How Did Reconstruction Affect African Americans

The Reconstruction period, between 1865 and 1876, was a time for rebuilding and healing to the nation after the Civil War. For blacks, however, it was a time of radical change politically, socially and economically. These changes, both good and bad, would affect the black race for generations to come. Some of these political, economical and social changes were negative, but most helped the blacks become better off. Reconstruction affected the blacks in many different ways. The main aspects that affected the blacks were their role politics, their social lifestyles, and their economic stability. In the world of politics during Reconstruction, blacks had limited opportunities. It became nearly impossible for blacks to vote due to the literacy
tests, poll taxes and ultimately the Grandfather Clause. Despite the 15th amendment, Grandfather Clause based the right to vote on family history. Therefore, Southerners could only vote if their grandfather could vote in the 1860 election. Also, blacks were also restricted from holding a seat in Congress or the Senate. It was not until Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce that it was acceptable to see blacks involved in politics. During Reconstruction, the newly freed blacks struggled economically. Many did not have stable jobs, and were not able to provide for their families. Along with being jobless, many were also homeless. They were used to living on plantations and having plantations provide them with a home and job. However, during Reconstruction Oliver O. Howard created the Freedman’s Bureau. This helped the freed blacks on many levels. It provided them with food, clothing, medical care and even education. This brought the blacks economy up and made it more stable. Finally, the blacks social life was changed. They no longer based their life around the plantation lifestyle, and had to create a new type of life for themselves. Also, the intense racism never ceased. The Ku Klux Klan dehumanized the blacks and tortured them beyond belief. This often times lead to the formation of all black self-sustaining communities. Overall, reconstruction changed blacks life politically, socially and economically. Due to the changes that occurred during Reconstruction, the blacks were better off in many ways. In essence, they were free. The 13th Amendment protected them from ever having to return to the fields of plantations as slaves again. The two amendments that followed were also positive for the blacks. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all people born in the United States, which meant the blacks were final citizens, and the 15th Amendment provided blacks suffrage, meaning they could finally vote. Another positive change for the blacks in this time was the creation of the Freedman’s Bureau. This provided them with the opportunity to learn, gave them food to eat, and clothes to wear. The Bureau helped the blacks get off their feet after the Civil War, which made life for them better in the long run. The Force Act of 1870 that was passed by Congress helped protect blacks and their right to vote. They did this by charging anyone who intended to influence voters or interfere with people civil rights. All of theses changes that happened during Reconstruction made life for the freed blacks better. Despite the fact that there were many positive changes that happened for the blacks in the reconstruction period, there were also some negative changes that made their life worse.
The main change during Reconstruction that negatively affected the blacks was the formation of the Black Codes. These codes gave whites the ability to mistreat the slaves, even after they were freed. Also, the Blacks Codes limited their freedom. In addition to the Black Codes, wage slavery became more acceptable. Wage slavery was very similar to slavery in the sense that it was not fair to the blacks. They were not paid what they deserved, and were treated poorly in the fields. Furthermore, the idea of sharecropping made life worse for the blacks during Reconstruction as well. Sharecropping meant that they would rent land from the owner, and instead of getting paid in money, the owner would pay them in crops. Therefore, it was very easy for the blacks to get themselves into debt and not be able to get out of it. Without getting paid in money, they didn’t have a way to easily support their families as well. Finally, the Ku Klux Klan was a change that negatively impacted the lives of the newly freed blacks. Through the KKK, Southern whites dehumanized and interrogated the black males. They often times abused them publically in order to “keep them in their place.” Generally speaking, there are plenty of changes during the Reconstruction period that made life for the blacks even
worse. Overall, the nation made many changes during Reconstruction that changed the life of blacks both positively and negatively. However, the positive changes out weighed the negative affects that lead to a better life after and during Reconstruction than during and before the Civil War. The good things that happened for the blacks during Reconstruction have continued to make life for them better in out nation.