African American Experiences during the Reconstruction Era - Essay Example

President Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech in Louisiana in 1865 referring to the right of the black man to vote. This did not come to fruition as he was assassinated three days later.  The Reconstruction efforts fell to President Johnson. He was of the view that the federal government had no right to determine how states governed themselves and in particular voting rights. Further, land allocated to freed slaves by the Freedmen bureau reverted to the original owners. This leeway by President Johnson led to the southern states enacting black codes which sought to restrict the activity of black people thus availing them as a labor force. This enraged the Northerners who led Congress in passing the Freedmen Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Bill which were subsequently vetoed by President Johnson. This notwithstanding, the bills became law. The Civil Rights Act defined all persons born in the US of America as national citizens as equal before the law.

Under Republican guidance, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act of 1867 outlined how universal male suffrage was to be organized. The law required states to ratify the 14 Amendment which broadened the definition of citizenship by granting ‘equal protection of the constitution to former slaves before joining the Union. In February 1869, Congress approved the 15 Amendment and adopted it in 1869 which guaranteed that a citizen's right to vote would not be curtailed "on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This assured black of their right to vote.

White Supremacy Movement

In 1867 in response to the strides made by the reconstruction efforts, a section of the southern whites formed the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) to challenge the developments. They targeted African Americans who challenged white authority and both black and white Republican leaders.  They lynched black Americans for what they considered to sin against the white race. Black’s had no protection as the military protection hired by President Johnson was against Reconstruction and thus turned a blind eye to the violence. The KKK terrorized black people from voting thus increasing Democratic power. The group was finally outlawed in 1871.

Gains and losses during Reconstruction

The major gain of the Reconstruction era was the acquisition of the right to vote by the blacks. This came as a result of a lot of Amendments to the constitution and Acts which gradually asserted their right to vote by starting with their release from slavery and servitude.

One of the losses of reconstruction was the thousands of lives that were lost as a result of the hate killings during this period. The major loss of Reconstruction occurred when the Democratic Party won control of congress in 1874 and in 1876 asserted their control of the South through a compromise arrived at with the Republican candidate, Rutherford B. Hayes, who acknowledged Democratic control of the entire south in exchange for certification for his election. This marked the demise of the Reconstruction era as a distinct period as the Democratic Party did not share the same sentiments as the Republicans who pushed the Reconstruction Agenda.

Conclusion

The Reconstruction Era led to a lot of gains by the African American people who most importantly were finally freed from slavery and servitude acquired a richest to vote as citizens in the United States of America.