The Reconstruction era was the period following the Civil War that focused on reintegrating former Confederate states and free people into the United States. As the Civil War approached in 1865, President Lincoln began making plans to change the social, economic, and political aspects of the racist American society. The Republicans were intent on improving private property, increasing food production, improving public infrastructure, and ensuring better medical care and housing. Furthermore, reconstruction entailed transforming aspects of Southern society and politics. This meant that the reconstruction era was focused on restoring the Union, enacting progressive legislation supporting freed slaves’ rights, and changing Southern society. For instance, during the reconstruction era there was the amendment of the United States to accord African Americans their right to vote. However, in 1865, President Andrew Jackson enacted the Black Codes, which were intended to control the behavior and labor of former slaves and other African Americans. Because the codes were oppressive, this sparked outrage in the North, resulting in the formation of a radical wing of the Republican Party.
Despite the plan to make the reconstruction era transformative, it was a complete failure due to White resistance. For example, during the early years of Reconstruction, the new state governments were led by inexperienced leaders who were fueled by corruption and greed. This resulted in the collapse of most state governments and Southern Whites failing to comply with new Black legislation. As a result, the Ku Klux Klan emerged, with the goal of maintaining white supremacy and scaring away Black voters and any white who supported Black-passed laws. The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski as a social club in 1865, at the start of the second phase of post-civil war reconstruction (Alexander, 2014). Despite the fact that the reconstruction era was focused on creating a more economically stable society, the Ku Klux Klan caused violence in the South. Since Black participation in the South resulted in election victory, the Ku Klux Klan launched an underground campaign of violence to reverse all radical restoration policies and restore white supremacy in the South.
Furthermore, the Reconstruction era was a complete failure because, after the Confederates were granted the right to vote, the Redeemers who won office were intent on undoing the social and economic reforms. For example, Southern Democrats and Whites emphasized restoring the Old South by enforcing Jim Crow laws that advocated for segregation. As a result, the effects of Jim Crow laws, such as the black codes, made it difficult for formerly enslaved people to gain economic independence. Furthermore, segregated facilities such as public transportation made it difficult for Black citizens to travel, and other separate but equal doctrines limited educational opportunities for Black children(Benedict,2006). The Supreme Court backed such actions, which resulted in the 14th and 15th amendments only working at the federal level. Even though the Radical Republicans had been fighting for equal rights for nearly a decade, everything was upended. As a result of the elimination of Reconstruction programs, the primary goal of the reconstruction era of restoring the economy and establishing a more united America was not met (Shelton,2014). Finally, the struggle to restore Southern society, government, society, and economy was a failure, demonstrating that it was a tragic failure.
References
Alexander, C. C. (2014). The Ku Klux Klan in the Southwest. University Press of Kentucky.
Benedict, M. (2006). Preserving the Constitution: Essays on Politics and the Constitution in the Reconstruction Era. Fordham University Press.
Shelton, J. V. (2014). Reconstruction Delayed: How Presidents and the Southern Civil War Prolonged the End of Reconstruction (Doctoral dissertation).
