Radical Republican Reconstruction

How did Radical Republicans gain control of Reconstruction politics? The Radical Republicans gained control of Reconstruction with the 1866 election. There was violence against freedmen, and the Northerners were outraged. The Republicans came up with the 14th Amendment. It gave anyone born in the United States citizenship. This included freed slaves. Numerous Northerners saw the need for tougher methods, and supported them. What impact did federal Reconstruction policy have on the former Confederacy and on ex-Confederates? The federal Reconstruction policy, in some places, took away the rights of the ex-Confederates to hold office and even vote. This made the ex-confederates feel powerless. It made them angry and some even formed
the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan would bully voters in attempts to make elections turn out in their favor. They even tormented Republicans and blacks. They would go so far as to beat, and even lynch blacks. How did the newly freed slaves reshape their lives after emancipation? When the slaves were freed, they had little education. Many of them jumped at the opportunity to start schools, and learn. They also built churches, and sought to legalize their unofficial marriages. Many used their new found freedom to search for loved ones they had been separated from. Many could not afford their own land to farm. This gave them few choices, and many ended up stuck in the sharecropping system. What political and economic problems arose in the North during the era of Reconstruction? During the years of the Reconstruction there were both economic and political issues the country was facing.
The North was facing a depression. Banks closed, many lost their jobs, and many businesses fell into bankruptcy. There was a dispute over currency at this time also. Political corruption was rampant at this time as well. President Grant’s administration was filled with corruption. In New York City William M. Tweed even ransacked the city treasury.

What factors contributed to the end of Reconstruction in 1877? There were many factors that contributed to the end of the Reconstruction. There were disagreements over the 1876 presidential election. There was increased violence from groups like the Ku Klux Klan. The changing of political climates and violence were leading factors of the end of the Reconstruction era. The end of the era ultimately came in 1877.
What was the impact of emancipation on the freedman? Discuss 4. What was the impact of emancipation on the freedman? Discuss family, jobs, education, politics, and religious and social institutions. Did emancipation affect all freedmen in the same way? How did black females fare as free citizens? Did emancipation affect all freedmen in the same way? How did black females fare as free
citizens? One would think that the emancipation of the slaves would have been a dream come true. While their freedom was an amazing and wonderful thing, there were unforeseen problems and hardships. The struggles that came with being free were sometimes as bad or worse than slavery itself. Though it was a difficult transition for people, it was a wonderful thing. Things changed drastically, and for some the change came overnight. When the slaves were set free they were ecstatic. Of course they would be excited about the freedom they had so desperately sought after. Though, they were now free, their hardship was not over. Some slaves had no idea how to take care of themselves, much less take care of a whole family. Some worked during the day and went to bed at night. For some, any food they ate was provided by their owners. The slaves that had lived like that, struggled with the knowledge of everyday things that other people take for granted. Though some knew how to care for their families, but had a difficult time providing for them. Some were forced to return to their former masters for food and shelter. Freed slaves needed a place to live, and the plantation owners needed workers.
This led to the sharecropping system. The freed slaves could rent some land to farm. Payment was a portion of their crops at the end of the year. While this sounds good, it was not always good. Land owners would sometimes be cruel and cheat the freedmen out of crops. It sometimes kept the slaves on the same plantation that they were enslaved on. Making them feel as though nothing had really changed. Some men however, chose to enlist in the army during the Civil War. Many of the men did not return, leaving their wives to care for the family. The government gave pensions to deceased soldiers wives. However, slave marriages were not recognized as legal marriages. These women had to work hard to prove that they had been in a marriage of sorts with the soldier. Sometimes they could not give them enough evidence and could not receive a pension. This made it difficult for some women to provide for their
families.
Legislation in 1929 made it illegal to teach slaves to read. This meant that the majority of the freed slaves were illiterate. Freed slaves demanded a formal education. Racial discrimination made it difficult for black people to go to school with white people. This lead to black people having their own schools and churches.
Freedom had been the most sought after thing in slave life. Once it happened thought, the world did not seem to make things much easier on them. Even though they struggled greatly to provide food and shelter for their loved ones, it was worth it to finally be free. Freedom may not have been easy for them, but they were now working for themselves. One would think that is better to struggle as a free man, than to have three meals a day as a slave.