Impact Of Reconstruction On African Americans

Chi Huynh Vu
The Reconstruction changed the lives of African-Americans
In the progress to become one of the liberal nation of the world, the United States has gone through so many political alternations of its lifetime. All of the presidents have made lots of different plans to build up a strong independent country that provides its citizenship equality. One of the great movement was the Reconstruction (1863-1877). It was a toss-up that was neither a total success nor failure. The result tremendously brought more freedom to African-Americans. Although President Andrew Johnson and Congress’s social and political view and idea for Reconstruction was quite another direction, the Reconstruction did worked successfully in long term to reunite the
The main purpose of the Civil War, led by President Lincoln, was to defend slavery, but it did not protect any of African-Americans. During the Reconstruction, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendment were ratified to ensure equality for all emancipated slaves. First of all, on December 06, 1965, the Congress passed the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude in the America. Except in the case of punishment for a crime, slavery was not allowed in any state or territory under the government of the United State. Then, on July 21, 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment was made to declare blacks as citizens and were protected by federal laws. This amendment stated that all people who were born or naturalized in the States have equal rights and protection of the Constitution. Black people had always sought for their self-rule. The Thirteenth Amendment was the big step for African-Americans to go against the “Black Code,” enacted in 1965, was the law that passed by the new Southern government to regulate lives of the former slaves. “Black Code” restricted the rights of blacks. It was such a huge obstacle for African-Americans because it demanded a lengthy of requirement of a person if he wanted to vote. For example, a person had to live as a landowner for 10 years before he went voting. Black people, mostly slaves, were extremely poor back then, but in order to vote, they had to pay the Poll Tax. the Thirteenth Amendment was approved in 1870 to give all black men the right to vote, regardless their previous condition and servitude. It also was a scale for African-Americans participated in some certain government levels. In February 28, 1870, Hiram Revels of Mississippi was elected as the first black senator of the United