The reconstruction period resulted in a drastic change in legal and social practices especially in favor of the African Americans. During this period, the African Americans gained their freedom as the era marked the end of slavery. Several laws were amended including the Thirteenth Amendment that granted equality even to those who have been denied several rights including the right to vote among other factors. In addition, all the Americans had the right to own property through the freedmen bureau, as opposed to the initial situation which prohibited some ethnic groups to own property by the use of the ‘grandfather’s clauses. This indicates that the period of Reconstruction played a great role in bringing a new face to the United States of America and in some way, some of the events that took place during this period of time brought out a revolutionary change especially to the American Americans.
Before the American Reconstruction, tension existed between the Southern states who strongly supported slavery and the northern States who were more concerned on the freedom of all the people and improved human rights. Social and political injustices were done on the slaves whereby families were forcefully separated as they were sold into slavery. Slaves were also barred from learning how to read and write and this made it impossible for them to have the right to vote even after reconstruction as most of them failed the literacy test which was essential for one to vote. In contrary, this law was not applied to the poor white people indicating the presence of racial segregation that was prevalent before the American reconstruction period. The tension between the supporters of slavery and human rights activist including the black American’s urge to gain freedom resulted in an intensified war that resulted to the end of slavery and freedom for the African Americans.
Several revolutionary changes took place during this period that could term the Reconstruction period the first American Revolution. For instance, the passing of Thirteenth amendment in 1965 granted the Black Americans with the right to vote the exercise that was denied to them by the Fourteenth Amendment. In addition, several schools were established to enable the former slaves including children and adults to learn how to read and write as it was an essential step to attaining freedom. Passing of the Civil rights Act of 1866 by the Republican congress that granted citizenship rights to the Black Americans is one of the revolutionary steps that took place during the reconstruction period.
Access to political power by the African Americans is also another step that was witnessed during this period. Before the US reconstruction, there were social injustices that barred the blacks from enjoying certain rights and they were exposed to arrest for petty reasons such as the failure to pay debts. The situation however turned to the better after several African Americans joined active politics in attempt to fight for the rights of the rights of their people. In addition, it is during this period that most blacks stood out to defend themselves from the torture they had experienced from their southern masters. Despite gaining the right to citizenship, the African Americans had to fight for the rights to vote especially after the Democrats in southern States insisted on the use of the fifteenth Amendment which denied the right of vote in relation to race.
References
Horton, j. O. & Horton, L. (2006). “call me mister”, The Black Experience During Reconstruction. in Portrait of America Vol. 1. NY: Cengage Learning.
