Failure Of Reconstruction Essay

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With the end of the Civil War in 1865 came freedom for blacks from their former masters, but not much else with regards to equality or for their time spent in slavery. The efforts of Reconstruction stood defeated, blacks in the South were coping with poverty, and the freedmen situations worsened. When the Freedmen Bureau ended as a failure, violence became prevalent. The barriers to economic freedom for both the former slaves and small white “yeoman” farmers were due to oppositions to keep blacks from freedom, equality, and financial success. It was a system designed to keep blacks enslaved, which in turn affected the white farmer as well. The whites in the South who suffered losses with family and property attempted to recreate their …show more content…

The Freedman Bureau agency established in 1866 was to create. The Bureau’s achievements were the creation of public schools, hospitals, provided food and clothing, as well as working out grievances during the Reconstruction period, but it failed at creating economic autonomy for blacks or white planters. The Democrats believed black suffrage was a threat to white supremacy, and radical . The Klan also targeted scalawags, Southern Republicans that joined the Republicans during Reconstruction, because they were considered traitors to the South. Likewise, the carpetbaggers who were Northerners opportunists that moved to the South looking to make deals with anyone even ex-slaves were also targeted. As President Andrew Johnson allowed the new state government of the south to manage their local affairs. The codes laid down rules in some states, that blacks who refuse to sign a yearly contract would be arrested and hired to white landowners, while. When President Johnson ordered, no land distribution was given to the former slaves. Owning land meant freedom to former slaves, and because blacks had no property of their own during the Reconstruction to establish themselves, this became a major contributing factor why former slaves remained in poverty. Black men and women were uneducated and unable to rise above their former level, they had no choice but to remained in household positions, farm labor, and unskilled jobs with low

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