Reconstruction Era Pros And Cons

The Reconstruction era began in during the Civil War and ended in 1877. This particular era was based around the federal government giving guidelines to Southern states that would let them rejoin the Union. According to Digital History (2003), “ [reconstruction] viewed as an era of corruption and misgovernment, supposedly caused by allowing blacks to take part in politics. The era of Reconstruction had a lot of ups and downs, that all attributed to the end result. The Reconstruction era was seen as the most notorious eras in the history of America. The idea of the Reconstruction was first made known by President Johnson, when he announced his plan of Presidential Reconstruction. This started the spark of Southern States being welcomed back into the Union. Many events in the beginning of the Reconstruction had a lot to do with the problem of slavery. One event in particular was the abolition of slavery, because it sparked the discussion on Reconstruction. The laws created after the abolition of slavery led to the movement of allowing African-Americans to join in the fight of war, as well as gave them the opportunity to vote. According to the 15th Amendment that was ratified in 1870, gave African American men the right to vote. During this time, all women in the United States did not have the right to vote, which is why the 15th Amendment clearly states, African-American men. These two things caused a lot of chaos in the South, because Southerners felt that the African-Americans were given to much rights, and that they did not deserve those rights. According to Digital History (2003), “[u]nder the terms of the Reconstruction Act of 1867, Republican governments came to power throughout the South, offering blacks, for the first time in American history, a genuine share of political power.” This direct quote means that for the first time in America, African-Americans were allowed to actively participate in the government, in any way they wanted. During the end of the Civil War the military set aside land in South Carolina that was meant for black families to settle into once they were freed. Throughout all of this Southerners were forming groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, as a way to rebel against the abolition of slavery. Towards the end of the reconstruction era, there was a lot of violence in the South due to all of the freedoms given to the blacks, because of the violence the North stopped its search for equality, which brought the end of Reconstruction. The Southern states hated the fact that African-Americans were given freedoms, because they still believed in enslaving them. While African-Americans are free, they still had a long road ahead of them before they were made equal. A lot of things occurred during the Reconstruction, including …show more content…
Today, the Reconstruction era is known as one of the most trying times for America, but there is recognition of the federal government trying to promote equality. Although the Reconstruction era was focused on the fight for freedom, as well as bringing Southern states back into the Union, there was a lot of debate on what was right for the country. The America that is in place today, would not know how to handle situations like the ones found in this trying time. According to Digital History (2003), “Reconstruction, one of the most turbulent and controversial eras in American