Histories of Reconstruction - Essay Example

DuBois 1910 essay Reconstruction and Its Benefits. The juxtaposition of these two stories demonstrates the extreme chasm that existed between the perception of whites and the realities of life for the blacks. By the 1890s, many white believed the only way to control the alleged savagery of blacks was through savagery itself. On the contrary, and as this study will demonstrate, whites used extremely brutal forms of violence against African Americans. The whites did not only control the alleged African Americans bestiality but also created a climate of fear so as to subjugate the blacks.

Although not all white participated directly in violence against blacks, records from these stories point to that locals hardly made efforts to prevent the crimes. The film birth of a nation, convincingly conveyed the idea that Reconstruction failed because blacks were not the equals of white and were not civilized enough to participate in the democratic process. The narration of, Birth of a nation, is focused on the Klan families. It follows from the beginning of slavery through Reconstruction and how it affected the Klan.

In the film, the Blacks take over the town in its politics and wreak havoc on the Klan, whites of the town. The characters are used to portray certain themes symbolically and stir up feelings related to this period in American history. The white men in the film are the heroes that exude the virtues of the old south. They also demonstrate the pro-Klan characters that are trying to establish order again. The Black Americans in the film are depicted as the villains in the Reconstruction South who is out to corrupt and control the White characters.

However, Du Bois presented an entirely different view of Reconstruction. Unlike Griffith, Du Bois found the black American to the constitutional convention of 1867 to be very capable. These blacks were active in discussions at the convention and used their