislation, but were unable to grasp it through the government. African Americans stood for their newly given rights under the Constitution and were denied by the people who put

“The battle was done, the buglers were silent. Boneweary and bloodied, the American people, North and South, now faced the staggering challenges of peace.” After the Civil War, no one knew what to do next. The terrible conditions of the South after the war made it so no one wanted to participate in such a situation. When President Abraham Lincoln held office, he knew that the Union must be reassembled while treating the blacks respectfully which began the period of Reconstruction. Throughout this period, four presidents held office each trying to reform the poor conditions of the United States. Reconstruction ended when President Rutherford Hayes forced the Union troops to retreat from the southern states as a

Congress passes the Reconstruction Act of 1867, which divided the South into districts and required Southern states to approve the 14th Amendment to grant blacks citizenship, before rejoining the Union. Later, congress gives African Americans the right to vote by ratifying the 15th Amendment. The Reconstruction established the South’s first state-funded public school systems, created a just taxation legislation, and passed laws against discrimination and economic development programs. The approach of Congress was different than Johnson’s plan, because they worked to improve the lives of African Americans by passing laws in their favor, and expanding their rights. Congress did not care what the South wanted, and expected the South to abide by their rules. On the other hand, Johnson wanted to preserve the nation, and did not want to do anything to anger the South. Moreover, he was a strong believer in states rights, and the idea that the federal government had no right to enforce restrictive laws on the entire country.

After the civil war, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were created. Which abolished slavery and granted african americans citizenship, and the right to vote. But it didn't come that easy to them. African

African Americans were almost completely subjugated throughout the states and many had been brutally beaten. Even after adding the 15th Amendment to the constitution, which gave all men, regardless of race or color, the right to vote, many states continued to use numerous different methods to prevent African Americans from voting.

Shortly after the civil war, the southern states were left in ruins. However, by Lincoln’s order, they started a process of recreation known as Reconstruction. Most of the southern places were rebuilt and the economy slowly recovering. Slavery is no more, but the south will not accept them as their equals. In many ways, people believe that reconstruction did help the slaves/colored, but on the other hand many believe it didn’t change the situation at all. African Americans are better off during the reconstruction era than they were before the civil war.

The Fifteenth Amendment granted black men to vote. Put emphasis on men because at this time women still couldn't vote.This amendment would not be fully followed until almost a century. What the government did was that they made a literacy test so difficult that no slave could pass because they had no education. So no blacks could vote really for a long time. So to loop their loophole that made a rule called the Grandfather Clause. This made if your grandfather could vote you did not have to take the literacy test. So every white person's grandfather could vote since they lived in england. So this rule did not apply to blacks since their grandfathers were black and could not vote. One of the main reasons that they made this rule is because

For example, the passing of the Civil Rights Bill and later the Fourteenth Amendment secured both citizenship and the basic rights (excluding suffrage) for the Freedmen and therefore tempering some of the worst features of the horrible Black Codes. In addition to this, the passing of the Fourteenth Amendment required that previous Confederate states ratify it in order to become part of the Union again, further securing and protecting an endangered race. In continuation of the Radicals plan to reinvigorate the South was the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment which not only guaranteed black suffrage but also ensured that any states who were still dismal would not be capable of amending their state constitutions to take away the ballot from blacks. Although this was rash in the eyes of the entering states, this allowed for the equality of races and created greater political opportunities for those of the black race to partake in government either as delegates or congressmen within their

In 1865 after the civil war the united states ratified the 13th amendment which declared all slaves were free and able to live a normal american life. This created controversy in the southern states who depended on the slaves to keep cotton production and other farmed goods up, Because of the rage the south was in. They created many laws which still inhibited blacks to vote and overall not be free like the 13th and 14th amendment states they should. The government answered back by creating the first “enforcement act” which gave black all rights whites do protected

Andrew Johnson became the next president but clearly did not follow Lincoln's views and policies. While Johnson supported the restoration of the seceded states, he had views opposing Radical Republicans and vetoed several bills. His outline for Reconstruction did not include giving protection to former slaves and often conflicted with the Republican-dominated Congress, which ultimately led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives. Johnson wanted the seceded states to hold their own conventions and elections to recreate their own governments. This led to many Southern states returning to their old leaders and policies.

Throughout this time, the ranking of freedman was significantly increased, and by 1868; many state legislatures had African American delegates. All of America, as well as the South, had to be rebuilt, and, despite the South's hostile resistance, African-Americans were slowly and gradually becoming part of this nation. The long-awaited citizenship for Blacks was confirmed in 1868, by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. By 1870, the 15th Amendment had been added to the Constitution, which gave blacks the right to vote. The 15th Amendment forbids the states from denying the right to vote to any person on account of race, color, or previous condition of

When Africans first came here in 1619 and disembarked from a ship in Jamestown, Virginia, they were enslaved which automatically denied them to right to vote. However free black men could vote in some of the original states including North Carolina, all of the New England states (except Connecticut). In New York only blacks who owned $250 worth of land were able to vote, which of course was improbable at this time. Naturally, however, this did not apply to whites. Then came the Reconstruction Act of 1867, which allowed blacks to be elected as delegates. New amendments to the constitution and allowed

The hope of political equality was given to racial minorities when the 15th Amendment was passed in 1870, allowing citizens to vote regardless of race. This was beneficial to the Republican Party since majority of their members were black voters. The amendment allowed black men to hold power and more than 2000 African Americans were elected to political offices over the next 7 years. Unfortunately, the amendment was unsuccessful in preventing individual states from enacting their own voting laws. African Americans were legally forbidden from voting through literacy tests and poll taxes. A majority of the African Americans spent a large part of their life enduring slave work, so they were never given an opportunity to educate themselves. Therefore, the literacy test was effective in preventing illiterate blacks from voting. African Americans did not make enough money to pay the expensive poll taxes, either. Through this method, every Southern state eliminated

The Passing of the 15th amendment in 1868 did give black men the right to vote. They were able to vote but were not permitted because they were blocked at the poles with threats of violence and death. The violence and intimidation of the Ku Klux Klan had a lot to do with the blocking of the blacks at the voting polls.