Reconstruction

Anastasiia Mikhailova

History 102

November 8, 2015

Danielle Swiontek

Reconstruction

        Reconstruction lasted from 1865 till 1877 and it was a racially contentious time period due to the abolishment of slavery and transformation of the South to the Unites States, after the Civil War.  The main purposes of Reconstruction was to free African Americans from slavery, and reconstruct the war-torn America into a united country. These goals were hard for achieving, but in fact, they have been. Despite of it a lot of historians still argue if that Reconstruction was successful. This era was hard for everyone and had a lot of consequences, during this time were changed three presidents, a lot of people suffered, and Africans' Americans life was still hard after it. Nevertheless, Reconstruction was successful, because it achieved its goals, also US government made some changes in congress, what changed black people's lives forever since that time.

        The main purpose of reconstruction was to free African Americans and make their rights equal to others. They were not free and dreamed their lives would change. Blacks could not travel without note from employer, trade, own properties, could not have public meetings, guns, and also could live only in employers' house in a town.^[1]  And their dreams came true, as the Reconstruction's goal was achieved. After taking 13th Amendment (abolishment of slavery) African Americans men' life changed. They finally became free of the slavery. But this amendment gives blacks just freedom of the slavery, and nothing more, then government approved 14th and 15th amendments, which gave African Americans men a right to be a citizen of U.S, to vote, and to have the same rights as others have. So they became the citizens of America, they could take part in politics, get a job, visit public places, and have their own business.  And it was the main purpose, because African Americans defined freedom as getting political representation and economic independence. ^[2]

        Nevertheless, they still had hard times. People were trying to find their families, which were lost during the slavery period. They also faced with poverty, diseases and unemployment.^[3] Then Freedmen Bureau, an agency which was helping African Americans during and after the Reconstruction with solving their global problems such as finding their families and getting education, and also with some everyday issues, such as food, clothes, jot, etc. So problems which African Americans faced with after the Reconstruction were temporary, and they had a pretty good life after the problems were solved it. The main issue is that the Reconstruction made people happy, because they were really happy to be free again. “When U.S troops arrived in Richmond, Virginia, in April 1865, it signaled to the city's enslaved African American population that the war was over and that freedom was, finally, theirs. African American men, women, and children took to the streets and crowded into churches to celebrate. They gathered to dance, sing, play, and shout.”^[4]

          When some African Americans were happy to be free and celebrated it, some whites were not going to share the same feelings with them. Some white employers did not mention about 13th Amendment to their slaves, and they continued working until it was not possible to keep it in secret anymore^[5]. Also whites were angry when they saw that black men were happy in freedom, “Other whites beat, whipped, raped, slashes, and shot blacks who they felt had been too joyous in their freedom or too helpful to the Yankees tol us we were free”^[6]. Whites felt their domination above blacks, they liked being respected and command nation. They felt the lows are against blacks, and that even lows allows humiliate African Americans, while blacks could do nothing with it. But Civil Rights put everything on its place, and forbid race discrimination, what anger whites as they really enjoyed with their power. That is why whites were resisting the extension of Civil Rights. But in spite of whites' anger, blacks continued enjoying their life and acting free. They felt government support. “Despite the danger of acting free, southern blacks eagerly pursued emancipation. They moved; they married, they attended school; they demanded wages, they reduced to work for whites; they gathered up their families; they created black churches and civic associations; they held political meetings. Sometimes, black women and men acted on their own, pooling their resources to advance their freedom. At other times, they called on government agencies for assistance and support.”^[7]