First And Second Reconstructions

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First and Second Reconstructions

The First and Second Reconstructions held out the great
promise of rectifying racial injustices in America. The First
Reconstruction, emerging out of the chaos of the Civil War had as its
goals equality for Blacks in voting, politics, and use of public
facilities. The Second Reconstruction emerging out of the booming
economy of the 1950's, had as its goals, integration, the end of Jim
Crow and the more amorphous goal of making America a biracial
democracy where, "the sons of former slaves and the sons of former
slave holders will be able to sit down together at the table of
brotherhood." Even though both movements, were borne of high hopes
they failed in bringing about their goals. Born in hope, they died in
despair, as both movements saw many of their gains washed away. I
propose to examine why they failed in realizing their goals. My thesis
is that failure to incorporate economic justice for Blacks in both
movements led to the failure of the First and Second Reconstruction.
The First Reconstruction came after the Civil War and lasted
till 1877. The political, social, and economic conditions after the
Civil War defined the goals of the First Reconstruction. At this time
the Congress was divided politically on issues that grew out of the
Civil War: Black equality, rebuilding the South, readmitting Southern
states to Union, and deciding who would control government.1 Socially,
the South was in chaos. Newly e...

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Submitted by: digitalessays
Date Submitted: 05-17-1998
Category: History
Words: 4847
Pages: 19.39