To fully understand why reconstruction improve African Americanslives, one must consider the broader historical context. Reconstruction was the time to rebuild the United States. Abraham Lincoln started the reconstruction in order to bring the nation back together. The Emancipation Proclamation was to help slaves in the southern states. To escape from the plantation they were enslaved on. Lincoln ten percent plans was to end slavery, and get a new state government. Because of his plan it created creation of the Radical Republicans. Reconstruction gave blacks political power in the South. Reconstruction improves the lives of African Americans.
After the civil war the country was in conflict. It caused a lot of violence at the time, but was successful and help to benefit the country in the long run. One reason why reconstruction was successful because the creation of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The 13th amendment abolished slavery in the US. The 13th Amendment states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall be duly convicted, shall exist within the US, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”.(Pg 1, II) The 14th Amendments gave citizenship to anyone born in the United States. It overturned Dred Scott v Sanford those who said blacks couldn’t be citizens. “The Fourteenth Amendment made “all person born or naturalized in the United States citizens of the country “.(Pg 5, VIII) Finally the 15th Amendment gave blacks the right to vote if they are a citizen of the United States. These amendments help better Black lives and gave them opportunities.
In addition, reconstruction improves African Americans lives. African Americans were able to get help and provide for themselves. Congress passed the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill, which intended to benefit blacks. “ The bureau as a kind of early welfare agency, providing food, shelter and medical aid for those made destitute by the war, both blacks and homeless whites.”(Pg 2, III) It was helping freed slaves in the south. General Oliver Howard helps build schools and educated blacks. “ Nearly 3,000 schools for freed slaves, including black colleges. Bureau school taught an estimated 200,000 Africans Americans how to read.”(Pg 2, III) Reconstruction was a time to fix everything and bring whites and blacks together. Reconstruction was a success because they were able to give blacks’ education, and benefits.
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Furthermore, African Americans gain a lot from reconstruction. The enforcement acts, the enforcement acted to protect the voting rights of African Americans to hold office, to no serve on juries, and get equal protection laws. Abraham Lincoln passed this law to free all slaves. It was to protect freedman from violence carried out by the Ku Klux Klan. KKK would go out and killed blacks that voted for the wrong person.
Although reconstruction had many benefits it led to many failures and cause black to poverty. Black codes restricted African American freedom, having certain jobs, starting their own business. The black codes were to restore slavery. “ Every laborer . . . Shall not be allowed to his place of employment the fulfillment of his contrast.”(Pg 5, VII) Jim crow laws were to enforce racial segregation in the south. Some examples of Jim Crow were no marriage between whites and person of colour. Schools for white children and blacks were separated. Sharecropping is when slaves needed jobs and owners needed laborers for their crops. Sharecropping was to trap former slaves and put them into debt. Sharecropping can be an example of slavery. Former slaves had no land, forced to work for large landowners and southern regain power.
Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois had a different perspective on how African Americans should get their rights. W.E.B Dubois believes that blacks deserves an opportunity of higher education, and fight for their civil rights. Instead of waiting for the rights be granted to them. Getting an education will lead them to fight for full citizenship.Dubois wanted there to be no Jim Crow laws. Booker T. Washington wanted blacks to focus on economic and social improvement. He believed that economics was the key for African Americans equality. Washington wanted blacks to accept discrimination and better themselves through education. Both wanted to help better black lives but had different views and strategies on doing so. One person wanted blacks to stand up and fight for their rights and the other wanted African Americans to improve their social status, do better in economic, politically, and they rights will then follow.
In conclusion, Reconstruction improves the lives of people color. Reconstruction was when people had the chance to make everything right and people blew it away. I stand that reconstruction was a success and improve people of color lives. Reconstruction gave people access to citizenship, voting rights, the power of the state and national governments.
