The success of a government’s policy is a common point of contention among citizens. However, it will be considered a failure if the primary implementation goals are not met. After the Civil War, American politics created volatility and confusion. The reconstruction era was characterized by concerted efforts to address the economic and political challenges that had arisen as a direct result of the Civil War. Americans engaged in some of their most passionate political debates during the reconstruction years from 1865 to 1877. The reconstruction was challenged by leaders and most Americans, especially because one of the goals was to achieve equality and end slavery. The failure of the US to recover from the Civil War has been blamed on black politics, also known as Negro government. The successes of reconstruction were mostly in the North, with the development of laws against discrimination and economic programs. In the long run, reconstruction in the US faced a retreat from racial inequality in the North and violent opposition in the South and hence failed.
Southern reconstruction failed due to various factors, including northerners’ lack of foresight about the state of the South in the aftermath of the Civil War. Additionally, it failed because of animosity between Congress and the Presidency over how to divide power (Frazier). For example, the democratic party’s control of the house of representatives was growing in 1874, and this resulted in tensions. Additionally, the whites in the South were reluctant to appoint blacks to key positions of authority (Frazier). African Americans were asked to give up their political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education (Washington and Du Bois). While there were several movements to help the blacks, any effort was challenged, and more cases of discrimination and racism continued throughout the period.
Although the initial plan to rebuild the South seemed promising, the strict restrictions and continuing resentment toward the old Confederates were not resolving the Southerners’ problems. At its peak, Congress passed the Comprehensive Amnesty Act, which restored all civil rights to former Confederate sympathizers (Anderson). Southern states began voting for Democrats again as the South was rebuilt, and as a result, black Americans were encouraged not to vote, and opportunist governments were overthrown. Only three southern states were led by Republicans when 1876 began (Anderson). Ten years of ethnic warfare in the region and the government’s inability to effectively manage the deficit kept the threat of war alive in the South. Unfortunately, racism reached the level of policymaking within the institution. While it advocated harsh punishment for all racial discrimination committed by white officials in the South, it normalized the most dehumanizing forms of racism against black people (Douglass). For instance, some laws, such as Jim Crow, were developed, allowing racial segregation. These restrictions and laws were against the reconstruction’s objectives and contributed significantly to its failure.
Difficulties developed while several groups tried to protect African Americans’ legal rights. For example, police officers and other law enforcement officials refused to allow black people to serve on juries and punished those who did (Washington and Du Bois). Politicians and corporate executives looked for ways to prevent black people from voting. Extremely stringent requirements regarding where blacks lived and how they registered to vote were among the common ways that denied blacks the right to vote (Douglass). Unlike the Ku Klux Klan, which openly participated in lynchings and other violent acts, these organizations pretended they were not out to harm African Americans in the US. Black people’s safety and civil liberties were constantly jeopardized throughout the South.
The efforts to abolish slavery during the reconstruction era were not the only factor that contributed to freedom, but it was a significant factor. African-Americans interpreted freedom as having the same legal protections and opportunities as whites. The common thread through these ideas was independence from white control. Individuals and communities gained more autonomy after white authority over historically black institutions such as churches and schools were removed. The livelihood of the blacks transformed for a while as a result of this success, with most having to access basic public services and opportunities.
The North did not have to adapt nearly as much as the South because reconstruction contributed to its industrial, economic, and social transformations. A capitalist economy matured and strengthened first in the North. As the manufacturing sector expanded, more structures and transportation networks were built to facilitate mining, forestry, and other forms of industrial production (Debs). Independent craftspeople gave way to a new class of industrial and railroad entrepreneurs as white-collar work increased. Reconstruction, therefore, was a win for the North, although there were cases of inequality and discrimination against the blacks.
The main problem with reconstruction was that it did nothing to help black people. Reconstruction was doomed to fail because it was founded on violence and fear (Frazier). The South’s economy did not improve during reconstruction and remained weak and technologically lagging. The North may have lost because its leaders failed to devise a policy that would have resulted in greater equality in the country. Even if the North succeeded in industrializing, the country was in jeopardy due to widening economic and social divides. These differences were to be solved during the reconstruction; hence, their presence in the following years demonstrated failure. By 1877, every former Confederate state had reaffirmed their allegiance to the US federal government, adopted new constitutions, and ratified the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. Reconstruction efforts aided the US in regaining its unity (Frazier). The long-running debate between federalism and states’ rights began in the 1790s and was finally settled during reconstruction.
Finally, the reconstruction intended to protect formerly enslaved people from racism and to fundamentally alter the social fabric of the South shortened, failing to achieve its objectives. Former Confederate politicians and slaveholders soon seized control when President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew federal soldiers from the South in 1877 (Anderson). With the backing of a conservative Supreme Court, newly empowered white Southern lawmakers proposed anti-progressive legislation. These legislations included voter identity requirements and black codes to reverse the gains made by blacks during radical reconstruction. Most rights gained during the early years of reconstruction were challenged, and most blacks experienced slavery again.
Overall, reconstruction was a partial win for the North but a loss for the South, faced with opposition from the South and racial inequality in the North. The most important takeaway is that the reconstruction goals were not met. This is because the executive branch did not take any steps to reduce racial tensions. The efforts by different leaders to find equality between different races were challenged. New administrations came with new amendments, some that threatened the rights restored. The North experienced transformations in the economy, industries, and social lives. However, the social divides remained even after the end of the reconstruction era. On the other side, the South ignored the growing social gaps, and at the end of this era, there was nothing significant to show in terms of meeting the goals and objectives of the reconstruction.
Works Cited
Frazier, Garrison. “Freedmen discuss post-emancipation life with General Sherman” The American Yawp Reader, 1865, Web.
Anderson, Jourdon. “Jourdon Anderson Writes His Former Enslaver.” The American Yawp Reader, 1865, Web.
Douglass, Frederick. “Remembering the Civil War.” The American Yawp Reader, (1878), Web.
Debs, Eugene. “How I Became a Socialist.” The American Yawp Reader, (1902), Web.
Washington, B.T. & Du Bois, W.E.B. Black Progress (1805-1903).” The American Yawp Reader, Web.