Essay On African Americans After Reconstruction

After looking at the positive and negative things America did after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction period, we agree that America did not exactly meet all the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence. It is evident that America had many goals and ideals it wanted to reach when writing the Declaration of Independence. However, both America’s citizens and government did not come through correctly with the laws they put forth. Especially when faced with the Native Americans, and freed slaves, America did not give them the rights they deserved or promised. As all of these things were happening during westward expansion, it was clearly difficult for America to make things just for all people, while trying to gain power and land.
The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to separate the United States from Great …show more content…
For example, the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) was a secret organization made in the South. It was active for many years after the civil war and suppressed the newly acquired freedom of blacks. It also tried to stop the carpetbaggers from the North. It was responsible for violent, and sometimes even murderous acts. The South didn’t like that the African Americans now were able to have an education so many of they were murdered by the KKK. Another set of laws, the Black Codes, were laws set forth by the Southerners to stop the former slaves from leaving the plantations and from being completely freed men. These laws restricted African Americans’ freedom, and forced them to work for low wages and have on-going debt. The African Americans couldn’t vote, couldn’t join the militia. Even though the African Americans were considered ‘freed men’ they were obviously still not equal to white men. It would take many more years, for America to consider all men equal, without judging people by race, ethnicity or