How Reconstruction Failed to Bring Equality to Freed...

How Reconstruction Failed to Bring Equality to Freed Blacks After the Civil War, the government had changed from a republican rule to a democratic rule that had hatred towards the South because of conflicts that had arisen during the Civil War. The Northern Republicans wanted to punish the South by forming laws that terminated slavery and granted freed blacks the right to vote, the right to own land, the right to due process, and outlawed discrimination based on race; all were attempts to try and end slavery by reconstructing the justice and social and economic equality among freed blacks. In theory, the thought of reconstruction was practical and could end slavery however, a thought is never the same when put into physical use†¦show more content†¦The fourteenth amendment is exclaiming that any citizen of the United States cannot be denied the right of life, liberty, and property and cannot so be done without due process. Therefore the fourteenth amendment grants more rights to blacks and makes blacks almost equal with whites. I n addition to the fourteenth amendment, the fifteenth amendment also encourages equal rights such as, â€Å"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude† (Document C). What the fifteenth amendment is trying to say is that no one who is a citizen of the United States can be denied the right to vote because of the color of his or her skin. Lastly, the Civil Rights Act of 1875 states, â€Å"That all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, public conveyances on land and water, theaters, and other places of public amusement† (Document F) The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was created to eliminate segregation in public places such as transportation, restrooms, store etcetera. Therefore, these laws have the abili ty to make blacks equivalent to whites in terms of rights. However, these ideas by radical republicans were not highly effective, as shownShow MoreRelatedReconstruction Of The United States1181 Words   |  5 PagesBy 1877, reconstruction had successfully restored the United States as a unified nation. Each Confederate state had thoroughly drafted state constitutions, pledged their loyalty to the United States government, and accepted the newly Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. However, reconstruction inevitably failed the South. The legislation of Radical Republicans failed to give protection to freed slaves from further persecution of whites; and it also failed to fundamentally refabricateRead MoreNegative Effects Of Reconstruction981 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Civil War of 1861 to 1865 led to many positive and negative changes, which were created during the Reconstruction era, to the United States of America. After the 4 year long, destructive Civil War, the Southern states (referred to as ex-Confederate) were left in despair — destroyed environment and economy. The Reconstruction was put into action by Abraham Lincoln in order to bring racial equality between the colored and white people of America, but this goal was never achieved; it was a failureRead MoreReconstruction Of The United States1814 Words   |  8 Pagesopportunities for Americans, but no other political change, or battle is more scandalous than Reconstruction. The start of reconstruction began in the mid-late 1860s and finished in 1877, but even today is still labeled one of the most debated issues in American history on whether post war reconstruction was a success or failure as well as a contest over the memory, meaning, and ending of the war. Reconstruction focused on three issues which were the terms the defeated Confederate states would have toRead MoreThe Tyranny Of White Majority Essay1511 Words   |  7 Pagessuppressed and constantly failed to integrat e African American into the white society by neglecting the race, using natural prejudice, race neutral policies, and laws that benefited whites more than African Americans. Even before the 13th amendment and emancipation of slaves, small reforms in the northern states were being implemented to create a true free society. One would argue that these reforms were the first steps of a liberal reform that would lead to the eventual equality amongst the two racesRead Moreâ€Å"I Want To Cushion The Shock Of A Total Revolution Of Labor†¦I1317 Words   |  6 Pageswant to cushion the shock of a total revolution of labor†¦I want blacks and whites in the south to gradually live themselves out of their old relation to each other,† said Abraham Lincoln in regards to what his goals were for Reconstruction. After the Civil War ended, Reconstruction was presented as a way to unify the country once again and have all Americans live together in equality and unity. In theory, achieving successful Reconstruction seemed easy to implement and an idea that every American wouldRead MoreThe End Of The Civil War1805 Words   |  8 Pagesincluding former slave s into the picture and it proved to be a lot for people to accept. Even though there was revolutionary change happening, things still weren’t progressing in all areas. The black codes that were put in place in 1865 to restrict the freed black slave’s rights were just one of many examples of how racism was not going anywhere even after the civil war. While the conflict between race and class existed very much simultaneously, I believe that in order to fully understand American historyRead MoreThe Civil War Of The United States Essay2280 Words   |  10 PagesAs a result of the U.S. Civil War, many newly freed slaves were in search of a better life as free men. With help from Congress in March of 1865, an organization known as the Freedmen’s Bureau was created with the intentions of helping the freedmen and their families. The organization was the first of its type to be established federally for the main purpose of social welfare. With leadership from many milit ary Generals, the Bureau was able to provide the freedmen with necessities such as clothingRead MoreThe Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman1277 Words   |  6 Pagesis a classic fictional book. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is the story if a women’s life told when she was over one hundred years old. The novel goes over 3 main periods of time: war years, reconstruction, and slavery. In The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman it is the time of reconstruction and the novel really connects with the history of the time. The novel starts the story at when Jane was a young slave. The Emancipation Proclamation was a decree announced my President Abraham LincolnRead MoreThe Democratic Party By Thomas Nast1973 Words   |  8 Pagesincluding South’s effort to re-establish slavery conditions, wavering support from the North, White Supremacy organizations, Capitalism, and most importantly, the failed Reconstruction Acts. This Is a White Man’s Government is a cartoon that was published in Harper’s Weekly, a popular cultural newspaper that advocated equality for Blacks, and was predominantly read by Northerners and Union workers. Some say that an image can speak a thousand words, this cartoon by Thomas Nast effortlessly succeedsRead More The History and Effects of Slavery on the South Essay1588 Words   |  7 Pagesthe backs of the poor whites who were tenants of the slaveocrats and social outcasts as much as the slaves were(Hinton 151); yet because of slavery ,and its accompanying r acial superiority, these poor whites still felt they were better than the blacks and thus did not rise up in rebellion. In truth Many of the poorer whites were hardly better off economically than the slaves. (Bailey 366) The South severely lacked in industrial capacity and innovation/invention. During the year of 1856 256