The year 1877 brought in the end of the reconstruction which is arguably one of the most controversial and turbulent era in the history of the United States. It was in this year that America witnessed her first interracial democracy experiment. A vital part of the Reconstruction saw the former slaves change from being a passive victim of the actions of others and made effort towards acquiring new meaning into their newly acquired freedom, and thereby, claiming their rights as full citizens of the Unites States of America. It was the divisive politics, brought about by the Reconstruction, which decided what the status of the former slaves would be in the reunited nation. Unfortunately, several shackles were put in place for these freed slaves which denies them the kind of freedom experienced by freemen across the globe.
After the rejection of President Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction plan, constitutional amendments were made which empowered the federal government to bring into law the principle of equal rights which gave the black southerners the right to vote and be voted for, a right similar to that enjoyed by freemen in other parts of the globe. However, unlike in the other parts of the globe, among the Southern Americans, it is widely viewed that allowing blacks take part in politics was the reason behind the era of misgovernment and corruption. This believes has been used as a justification for the system of racial segregation, by the South, which prevented the blacks from voting and prevented them from enjoying the privilege enjoyed by others in other parts of the globe.
Though many African Americans may have been freed from slavery, but they were far from freedom in the real sense of the word. As most Southerners did all they could to ensure that the African Americans won’t assume their guaranteed place in the society. The poll tax is a good example of one of such deliberate measures put in place by the Southern States to deny the blacks of their freedom; this made it extremely difficult for blacks to vote. The labor wages given to blacks are also extremely low relative to the wages the whites received; this made it impossible for black men to become financially independent.
As at 1877, the former slaves of the United States may have been said to be free, just like every other freedmen around the globe, but in the actual sense they were far from free. Their freedom was marred by several shackles which were put in place by the whites in order to deny them of their rights as a citizen of the state. (Eric 2003)
Reference
Forner Eric. The Meaning of Freedom. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 2003.
Chapter 15 pp 587-599.
