Reconstruction: Racial Inequality In The United States

“I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free” In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation freed Confederate-owned slaves. Later, after the Civil War had concluded, the Thirteenth Amendment emancipated the entire populace of African American slaves across the United States. Furthermore, the Reconstruction that followed the Civil War worked to create social, political, and economic equality for both races. However, the South was opposed to working and living with African Americans, who they considered inferior to their own race. Therefore, the South developed systems to ensure white supremacy and prevent African Americans from using their newly gained
However, the Jim Crow Laws, black codes, and the Ku Klux Klan were responsible for restricting the African Americans from exercising these rights. The former slaves were forced to follow and be at the mercy of the segregation laws and terrorist group due to the fact that they feared they would be lynched. The authorities were mainly white and supported white supremacy as well and therefore if an African American brought an issue to court they would often lose. Additionally, the newly emancipated slaves faced poverty and were forced to work as sharecroppers at the mercy of the white farm owner. Sharecroppers faced high-interest rates and then found themselves trapped in a cycle of debt and unable to escape poverty. Although the Civil War and Reconstruction succeeded at emancipating the slaves, these events failed to free the slaves due to political and economical
The Klan was a secret society dedicated to terrorizing African Americans and their white supporters. Their primary goal was to reestablish white supremacy after the Reconstruction worked to ensure economic and political equality for both races. The Klan’s first act of organized terrorism was on March 31, 1868, when George Ashburn was murdered in Columbus, Georgia. Following Ashburn’s murder, the Ku Klux Klan’s popularity and size continued to grow. The Klan succeeded to instill fear in African Americans and their supporters as a result of night rides where members would ride through the night in white hooded robes and commit violent acts against the newly freed slaves and those who supported equality. The Ku Klux Klan executed a majority of intimidation and torture methods including whipping, robbery, rape, arson, murder, threats, assault, murder, lynching, and the destruction of property through the use of fire or bombs. These crimes often were never convicted due to the fact that authorities were white and supported white supremacy themselves. Those who supported equality never expressed their feelings regarding the Ku Klux Klan for fear they would become a victim of their deadly actions themselves. As a result, the first version of Ku Klux Klan remained intact until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation by abolishing slavery, making the former slaves citizens and giving all men the right