Reconstruction after the Civil War
Michelle Khan
Mr. Schneidman
Social Studies
October 4, 2012
Who killed reconstruction and why? After the Civil War, blacks were freed. They started to learn to read and write. They got voting rights and citizenship. They took roles in politics and got jobs. But, Reconstruction ended because of two main causes. Northern neglect and Southern resistance.
The Northerners were no longer interested in dealing with the South and their problems. Ten years after the civil war and the people could not forgive or forget. They just wanted to forget about the whole thing, move on with their lives and deal with their own problems. For example the scandals with president Ulysses S. Grant.(Document C). They no longer wanted to give their focus to the 'Negro Question' or the 'sick of carpet-bag governments'. They wanted to transfer their attention to more important issues, like the Panic of 1873.(Document C). Even though slavery ended, racism still existed. The Northerners conceived the blacks were not fitted for politics and government.(Document D). They thought the blacks needed to learn the duties of government, and forget about the condition of being a slave.(Document D).
Not only did the North contribute to the death of reconstruction, so did the South. The Ku Klux Klan terrorized people who were black and supported the radicals, carpetbaggers and scalawags, and Republicans. They Klansmen were made up of first-class men, doctors, lawyers and some farmers.(Document B). The K.K.K. repulsively murdered John W. Stephens and hung him in the Grand Jury room of the Court House.(Document A). Another example is Abram Colby. The Klansmen broke into to his house and whipped him, just because he gives his votes to the Radical Republicans.(Document B).
I strongly believe that the South is the main cause for the death of reconstruction. The North put in so much effort for the South to become one again with the Union. The Radicals passed amendments and laws for the blacks
Mr. Schneidman
Social Studies
October 4, 2012
Who killed reconstruction and why? After the Civil War, blacks were freed. They started to learn to read and write. They got voting rights and citizenship. They took roles in politics and got jobs. But, Reconstruction ended because of two main causes. Northern neglect and Southern resistance.
The Northerners were no longer interested in dealing with the South and their problems. Ten years after the civil war and the people could not forgive or forget. They just wanted to forget about the whole thing, move on with their lives and deal with their own problems. For example the scandals with president Ulysses S. Grant.(Document C). They no longer wanted to give their focus to the 'Negro Question' or the 'sick of carpet-bag governments'. They wanted to transfer their attention to more important issues, like the Panic of 1873.(Document C). Even though slavery ended, racism still existed. The Northerners conceived the blacks were not fitted for politics and government.(Document D). They thought the blacks needed to learn the duties of government, and forget about the condition of being a slave.(Document D).
Not only did the North contribute to the death of reconstruction, so did the South. The Ku Klux Klan terrorized people who were black and supported the radicals, carpetbaggers and scalawags, and Republicans. They Klansmen were made up of first-class men, doctors, lawyers and some farmers.(Document B). The K.K.K. repulsively murdered John W. Stephens and hung him in the Grand Jury room of the Court House.(Document A). Another example is Abram Colby. The Klansmen broke into to his house and whipped him, just because he gives his votes to the Radical Republicans.(Document B).
I strongly believe that the South is the main cause for the death of reconstruction. The North put in so much effort for the South to become one again with the Union. The Radicals passed amendments and laws for the blacks