Reconstruction Essay, Research Paper
Before the Civil war most blacks were considered slaves. As slaves they had no personal rights. After the war, a lot of things changed for the blacks. The process, which helped these blacks to gain rights, was called Reconstruction.
During the time of Reconstruction a freeman?s life changed dramatically. One thing that changed was blacks social lives. Since blacks were now free, they were able to do and go as they please. They were able to travel and find friends and family, which were separated from them during slavery. Because of Reconstruction blacks could now be married. They could not be lawfully married, but could obtain marriage certificates. Blacks could also legally participate in a religion, which they couldn?t do during slavery.
During this time, blacks lives economically, changed very little. After the war blacks were no longer slaves, but most of them worked as free labor. Working as free labor was not much different than being a slave. They worked and toiled long hours for nothing. Some blacks worked at sharecropping. This is where they farmed someone?s land and got half the earnings. The other half
went to the landowner. This was a lot better than doing free labor, now they could reap from their harvest.
Blacks lives changed politically during Reconstruction. Most of the freedmen had been slaves and because of this were illiterate. They realized that without the right to vote, they had nothing. They protested, and in 1867, they were giving the right to vote. This was a very big step in the lives of the freedmen.
During the time of Reconstruction blacks lives were better. After the war blacks were free, unlike when they were slaves. They could go and do whatever they pleased, which they couldn?t do as slaves. Blacks also got the right to vote. While slaves this would have never been the case, no one wanted to see how he or she felt on political ordeals, and they were slaves.
Reconstruction changed blacks lives dramatically. Blacks were now free and considered human beings. Because of this I believe that life of a black person was much better.