...How promising was the period of reconstruction for African Americans? (50 marks) After the end of the civil war in 1865 and the abolition of slavery, a period of reconstruction followed where by the government hoped to seize control of the south and rebuild America. Some historians argue this was a promising period for the newly freed slaves where as others would argue it was a crisis and thus a negative period for the African Americans. When looking at reconstruction one must consider the economic, legal, social and political impacts it had on the African Americans. One argument that suggests that reconstruction was promising for the African Americans was the passing of the 14th amendment. This stated that all persons born or naturalized in America were citizens. Not only did this overturn the black codes but also meant that states could not limit the right of citizenship for African Americans, resulting in them having the full protection of the law. Moreover the passing of this law secured the rights for black children (from two freed slaves) as well as securing the rights for black Americans in the future. Therefore providing strong evidence to why reconstruction was promising for AA’s. Furthermore, the 15th amendment was also passed during the period of reconstructions which intended to secure the voting rights for AA’s. As a result of this 700,000 AA’s registered to vote, not only was this a success for AA’s, some historians argue that it was also a big success for the...
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...The Radical Reconstruction period from1868 to1877 provided suffrage to the African American community in tremendous ways. This Reconstruction period provided new prospects for the African American community for example, voting, labor, ownership of property, education and restoration of family life. In addition, to providing many opportunities the Radical Reconstruction made it very challenging for African American’s to take advantage of their “freedom”. In this paper my aim is to prove that African American women were relentless individuals, who controlled voting in southern African American communities through the use of their counterparts. Furthermore, African American women overcame the challenges that came along with the opportunities’ that were given during the reconstruction period, they utilized many strategies particularly violent ones. Elsa Barkley Brown article The Labor of Politics, substantially supports my argument. Brown provides numerous testimonies and examples of how African American women manipulated the vote through African American men. Throughout the article Brown uses African American women to emphasize her argument that ex-slaves developed their politics differently from their white Republicans allies. After the Civil War African American’s reconceptualizatize their role to vote in politics and one may wonder how can a group of people who have been recently emancipated do such a thing? Well Brown argues that the Black Richmonders, operated in two different...
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...claim the writing of the Texas Constitution was part of the backlash against Reconstruction, such thoughts are the simple and excessive application (Harrington 5). As an alternative, one can accurately say the current constitution of Texas in primarily an attempt of imposing conservative values on the state government (Ericson 7). For this reason, the present constitution of Texas aims at replicating the provisions of constitutions of pre-Civil War that had nothing to do with reconstruction or slavery. Evidence in the Texas Constitution Plainly, one of the best ideas for this argument that the constitution of Texas is a backlash against reconstruction is found in the Bill of Rights (Cornyn 4). Note that the Bill is included in the constitution. In the beginning, the Bill of Rights explains the statements that Texas is a state that is independent. For this reason, Texas is subject only to the United States Constitution. In other words, such a statement aims at implying that the Congress has no power to tell the state what to do. Precisely...
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...Who Killed Reconstruction ? Both the north and the south were responsible for killing reconstruction after the civil war. The north did not agree that slavery should be allowed but really just had given up on trying to convince the south. The south on the other hand simply refused to give into what the north was saying. To clarify reconstruction was the rebuilding of the united states after the civil war , this was a very tough time period that lasted up to 14 years. Though reconstruction occurred after the civil war many considered it just as painful as a war for many reasons. The northerners wanted to punish the southerns because of their ways of life and how they treated the african americans. My argument is that both the north and the south are responsible for killing reconstruction. The north may have wanted to end slavery and many other things that the south were doing but had given up on taking action. The northers weren’t so focused on fixing the situation and founded themselves being distracted from the leading situation. They also didn’t have great attitudes but seemed more racist which contributed to the end of reconstruction. “ Although political violence continue in the south”. The south would refuse any change that was...
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...After the end of the civil war in 1865 and the abolition of slavery, a period of reconstruction followed where by the government hoped to seize control of the south and rebuild America. Some historians argue this was a promising period for the newly freed slaves where as others would argue it was a crisis and thus a negative period for the African Americans. When looking at reconstruction one must consider the economic, legal, social and political impacts it had on the African Americans. One argument that suggests that reconstruction was promising for the African Americans was the passing of the 14th amendment. This stated that all persons born or naturalized in America were citizens. Not only did this overturn the black codes but also meant that states could not limit the right of citizenship for African Americans, resulting in them having the full protection of the law. Moreover the passing of this law secured the rights for black children (from two freed slaves) as well as securing the rights for black Americans in the future. Therefore providing strong evidence to why reconstruction was promising for AA’s. Furthermore, the 15th amendment was also passed during the period of reconstructions which intended to secure the voting rights for AA’s. As a result of this 700,000 AA’s registered to vote, not only was this a success for AA’s, some historians argue that it was also a big success for the republican party as it secured the vote of the African Americans, potentially...
