EOTO Reaction

    The positives of the reconstruction start with forty acres and a mule. There was an order placed that stated 400,000 acres of land would be given to freed African American families. This was meant to establish their own economic independence, and how it could be land to themselves and not have to face discrimination and hate. This land was taken from the wealthy confederates, the very land the African Americans used to work on and was given to them to help establish their place. The freedmen's bureau was established by congress in 1865, in order to help black slaves and poor whites following the end of the Civil War. They provided things like food, housing, medical aid, education, etc. They set up offices on 15 southern and border states and it followed the War Department's record keeping system which held labor contracts, letters, marriage, and hospital registers. It was brought to a close for not enough funds, but the impact it had on the slaves was hope, and a belief that they can survive on their own.

The reconstruction Amendments are the 13th amendment which abolished slavery, the 14th amendment which granted equal protection laws, and the 15th amendment which was the right to vote for black men. This big reconstruction was brought on by the abolitionists who were petitioning to continue where Lincoln was unfortunately not able to finish. African Americans were even able to be elected to the house of representatives. Joseph Hayne Rainey was the first African American to serve and preside over the House of Representatives. He advocated for the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 and the Civil Rights act of 1875 which served as protection for the black community. The Civil Rights act of 1875 was first introduces in 1870 by senator Charles Sumner, and it guaranteed all citizens, regardless of skin color, accommodations and the right to be included in jury duty. The bill was passed in February 27th, 1985 and became law on March 1st, 1875.

    The negatives of the reconstruction era first introduced the assassination of president Lincoln. He died April 15, 1865 in Ford's Theatre in Washington DC. His death caused national grief and halted the possibility of peace and threw the government into disarray. He was an important figure in history and was the main driving force behind the goal of reconstruction, he believed that reuniting the country was a priority. Andrew Johnson ascended to presidency and was harder on the south than Lincoln, and that allowed the south to regress instead of progress. The black codes where enacted due to Andrew Johnsons plan of reconstruction. The southern governments enacted a plethora of codes to limit black peoples success and to create a system similar to slavery. Of course white men would take advantage of these laws and force them into work that they should not have to due to debt peonage which was illegal. There were also laws that violated whites rights to increase wages to black people just to keep black people from being able to live on their own. The Ku Klux Klan started as a social club that turned into a powerful force in the south. Their goal was the reverse and prevent any progress black people may have made in the past. 10% of the black legislation were attacked and 7 black members were killed.

South Carolina was the state with the highest concentration of Ku Klux Klan members, and they would even go as far as to lynch prisoners already facing punishment for crimes they may not have even committed. The problem was, that they were hidden in plain sight, with white people all around there was no way to tell who was a member and who wasn't a member. The New Orleans Riots took place on July 30, 1866 which was preceded by the Memphis riot of 1866. Town sheriffs shot into mobs of black veterans which were not just protests and it led to 38 deaths in which 34 were black. The civil rights cases of 1883 was a series of 5 supreme court cases that ruled the 13th and 14th amendments did not allow congress to prohibit racial discrimination by private individuals. This affirmed that the government could not interfere with discrimination that was in non public places which means that it was still very much at large. It undermined the governments power and made the 13th and 14th amendment seem as if they didn't matter in the eyes of the people who were still finding ways through and around the laws.