Why Both North Or South: Who Killed Reconstruction?

Northern Neglect and Southern Resistance both played major roles that influenced the termination of Reconstruction, in which Freedmen were being noticed as equal in our society. Towards the end of the Civil War, slaves began to have hope in America because the tables were beginning to turn. It was the 100th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence, and former slave states started allowing black Americans in their home (Background Essay). Three Amendments were formed to officially end slavery, provide rights and protection, and made it illegal to deny someone to vote based on their race (Background Essay). It was paradise. Although, new groups such as the KKK (Klu-Klux-Klan) were formed, and Northerns didn’t seem to be themselves, changes were being made. Paradise was over. Our question is now, Who Killed Reconstruction? I believe the South killed reconstruction because of their violent and murderous actions toward the former slaves.

The truth is both sides ruined the chances of reconstruction.They are both at fault. The south and the northerners had an equal part at failing to continue the reconstruction because from the south there was an organization; a cult called the Ku klux Klan.The kkk did not accept african americans. They were so cruel and inhumane to them the kkk would slaughter , manipulate, and even taunt them till the african americans would fear them(Doc A, B)As for the North , there was a lot of corruption due to Former President grant that committed fraud and caused the “ panic of 1873 “ which caused lots of jobs to discontinue and people to worry from it.(doc C)

The South killed reconstruction in multiple ways. The south ended reconstruction because of the non-violence racism, many terrorist groups, and igniting State issues. These factors led to the end of reconstruction because it held back the United states instead of moving forward after the 'lost cause' meaning the civil war. The South brought a end to helping rebuild them after the civil war.

I think that the North killed Reconstruction. If the north had taken more of a hold on south then the KKK would not have run around killing people. And if the north had been there in the south then the KKK would not have existed either. If the north had kept its focus on the south then it maybe reconstruction would have worked better. The north was more focused on the scandal (doc C) and if they had trusted the freedman more (doc D) then maybe Reconstruction would have been a success.

During Reconstruction, the KKK tried to throw out the reconstruction government and both intimidated and abused African Americans.

The North and South both ended Reconstruction. After the Civil War there was a time if rebuilding the nation called Reconstruction. During this time everyone had their own thoughts about the North and South, people of different race, and political offices. This leads us to a major thought, how the North and South ended Reconstruction. As people targeted carpetbaggers and scalawags, African American voters and Government Officials Reconstruction became more tense, also problems and racism in the North sprung about.

The Ku Klux Klan flourished in the South at the beginning of the Reconstruction succeeding the Civil War. There remained numerous ex-Confederates that were still strongly opposed to the Reconstruction and sought to preserve white supremacy in the South. Directly after the Civil War the government in the South was weak and vulnerable. The Ku Klux Klan leveraged this and used violence and threats to try to reestablish white supremacy. They were most successful in playing upon fears and superstitions. They not only brought terror to the black communities but they also targeted carpetbaggers and scalawags. They used these threats and fears in effectively keeping the blacks away from the polls so that the ex-Confederates could gain back political control in the

Geoffrey Chaucer once said, “all good things must come to an end”. This quote perfectly describes the period of Reconstruction in the United States. During 1876, America gained a lot of opportunities and technology, such as the recently developed railroads. They still had to recover from the Civil War, so they started Reconstruction Policies to reconnect the southern and northern states into one union. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed to help African Americans gain their rights, but then the new election came up. It was very controversial and to avoid a crisis, the government made Rutherford B.Hayes president if he removed federal soldiers from the South. This officially ended Reconstruction. Many people still wonder… Did the North or the South kill Reconstruction? The South is to blame for the termination of Reconstruction for three

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 illustrate 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.

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 Ku Klux Klan was a racial hate group in the south that made sure blacks did not get any civil rights. Members in the Ku Klux Klan believed whites were superior to other races. The KKK hated the blacks because they believed slaves, who were the blacks, are to be less than human. Only white Anglo-Saxon Protestants or known as “WASPS” could become members. The members also had to pay monthly fees so they could “adopt a highway” to look good in the eyes of the communities.

The Ku Klux Klan started with small racial things, such as setting fire to crosses on African American lawns in the middle of the night. The Klu Klux Klan were known to wear white shades over their faces as not to be m. They would wear all white cloaks at times also. The would wear all white to symbolize that they are for whites only and that they were against anyone who were different or to just plain state that they are white. When they would wear black clothing and everything black, in normally implied that they were the leaders of the

The KKK started off harmless, then quickly became involved in the violent struggle of the Reconstruction Era. They believed that blacks were inferior members of society, and were undeserving of citizenship or legal protection. Violence within the KKK was very destructive, and Congress soon responded by passing a series of federal acts to enforce the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments. The Civil Rights Act of 1871, more formally known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, gave federal officials the power to arrest anyone who sought to deprive citizens of their constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The Ku Klux Klan was a politically and racially motivated group that discouraged and frustrated attempts at racial equality (Bowles 2011). They were against all equality for anyone who supported a Union or was black. They were in control of the Southern states and they ran amuck abusing and murdering anyone they felt would threaten their way of life and the local and state governments sat back and supported their efforts to keep the blacks enslaved at all costs. In and article written by the Harper’s Weekly paper about the atrocities in the South it stated that,

The North-American Civil-War was fought between the Northern and Southern states. The Northerners took the win, by defeating the Southern states. (Roark, 456) The war divided the North and South, causing split social standards, rocky economics, and highly political standings for the South after the war.