Page 390 - American Stories, A History of the United States

Explore 16.1

Reconstruction on

MyHistoryLab 16.2

HoW DID 16.3
ReConStRUCtIon
aFFeCt aFRICan 16.4
ameRICanS In tHe
SoUtH?

In 1865, at the end of the Civil War,
the United States was at a crossroads.
The Thirteenth Amendment to the
Constitution had freed the slaves
of the rebellious eleven states, but
ReConStRUCtIon Much hope was placed in the policies of Reconstruction as this
questions remained on how to allegorical lithograph shows. the reconciliation between the North and South, however,
implement the rights of the newly would have a mixed legacy, especially for African Americans.
liberated African Americans. Further,
leaders were divided on how to
reintegrate the war-torn southern
states back into the Union. Many ReCoNSTRUCTIoN AMeNdMeNTS To The CoNSTITUTIoN
white Southerners tried to continue Amendment Summary date
their ways of life while freed African
Americans struggled in a society thirteenth Abolishes slavery December 6, 1865
built on segregation. Though the Fourteenth ensures equal rights and July 9, 1868
subsequent Fourteenth and Fifteenth protections to every per-
Amendments theoretically extended son born or naturalized in
the realm of equality for blacks, in the United States
the end, whites in the North and Fifteenth Prohibits the denial of the February 3, 1870
right of vote based on race
South saw to it that the promises of
Reconstruction for African Americans SOURCe: United States Constitution; Amendments 13 and 14 and 15
went unfulfilled.

K e y Q u e S T io n S Use myHistorylab Explorer to answer these questions:

analysis How did voting Comparison How did Response What was
patterns for Republicans evolve literacy rates differ between the landholding situation for
during the Reconstruction African Americans and African Americans at the end of
period? Euro-Americans in the South? the nineteenth century?
Chart voting patterns to theorize how this might affect Map land tenure to see
understand reasons behind black disenfranchisement. discrepancies with whites.
voting trends.

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