Throughout the early 1800s, there were a lot of major events that played into the United States to become a better inclusive country. One of the ways to help the rebuilding was the Reconstruction era from 1865 to 1877, this era played an important role because it happened right after the American Civil War. The era helped with the history of civil rights in the United States.
Through the reconstruction, there were more opportunities and changes occurring. For example, African Americans were able to be a part of the senate as well as the house of representatives. Black men started to join the Union, roughly around 180,000. This helped bring manpower to the Union side, and denial to the southern economy. However, a lot of people who were free were not actually free and struggling to survive on their own. Even though they did not know where they were going or what the next day would look like they were just appreciative to be free.
There was still a fear of the unknown with the process of the reconstruction. The achievements of the reconstruction triggered a fearsome backlash and an onslaught of terror and depression lasted for decades. The violence did not just disappear because on both sides there were people upset and happy about it so segregation was still there. Jim Crow laws played a role during the reconstruction because as previously stated there was racial segregation in the south. Reconstruction was still occurring and at some moments seemed like it was going backward. Even the emancipated people were fighting for basic rights as “freedmen.” The reconstruction process could be interpreted as restoring the rebel states to the comeback to the Union.
The process of American society, whether it is with the north, south, black, white was to try to come to terms with the consequences of the Civil War. The main goal was to have whoever a citizen was to be able to have the rights as every other everyday citizen and have no segregation. But, there were still major setbacks. For example, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, and that changed the whole idea of trying to fix segregation. Additionally, making money as an African American was challenging. So a good amount went back to working for a master just to be able to provide for their family or basic daily living.
Finally, the Reconstruction ended when the Republicans and Democrats came together and had to make an agreement, the Compromise of 1877. Even though that certain era ended there was still more space for improvement and growth in the United States.
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