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...Unit I: Essay Exam: Reconstruction & Rise of Industry US History Since 1877 Professor Valdenia Winn February 14, 2013 According to Dictionary.com, radical means: 1. Of or going to the root or origin; fundamental: a radical difference. 2. Thoroughgoing or extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms. Historians identified Congressional Reconstruction as “radical” because of how the South tried to elude the Thirteenth Amendment. Because of these extreme circumstances the federal government had to intervene, which at that point made it radical to most historians. The root of the problem was slavery and the problem solver was the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment prohibited slavery. The Fourteenth Amendment established national citizenship for persons born or naturalized in the United States. It also prohibited the states from depriving citizens of their civil rights or equal protection under the law as well as reduced state representation in the House of Representatives by the percentage of adult male citizens denied the vote. The Fifteenth Amendment forbade states to deny citizens the right to vote on the grounds of race, color, or “previous condition of servitude”. Another problem solver was the establishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau, which was there to aid former slaves get on their feet and supervise “all relief and educational activities relating to refugees and...
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...Chapter 1: Reconstruction There is controversy in the North and South because of the end of a brutal civil war. The controversy is over diversity of what the government should be and what to make of the African Americans. The disagreement was supposed to be solved by Reconstruction but it ended up being abandoned. Abandoning the Reconstruction defiantly ruled against the blacks. It meant back to the low end of the totem pole. It wasn’t quite slavery but it might as well be. They were stuck share cropping and most didn’t have land or hardly a penny to their name. Hahn tries to describe the political position held by blacks, describe the struggles to expand their rights and the value of their opinion, and expose the space between blacks and whites. Hahn talks about to political parties, Radical Republicans and the Union League. These parties were both for the voting rights of blacks and equality. Hahn mentions a reverend in a paragraph that seems to express their beliefs: “It was arduous and extremely dangerous work, for as organizers trekked out to where the mass of freedpeople resided, they fell vulnerable to swift and deadly retaliation at the hands of white landowners and vigilantes. Having organized the Mount Olive Union League Council in Nottoway County, Virginia, in July of 1867, the Reverend John Givens reported that a “colored speaker was killed three weeks ago” in neighboring Lunenberg County. But Givens determined to “go there and speak where they...
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...African Studies Exam III 2. The reason the Ku Klux Klan wanted to beat up Hernandez was because he voted radical tickets. Although men who happened to vote radical tickets quickly disappeared, the KKK thought the best way to get to them was through their families. Therefore, instead of the men taking the beating, they decided to focus their violence on the women. 4. The difference between the Presidential Reconstruction and the Radical Reconstruction was that the president allowed states to entitle a constitutional convention to set up a new government and by the end of the war; the president permitted the reconstruction of the Border States such as (West Virginia, Maryland, and Missouri). Whereas, the radical reconstruction found and supported their achievements through Republican allies to command complete citizenship rights and access to land. Therefore, the radical Reconstruction had a downfall due to the escalation of racial violence. 6. Blacks joined forces to demand full citizenship rights when southern whites reclaimed profitable and political power. Although blacks were hindered by republicans and so forth, African Americans expressed their feelings through the convention, newspapers, and mass meetings. 7. The reason why so many White female Abolitionists failed to support the Fifteenth Amendment was that it enraged women suffragists because the draft favored the men by including the word male into the constitution. Although, black men could become...
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...History 110 / Midterm Study Guide During this part of the course we address several different themes that shaped modern America. The first is the importance of the Civil War and Reconstruction in setting the stage for the great industrial growth and development in the late 19th century. The second theme is the impact of industrialization in late 19th century America--economically, politically, socially, and culturally. A third theme centered on the emergence of an aggressive America foreign policy that in general sought to export American values and ideas so as to bring order to the international scene. The fourth major theme is the rise of progressivism in the first two decades of this century. Like the unions and Populists before them, the Progressives responded to the tremendous impact of industrialization and corporate capitalism on American society, however with much more success. A fifth theme centers on the American entrance into World War I and the war's impact on American society and politics. A sixth theme is the conflict over values and power in American society. Different groups (African-Americans, KKK, nativist/anti-immigrant, socialists, women, etc) with their own unique visions of what American society should be came into conflict over whose vision should predominate. A final theme is emergence of a powerful, welfare state in the form of the New Deal which finally addressed in a large-scale and systematic effort the negative consequences inherent in capitalism...
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...Civil War Essay Prompts Reconstruction Historian Synopses: • Dunning School (Traditional): Dunning and Moore. It is a Tragic Era. The Southerners were tortured. The two underlying foundations: (1) the South should have been readmitted quickly after its defeat (2) there should have been no discussion of racial equality for the freedmen. He is accused of being racist and pro-southern. The Republicans were divided between leniency (conservatives) and punishment (scalawags and carpetbaggers – radicals). The freedmen are not to be blamed because they were pawns and were used by the Republicans. Once a freedman voted for a Republican, he was not paid back for his loyalty. Corrupt and incompetent Reconstruction governments that were eventually overthrown when Democrats regained control and the Tragic Era could come to an end. Bitterness and hatred between the races resulted. South was converted into a colonial appendage. What the Radicals were trying to do was dominate the South as though it were a colony. Moore emphasizes the punishment of North on South. This is the very negative Traditional school • Revisionist School: Simpkins & Woody. In spite of the Traditional charges of incompetence, the Reconstruction governments achieved a lot. Most wrote new constitutions that introduced long-needed laws about school, administration, civil and judicial rights, etc. They were successful. The Reconstruction governments were not controlled by blacks. In no Southern...
