Reconstruction Failure

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Reconstruction was both a success and a failure. It was successful in that the ultimate goal of rejoining the Confederacy back into the Union was accomplished and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were created. However, it was a failure in that the South had become poverty-stricken and African Americans continued to struggle, despite gaining freedom.
After the Civil War, freedmen, the former slaves, were given their freedom through the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery. They wanted citizenship which was granted through the Fourteenth Amendment. It stated that citizenship and equal protection of law would be given to those born in the United States. In addition, Freedmen demanded economic independence. The system …show more content…
It prohibited states from denying a man the right to vote based on race, color, or prior condition as a slave which granted African American men the right to vote. When legislation provided these rights to freedmen, White Southerners felt threatened. Since they had limited government power, they used violence against former slaves which led to the creation of the Klu Klux Klan. This group targeted African Americans who sought to exercise their rights so that white supremacy would be restored. Eventually, federal protection was provided for African Americans against the Klan.
Due to the aftermath of the Civil War, the loss of slaves left White Southerners’ agriculture in ruins because there was no one there to take care of it. However, the system of sharecropping became popular because land owners needed workers, so they allowed former slaves to own some of the land and the resulting crop was divided between them. Although freedmen obtained jobs, they were being paid very little. In addition, they wouldn’t make any profit if the crops died and were tied to the land until their debt was …show more content…
Additionally, although laws were created to protect African American rights, they were still seen as second-class citizens. Segregation lingered throughout history following the end of Reconstruction. As a result, African Americans had to be separated from White Americans in public schools and facilities. Eventually, this created animosity between the races. This tension led to the Civil Rights Movement and the fight for justice that is still prevalent
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