Preview

Was Reconstruction a Failure?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
434 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Was Reconstruction a Failure?
U.S. History Essay!!!

Was reconstruction a failure?

Many people have asked me about my opinion on whether or not reconstruction was a failure. I feel as though reconstruction was a failure. There are several reasons why I feel this way. First of all, it was a failure due to the opinion on race. Second of all, reconstruction was thought of as a bad idea. Lastly, reconstruction for equality was a failure.
As stated above, it was a failure due to the opinion on race. I say this because for example, racism played in a big part of the Plessy vs. Ferguson case. What happened was that On June 7, 1892, homer Plessy boarded a car of the East Louisiana Railroad that was designated for use by white patrons only, as mandated by state law. Although Plessy was born a free person and was one-eighth black and seven-eighths white, under a Louisiana law enacted in 1890, he was classified as Black, and thus required to sit in the "colored" car. When, in an act of planned disobedience, Plessy refused to leave the white car and move to the colored car, he was arrested and jailed. Another thing is that, radical republican governments were unable or unwilling to enact land reform or to provide former slaves with the economic resources needed to break the cycle of poverty.
Like I had said before, reconstruction was thought of as a bad idea. This is stated because many people thought of the reconstruction plan as a bad idea, thats when the “black codes” came in. The black codes were nothing but a form of disguised slavery. Although they gave blacks the right to own land, and go to court; they still weren't aloud to serve on a jury or aloud to vote. "black codes" just made it easier for the people of the south to continue with their poor treatment towards blacks. As a result, "Black codes" did nothing but for the south but put them in further segregation.
Lastly, reconstruction for equality was a failure. Southern whites rejected all forms of equality and the blacks wanted

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Reconstruction was the period during which the United States began to rebuild after the Civil War, lasting from 1865 to 1877. It was to repair the North and the South politically, economically and socially. After the Civil War, the South’s economy was completely ruined and needed help from the Union government; which they were trying to stay way from. The Reconstruction can be evaluated both as a success and a failure. Its successes were the restoration of the eleven confederate states back to the union, giving African-Americans (ex-slaves) their freedom and rights and providing aid to the freed slaves and poor whites. Its failures were the Anti-African Americans groups such as the KKK, the Black Codes, not protecting the rights of the freedmen and the southern corruption. Although African-Americans were freed and gained their rights because of 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, and the ex-eleven confederate states came back to the union, the Reconstruction was more of a failure than a success.…

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The confederate states wanted to break away from the united states but failed. However, now they had to rejoin the union. The war had left the souths economy and society in destruction. It would take a lot of effort to reestablish states. The remaking of the states was called reconstruction.…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Emancipation Proclamation brought hope that freedom and equality would be in sight but governmental laws and individual opinion created something worse than slavery. The idea that one can be free but still treated with disrespect and at times violence was discouraging. The South could not reinstate slavery, but it did re-create many of the mechanisms for racial control that the slave system had provided in the old South. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves, racism became the new slavery because blacks were not afforded their civil…

    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Reconstruction also improved education, and it was forced upon in the south. However, the Reconstruction also had its failures. As African Americans began to receive rights, there were people who did not like it, like the KKK. The KKK (Ku Klux Klan) was a group of people who wore white robes and caps pretended to be the ghosts of dead Confederate soldiers. The KKK did not like that African Americans were free and seen equal as whites, not slaves working on a plantation, where the KKK thought they belonged.…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Discuss the successes and failures of Reconstruction. What Black gains made during Reconstruction were retained despite Democratic redemption of the Southern states? How did economic conditions in the nation, both North and South influence the end of Reconstruction? Characteristics and Impacts of American Reconstruction…

    • 2371 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    After the civil war the south was in ruins. Since the north used the total war tactic the south was destroyed. Homes and infrastructure were destroyed, agriculture was blown up and destroyed, and disease was spreading everywhere, causing people to die from hunger, disease, and poverty. Post – civil war in the south for the African Americans were especially bad. Being that most African Americans were refugees, homeless, or separated from family due to slavery, were lost, not knowing what to do next. As you can tell, the south was a complete mess after the civil war. The south at this time did not have the resources they needed to reconstruct the infrastructure (bridges, buildings, and roads) and land by themselves, they needed serious help from the north. The need for reconstruction was outrageous, they needed to make this an organized reconstruction so it wasn’t complete chaos from start to finish. Reconstruction was necessary in order to making to politically bring the south back onto the union and make them states again. Also, reconstruction was necessary to make African Americans equal citizens.…