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...He states “The proclamation became necessary to hold his remaining supporters and to forestall English Recognition of the Confederacy” (Hofstadter 168-169). Despite the Proclamation’s glory that exists today, Hofstadter argued that the political component played an integral role in Lincoln’s decision to pass the Emancipation Proclamation. While today we see Lincoln’s Emancipation as a heroic act of morality, we must not let that cloud our vision of the impact that war measures had on Lincoln’s decision to pass the Emancipation Proclamation. I wholeheartedly support Hofstadter’s argument and believe that the complicated nature of the Emancipation Proclamation lends well to my argument that the future interpretations are also more complicated than they might seem upon first glance. In the same way that the circumstances surrounding Lincoln’s presidency such as battle victories and English recognition of the Confederacy impacted his decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, the context of future presidencies also affected the way certain president's viewed the...
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...Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address effectively establishes the North’s moral imperative for successful Reconstruction by making repeated appeals to authority and emotion. (Wilhoit 139) 2: Author fails to achieve his or her rhetorical purpose Ex. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address fails to establish the North’s moral imperative for successful Reconstruction because he relies too heavily on religious allusions and does not adequately address the North’s desire for revenge after the war. (139) 3: Author has mixed success in achieving his or her rhetorical purpose Ex. Lincoln’s attempts to establish the North’s moral imperative for successful Reconstruction in his Second Inaugural Address are aided by his repeated appeals to authority, but they are hindered by his overreliance on religious allusion. (139) Outlining Once you have finished taking your notes you can begin to gather your thoughts through the various brainstorming suggestions found in your textbooks. After you have gathered your ideas, you will make an outline based on the organization or structure of your paper. You will create an outline using Word and bring...
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...Abstract In this essay you will learn about the civil war, reconstruction, the progressive era, the great depression, and the civil rights era. Also the American Anti-Slavery and Civil rights Timeline, 1854-1896 during the civil war era. Identify and describe two examples of the U.S. Authority Expansion between the beginning of the U.S. Civil War and the end of the Civil War Era? (1) The twelve years following the Civil War carried consequences for the nation’s future. Reconstruction helped set the pattern for future race relations and defined the federal government’s role in promoting equality. This section describes President Lincoln’s and Johnson’s plan to readmit the confederate states to the Union as well as the more stringent Congressional plan; it also describes the power struggle between President Andrew Johnson and congress, including the vote over the president’s impeachment. This section also identifies the groups that ruled the southern state governments from 1866-1877 and explains why Reconstruction ended in 1877. (2) Immediately following the war, all-white Southern legislatures passed black code which denied blacks the right purchase or rent land. These efforts to force former slaves to work on plantations led Congressional Republicans to seize control of Reconstruction from President Andrew Johnson, deny representatives from the former Confederate states their Congressional seats, and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and draft...
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...The Reconstruction era was an era that started after the civil war. During the era 3 more amendment was created to give african american more civil rights. 13 was created to abolish slavery; 14 was to give them voting right and 15 was created to give people who were born here citizenship, but not people agreed with these now law. The Trail of James Byrd was about a white man dragged a black man to his death attached to the car. The white man thought that the laws were going to be as the 18s about slavery and were not going to search him for the death crime that he committed. The man got arrested, the judge found him guilty and the KKK member was sent to death penalty. Beside that some racial issue we experience today is that police officers...
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...The Reconstruction Period And it’s Impact Following the Civil War History 121: American History to 1877 10 December 2011 The Reconstruction era was the attempt to restore the Union after the Civil War or The War for Southern Independence. Its perception was viewed differently by Southerners, Northerners, and newly freed former slaves. After the Union won the war in 1865, their job was to begin the reconstruction of the Unites States. This era started at the end of the Civil War in 1865 and ended in1877. The goal was to reunite the southern states and ensure freedom and civil rights of the southern blacks. It could be more accurate to say that Reconstruction began with the war. From the moment the war began, Lincoln focused on the problem of reconstructing the Union. Equally important, from the start of the war, the Confederacy was shrinking in size as United States Soldiers occupied parts of the South.1 Reconstruction was a bitter pill to the devastated South. The Union Armies destroyed southern towns, farms, railroads and confiscated private property. To learn and understand the atrocities committed by the Union Army, one has to look no further than the memoirs of General William Tecumseh Sherman. In one example, General Sherman and his Army are on their infamous march to the sea where he finds himself bivouacked on a southern plantation. “Through inquiry he finds out that it belonged to Confederate General Howell Cob. He states that...
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