The Eradication of Reconstruction in the South
“…The slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery” (W.E.B. Dubois). After the Civil War ended in 1865, Reconstruction began. All slaves were finally freed because of the 13th amendment. Other amendments were passed such as: the 14th amendment which gave African Americans citizenship and the 15th amendment made it illegal to abnegate someone’s right to vote because of race.(background). To enforce these new laws, northerners sent many federal troops south to keep the peace, and to help Freedmen and Reconstruction; these people are also known as carpetbaggers. Many people resisted in the South, so it was difficult to carry out the new ideas of Reconstruction. Rebuilding the United States was not an easy task because it soon ended in 1877. The eradication of Reconstruction was contributed to by both the North’s neglect of the South and the South’s inability to listen and learn a valuable lesson. Once the South was finally left alone, they began to revert back to their old habits.
Northern neglect played a major role in the ending of reconstruction efforts for the South’s government. “… Weary of the Negro Question and sick of the carpet-bag government” (Doc C). Document C shows that with the South’s corruption and issues following the topic of being stubborn led to the North getting fed up with and utter annoyance of the South. Northerners started to focus on their own concerns such as the Panic of 1873, which was the loss of millions of jobs; even the president turned away from the problems of Reconstruction. The North also had the job of dealing with fraud and scandal, which was at the top of their to-do-list. As the South was left with alone time to do whatever they wished, a few profound politicians had the idea of eradicating the rights of African Americans. “Although the propagation of political violence in the South is just beginning…the tide of the public opinion in the North is growing smaller and less worried.” (Doc C).
Southern resistance also had a immense impact on the end of Reconstruction. In defiance of the of the Republican-led federal government, Southern Democrats formed organizations that violently intimidated blacks and Republicans who tried to win political power. The most well known organization was the Klu Klux Klan. It was originally formed as a social club for former confederate soldiers, it soon became a fearsome terrorist group. “Many are first class men like doctors, lawyers, and a few farmers.” (Doc B). They even intimidated people as they voted. In a picture found in 1876, it showed white southerners forcing a black American to vote for the Democratic Party. (Harvard Archives). In the early 1870s the flow shifted as all three southern states started to reject reconstruction efforts. “When President Hayes agreed to withdraw federal troops from the deep seated South, he was leaving the South alone with to much responsibility.” (background). As leaving your five year old son in a room and tell him not to eat the candy on the table, it was the same story in the South. As Hayes removed the troops, it is like leaving the room with your five year old son and some candy… they cannot resist it. As like the South could not resist going back to their old habits of violence between races.