Reconstruction 3
There is still contention over whether Reconstruction was a misguided scheme that collapsed, or an experiment that lacked authority. A period marked by tremendous controversy, the government faced issues such: the extent of the constitutional powers of the federal government to intervene in a state's affairs, whether the victors should try to change the South fundamentally, and the status of the black ex-slaves, or freedmen. Not only would these consequential issues spark struggles between political parties, but they would also play a dramatic role in deciding the ultimate outcome of Radical Reconstruction. Political affiliations were a key determinant of views on those issues. Congress passed a series of Reconstruction Acts in 1867. These laws placed the South under temporary military occupation and divided it into 5 military districts, each under the command of a Union general. Reluctant to make the national government permanently responsible for the protection of the ex-slaves, Republicans decided to enfranchise blacks so that Southern politicians would have to treat them fairly to get their votes. This program became known as Radical Reconstruction. The status of freedmen and the role they would play in society was o
ne of the most critical issues to be handled. In 1865 the 13th Amendment was ratified, this abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States and gave Congress the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Congress in 1866 also passed the Freedmen's Bureau Act and proposed the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which declared blacks to be citizens, prohibited states from discriminating against any class of citizens or denying any citizen fundamental rights, and banned Confederate leaders from holding federal or state office until Congress removed the disqualification. These amendments would be extremely momentous for African-Americans, they would be the first anti-discrimination laws that were intended to protect their civic rights and give African-Americans hope for the future. Founded in Pulaski TN in 1865-66 as a social club by 6 ex-confederate soldiers, the Ku Klux Klan spread quickly throughout the South. The Klan murdered and whipped Republican politicians, burned black schools and churches, and attacked party gatherings. Paramilitary groups such as the Rifle Clubs and the Red Shirts identified black leaders in assassination lists called "dead books" and provoked rioting that left hundreds of African-Americans dead. They threatened voters who lacked the protection of the secret ballot. The Civic rights, which they had earned, were clearly threatened. By 1875 all but three Southern states South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida were back in the hands of Southern Democ
Some common words found in the essay are:
Radical Reconstruction, Amendment Constitution, Enforcement Acts, , Red Shirts, Union Republicans, Union Reluctant, Suffrage Association, Reconstruction Acts, South Klan, radical reconstruction, amendment constitution, throughout south, civic rights, governments south, federal government,
Approximate Word count = 1025
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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