Black Men Equality

Change is the key word to bear in mind when one thinks of reconstruction. The era was not only a moment for political and economic change, but also, one of systemic social change. The era provided opportunity for black men to resist the status quo of the old, and begin to alter the influence of a social hierarchy that saw wealthy and aristocratic men dominate the south. Change was resisted for fear of losing one’s positon on the social hierarchy. George Julian discusses on the Virginia Commission on Constitutional Government, just how ferocious the hatred of a black citizen was in the South. He states: “They hate him with a rancor that feeds unceasingly upon every memory of their humiliation and defeat” (Dailey, 2). Free labor, domination,

Dawson provides a telling narrative of the problems southerners perceive in regards to Black suffrage and change. Dawson rants on how the entire concept of allowing black men to enjoy his “status” is a disgrace to the country, and laments how future generations will look back in awe and wonder as to how a political system could be sacrificed to accommodate the black man (Dailey, 9). Interestingly, Dawson does not seem to have as much anger towards political equality, as he does in the thought of social equality. There is a differentiation here, in which he appears to describe the ‘slippery slope’ of suffrage. While political equality is certainly an irritating point for Dawson, his anger towards the prospect of social equality is seen explicitly seen when he describes the Spanish States of America. Dawson uses the terms “disgusting” and “deteriorating” due to the mixed races present in the Spanish States (9). He then goes on to say that black suffrage will force down the Anglo-Saxon race and deteriorate the race altogether (10). His anger seems to stem from the fact that suffrage will allow the possibility for black citizens to leave their oppressed status and essentially deny the social hierarchy that many southern white men had enjoyed for decades. This is referenced once more in Edwards’ work, in which she writes that the southern elite were scared of social equality because it threatened the very foundations of the hierarchy (Edwards, 110). This is also seen in the fear exhibited to black men due to their newfound ability to defy orders and ignore the whims of their employers (116). Instances such as these indicates the changes that occurred during the reconstruction era that would show a notable shift in the positions of black men and women in