Reconstruction

According to Britannica,  “Reconstruction, in U.S. history, is the period (1865–77) that followed the American Civil War and during which attempts were made to redress the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy and to solve the problems arising from the readmission to the Union of the 11 states that had seceded at or before the outbreak of war.”

In class we watched America After the Civil War. The documentary gave a lot of background and insight on life during the Reconstruction period. The Reconstruction consisted not only of social advancement for African Americans, but also legal reformation to ensure and further these moves. The Constitution added the 13th Amendment, legally forbidding slavery, as well as the 14th Amendment granting Due Process, Equal Protection, and Privileges or Immunities. 

The 14th Amendment’s guarantees help support equality for African Americans through providing protection in court. Ensuring equalities through legality is the best way, I think, to support positive motion in government reformation.

In class we did a timeline that I would consider more of an overview of this time period, so to go and watch a video where PBS historians go into depth on this was really helpful to me. I believe the coverage of this time period is immensely important to our generation, as we are going through many large social reforms ourselves, and should know how and what this requires. The pictures included in the documentary also definitely give help to the emotional aspect of the topic. Being able to hear and see persoannly is a great form of education and in many cases, persuasion.

 Foner, Eric. "Reconstruction". Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Jul. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/event/Reconstruction-United-States-history. Accessed 26 October 2021.

“Reconstruction.” IDCA, 18 Sept. 2020, iowaculture.gov/history/education/educator-resources/primary-source-sets/reconstruction.