    • 625 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reconstruction should not be thought of as a bad idea. It was virtually impossible to just change ways in the south with out using some kind of force. "Black codes" did nothing but for the south but put them in further segregation. The black codes aloud a form of disguised slavery. They gave blacks the right to own land, and go to court; they still weren't aloud to serve on a jury or aloud to vote. In the long run, "black codes" just made it easier for the people of the south to continue with their poor treatment…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reconstruction Dbq

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Following the culmination of the Civil War, issues regarding the restoration of seceded states to the Union, the emancipation of slaves, and the overall re-development of political institutions in the nation prevailed. The idea of Reconstruction was proposed to political officials in late 1865, when the effects of the tumultuous Civil War were at its most devastating. The various enactments of the period were deemed void and not actively enforced. Democratic and Republican political parties refused to meet resolutions, imperative to the reconstruction of the nation’s governmental structure. The economy was in an absolute distress, and emancipated blacks faced considerable amounts of opposition. Social, economic, and political policies instituted during the Reconstruction Era are deemed failures due to the burden of racial segregation, economic distress, party discrepancies, and the lack of effective enforcement.…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reconstruction fueled the idea of equal opportunity to learn, and the equality of African Americans in Congress. These officials also pushed for “taxation [to be] more equitable, and outlawed racial discrimination in public transportation and accommodations.” All of these new laws and regulations protecting African Americans and their rights, as well as giving them new opportunities, were thanks to Reconstruction and its ideas. In conclusion, Abraham Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan successfully united the Southern states, without revolt and anger from those states. This plan held strong, even when radical republicans did not agree, and wanted harsher restrictions on the South.…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Who Killed Reconstruction?

    • 1870 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Overview: The twelve years after the Civil War proved to be a difficult time for America. Called Reconstruction by historians, this era saw an increase of freedom for former slaves. However, there was also great resistance to change. In 1877 attempts to reconstruct the South officially ended, leaving white-only governments in power. This DBQ asks you to decide who, North or South, was most responsible for the end of Reconstruction…

    • 1870 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reconstruction DBQ

    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Second of all the North is Responsible for killing Reconstruction because of distractions. Many white Southerners resisted Reconstruction. Some resisted it because of all of the violence. An example of the problem is seen in a letter written in 1870 by Albion Tourgee, a white ex-soldier who went to the South to become a judge in North Carolina and help reconstruct the state. He describes a state Senator who was brutally killed by the Klu Klux Klan and hung on a hook in the jury room. (Doc, A letter) That kind of terrorism was trying to scare the Carpetbaggers of the Klu Klux Klan and trying to make them want to leave the North. It was also suppose to scare…

    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the end of the civil war, there were many plans on thought for President Lincoln to come up with for the rehabilitation that included economical and political situations. The politicians want to especially bring changes in southern part. “This struggle to rebuild Southern government, society, infrastructure and economy was called reconstruction.” This was greatly opposed by the white people, as they predicted that this could bring the opportunity for the black people to get their rights. That is the reason, Lincoln was assassinated 3 days after his proposal for reconstruction, where he raised the idea of bringing freedom to blacks through the right to vote.…

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    chaos of the Civil War had as its goals equality for Blacks in voting, politics,…

    • 4764 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    However, this traditional view of Reconstruction has been abandoned by historians. Much like myself, they now view Reconstruction as tragic failed experiment which would leave the problem of racial injustice for generations to come.…

    • 784 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Reconstruction era of the United States was a time of relief for many. The civil war was finally over and slavery was abolished. Although the norths victory was very much a loss to the south. The thought of paying people for farm work or any kind of work at all was a devastating thought. This lead to radical groups such as the KKK which preyed on the lives of black people. This extreme group threaten the lives of many family’s that thought they were freed from the oppression. The reconstruction period although a time of healing and victory for many was also a time filled with hatred and oppression.…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays