Reconstruction
The Era of Reconstruction following the Civil War was a period marked by an intense struggle to restore a worn-out and devastated society. The war, which was aimed at confronting the national problem of slavery, only led to subsequent dilemmas over emancipation and an undefined condition of freedom. Some had naively believed that ending slavery would solve the problem of racial inequality, overlooking the prejudice and uninviting atmosphere towards blacks. Questions over how to reinstate a disloyal population with the fall of the Confederacy and restore a destroyed southern territory rang throughout the nation. Although the former slaves were undeniably freed, the foundations for a racial democracy were laid, and the country was once again united, overall, Reconstruction was a period of political strife, shortcomings, and general failure. After the war, the South was left in a state of complete turmoil. Passing armies had shattered the South's agricultural economy with the burning of buildings, destroying of crops, and killing of livestock. Southern industry was also badly hurt, as assets needed to support loans were lost in the war. More importantly, the South, for the first time ever, was without an easy profit econo
" (Foner,p76) History has recorded other violent acts as a direct result of racism. With his power he hoped to set up loyal governments in the Southern states that were under Union control. General Howard believed that blacks would be better served if the states were compelled to deal with them as part of the general citizenry rather than their continuing as wards of the federal government. These codes had effects beyond their impact on the everyday lives of their black victims. The freedpeople were banned from "insulting" whites and preaching without a license. Griffith's movie confirms the existence of the Ku Klux Klan but portrays them as redeemers whose cause is to avenge the wrongs perpetrated by the radical reconstructionists and the Negro. The Black Codes also tried to regulate sexual behavior and to force women who wished to be homemakers to return to the field. This bill would have delayed the process of rejoining the Union until 50 percent of the people took an oath of loyalty. Most importantly, however, was that blacks were undeniably freed. However Lincoln pocket vetoed the bill. Lincoln appointed new temporary governors and instructed each to call a convention to create a new state government. Many freedmen were forced to endure sharecropping in which they rented land from white planters and relinquished a portion of their harvest. Congress, believing that emancipation was not enough and the rights of former slaves were in need of protection, passed the Freedmen's Bureau and Civil Rights bills. The horrors of Reconstruction only served to preserve the south's opposition to social change.
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Acceptance Essays
