Reconstruction Dbq

In 1861, previous failed compromises regarding the spread of slavery to new states and territories indicated failure. This controversy over slavery ultimately resulted in war. The Civil War began in 1861 when the Confederates attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, shortly after President Lincoln’s inauguration. The Union won the war when General Lee surrendered to General Grant. The Confederacy collapsed and the abolishment of slavery took place (Gallagher). The Reconstruction Era overlapped and followed the war. On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation stating that he, “orders and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated states, and part of states, are, and henceforward shall be free…”

These laws, known as the Enforcement Acts, were criminal codes which protected African American rights in terms of voting, holding a position in office, receiving equal protection of laws. Enforcement Act of May 1870 prohibited groups of people from banding together with the intention of violating citizens’ constitutional rights. The Senate passed two more acts, also known as the Ku Klux Klan acts, aimed to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1866. The Second Force Act, approved in February 1871, empowered federal judges and United States marshals to supervise local polling places. The act also placed administration of national elections under the control of the government. Eventually, the Third Force Act became law in April 1871 and it allowed the president to authorize armed forces to combat those who cause violence due to racist ideas. The new laws weakened the Ku Klux Klan and the violence declined in the South. This showed that the government was finally willing to take action and changed the expectations of African Americans when they felt hopeless. The series of acts temporarily puts an end to the brutality, but the end of Reconstruction allowed for a return of deprivation of rights for African Americans (“Landmark

Various incarnations continued to appear since. The constant appearance of the Klan shows that the idea of white supremacy has not really gone away and racism continues to be a struggle in the United States. In fact, a greater number of KKK organizations exist today than at any other point in the group’s leading history. According to Southern Poverty Law Center, there are a total number of 130 KKK groups in 2016. Now, KKK groups have managed to target Jews, immigrants, and primarily African Americans. This is relevant in furthering the claim that describes the progression of the United States as a country full of opposing ideas. Although the government took action in order to lessen the violence due to racist ideas, these ideologies never really diminished and continues to exist to this day. In a newspaper article written by Harrison Jacobs, he talks about a certain book titled, “White Pride,” which are a series of photos that documented the different Klan organizations in fourteen states across the country. Photojournalist Anthony Karen spent many years gathering many photos of Ku Klux Klan members and how these people go about in their daily lives. The collection of photos prove that people still believe in the idea that one race should be considered as superior than