Reconstruction era America

Created by: Emsky16
Created on: 14-03-20 12:27


	Reconstruction era America
	Advantages Emancipation Proclamation in 1863- This gave the right for black Americans to escape and be free from slavery. 13th Amendment 1865- Prohibits the slavery and involuntary servitude of American Citizens unless as punishment for a crime. 14th Amendment 1868 - Provides Black Americans legal citizenship in America and equal rights 15th Amendment 1870- Prohibits the denial of the vote based upon colour or race of the citizen Radical Reconstruction from the radical republicans- Reconstruction from the radical republicans was mainly to benefit Black Americans and those who are struggling with civil rights. Freedman's Bureau 1865 - Set up to provide support and necessities for freed slaves in the South. Also provided support financially in building black American communities ie schools and churches. Civil Rights Act of 1866 which states that all races are full citizens of America Enrolment of 700,000 black Americans to vote Military Occupation within the South for a set amount of time- Sent in to control the actions of the state and protect all citizens within those states especially black Americans. Politics- 20 black Americans in House of Representatives and 2 senators in the 1870s.	Disadvantages Birth of Black codes in order to prevent Black Americans from receiving the full extent of equal citizenship, creating new crimes designated to get Black Americans back into involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. Birth of white supremacist groups- KKK in 1865 in Tennessee, White League in 1874 and is responsible for the attack on Liberty Place and Coushatta Massacre in 1874, and even the Red shirts who were a terror group responsible for lynchings similar to the KKK Between 1865 and 1869, there were a total of 1500 lynchings in America, a lynching is the accusation of a Black American committing a fake crime and not being given the right to a fair trail and is quite often killed by terror groups after their version of a trail. Increase in racism in the South which leads to more intervention required but doesn't happen. Economic and social weaknesses which led to debt and further complications, many were forced back into labour work for ex slave owners on a sharecropping scheme. Inferiority led to a lot of employers in the South refusing to employ Black Americans but on other terms than race to avoid breaking the 14th Amendment. Voting Proxies were introduced to limit the amount of votes that Black American communities would get and also to reduce the amount of republican support in the south as Black Americans were voting for the non racist northern candidates. Proxies included things like literacy tests and poll taxes, even creating one that allowed White Americans to not have to go through the other proxies [grandfather clause]. Freedman's Bureau closed in 1872 after lack of funding from federal government, after being described as providing too much help to one race despite this race being inferior to the rest. Emigration into the north was incredibly difficult for poorer black Americans already suffering from a lot of debts Slaughterhouse case in 1873- Supreme court decision stating that its citizens in each state should remain under state control rather than federal government control, which ended the military intervention within the south and no more protection for Black Americans.
	Evaluation Overall the Reconstruction era was not a good time for Black Americans as despite the obvious initial advantage in 1865 of becoming freedmen and freed-women, the things and the attitudes that they were faced with were not too dissimilar to those when facing slavery too. There were things put in place to help those who had been free however due to the extent of racism within the south, this help was limited and seen as no the American thing to do as their attitude is everyone for themselves and the selective attitude of the Freedman's Bureau angered some southern whites which led to the help being cut far too early. this left Black Americans in an even worse position than if they had remained in slavery, many were homeless, unemployed and victims of attacks with no support or fair justice available to protect them.

Reconstruction era America

Advantages

Emancipation Proclamation in 1863- This gave the right for black Americans to escape and be free from slavery.
13th Amendment 1865- Prohibits the slavery and involuntary servitude of American Citizens unless as punishment for a crime.
14th Amendment 1868 - Provides Black Americans legal citizenship in America and equal rights
15th Amendment 1870- Prohibits the denial of the vote based upon colour or race of the citizen
Radical Reconstruction from the radical republicans- Reconstruction from the radical republicans was mainly to benefit Black Americans and those who are struggling with civil rights.
Freedman's Bureau 1865 - Set up to provide support and necessities for freed slaves in the South. Also provided support financially in building black American communities ie schools and churches.
Civil Rights Act of 1866 which states that all races are full citizens of America
Enrolment of 700,000 black Americans to vote
Military Occupation within the South for a set amount of time- Sent in to control the actions of the state and protect all citizens within those states especially black Americans.
Politics- 20 black Americans in House of Representatives and 2 senators in the 1870s.

Disadvantages

Birth of Black codes in order to prevent Black Americans from receiving the full extent of equal citizenship, creating new crimes designated to get Black Americans back into involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
Birth of white supremacist groups- KKK in 1865 in Tennessee, White League in 1874 and is responsible for the attack on Liberty Place and Coushatta Massacre in 1874, and even the Red shirts who were a terror group responsible for lynchings similar to the KKK
Between 1865 and 1869, there were a total of 1500 lynchings in America, a lynching is the accusation of a Black American committing a fake crime and not being given the right to a fair trail and is quite often killed by terror groups after their version of a trail.
Increase in racism in the South which leads to more intervention required but doesn't happen.
Economic and social weaknesses which led to debt and further complications, many were forced back into labour work for ex slave owners on a sharecropping scheme. Inferiority led to a lot of employers in the South refusing to employ Black Americans but on other terms than race to avoid breaking the 14th Amendment.
Voting Proxies were introduced to limit the amount of votes that Black American communities would get and also to reduce the amount of republican support in the south as Black Americans were voting for the non racist northern candidates. Proxies included things like literacy tests and poll taxes, even creating one that allowed White Americans to not have to go through the other proxies [grandfather clause].
Freedman's Bureau closed in 1872 after lack of funding from federal government, after being described as providing too much help to one race despite this race being inferior to the rest.
Emigration into the north was incredibly difficult for poorer black Americans already suffering from a lot of debts
Slaughterhouse case in 1873- Supreme court decision stating that its citizens in each state should remain under state control rather than federal government control, which ended the military intervention within the south and no more protection for Black Americans.

Evaluation

Overall the Reconstruction era was not a good time for Black Americans as despite the obvious initial advantage in 1865 of becoming freedmen and freed-women, the things and the attitudes that they were faced with were not too dissimilar to those when facing slavery too. There were things put in place to help those who had been free however due to the extent of racism within the south, this help was limited and seen as no the American thing to do as their attitude is everyone for themselves and the selective attitude of the Freedman's Bureau angered some southern whites which led to the help being cut far too early. this left Black Americans in an even worse position than if they had remained in slavery, many were homeless, unemployed and victims of attacks with no support or fair justice available to protect them.

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Reconstruction era America