Reconstruction1

A detailed Summary of Reconstruction1

Reconstruction policies proved to be the seeds of failure in American race relations

in the 19th century. Reconstruction demanded the Negroes freedom, their civil rights, the

opportunity for economic freedom, education and the right to vote. This idea of Negro

equality was the most controversial aspect of radical reconstruction, and violence was one

of the means used to undermine Reconstruction. Racism and violence have proved to be

interrelated factors in American society. In the words of W.E.B. Du Bois "The slave went

free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery."

The Southern whites ideology expressed certain propositions about the black man

in society. The abolition of slavery ended the institution but not the system of beliefs,

assumptions, and values they held concerning the Negro. Within the context of this white

supremacist ideology, racism flourished. The black man was viewed as being part of a

caste system where they were relegated to the bottom of the social classes with no legal

In the movie "The Birth of A Nation" the director, D.W. Griffith, interprets the

the guardians of civilized society. It was inconceivable to the southerner that he and the

the names of those who worked for the Bureau and labeled them "dead, damned and

"The Invisible Empire of the South." A social circle or kuklos of men organized the group

saving the south from looting Negroes.

At the center of the resort to violence was a secret organization which served as a

problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line. (p168). With the Democratic

lives. President Roosevelt's hand's off approach to the riot only reconfirmed the growing

One of the most far-reaching consequences of Reconstruction was the recurrence

military rule is the new order, violence becomes the answer. Violence was the direct result

Approximate Word count = 1451
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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