Failure Of Reconstruction Research Paper

What accounts for the failure or success of reconstruction to bring about social equality to the Freedman?

Throughout reconstruction after the civil war, the Union tried to promote equality and eradicate slavery in the south. The Union failed to realize that the kind of relationship that the blacks and whites had for more than 200 years was something that couldn’t be fixed overnight or with a simple rule. African Americans were treated poorly during this period, regardless of the Norths attempt to initiate equality. The reconstruction failed to bring social equality to the Freedman due to Discrimination, Political Restrictions and lack of economic freedom. The Thirteenth Amendment did not only free slaves from their owners, but freed them to be bullied, threatened, abused, lynched and killed. When blacks were slaves, they were protected from this kind of abuse because they had value as a slave. For example, if a white man were to hurt another white man's slave, they would have to pay for it. Now that slaves are free the

The Souths Chronic shortage of funds affected the economy in unintended ways. During the reconstruction, a group of people including The Freedmen’s Bureau began expansion of public schooling for both blacks and whites, But Georgia and many other states worked with segregated schools and refused to tax property for school support until 1889. As a result, School attendance remained low. African Americans did not have the ability to pick jobs and careers. Employers would rather white workers out of favoritism rather than to hire black workers. If a black man was hired his pay would be a lot less then what than a white worker was getting paid for that same job position. Nevertheless, Economic opportunities for blacks remained limited. In lumbering, which was the souths largest industry large numbers of blacks worked in the turpentine industry collecting sap from