South Reconstruction Act of 1867
Documents Section
The documents address two extremes of the Reconstruction of 1867 from the prospective of both the blacks and whites. Although, the prospective of the whites were only from government officials and not the general public.
For the blacks, they continued to face hardships even with their new-found freedom. Felix Haywood states, "We soon found out that freedom could make folks proud, but it didn't make'em rich." They were granted freedom, but freedom didn't give them food and shelter, which their previous masters provided. Many were no better off then before because they died of starvation. The testimonials from the blacks appear to agree on not being any better off than before and in some cases worst off with the lack of the minimum necessities in just getting by.
At the other extreme, President Andrew Johnson states harsh words against the freeing of blacks, proclaiming that doing so would lead to the dominance of the blacks and a government overtaken by the colored. Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, disagreeing with President Johnson, sets the standard by which all men of power should take notice, stating that, "Without it (Reconstruction) all are sure to be ruled by traitors; and loyal men, black and white, will be oppressed, exiled, and murdered." Then he completely degrades his position by saying, "This doctrine does not mean a Negro shall sit on the same table with a white man...The law has nothing to do with it." Interesting how segregation could have been eliminated so long ago, but didn't until decades later. Maybe because of Congressman Thaddeus.
Essay Section
The essay, by Thomas Holt, talks about how Reconstruction could have been successful if it had not been for self interest. "The uneducated negro was too weak, no matter what his numbers..." and that is why 255 (out of the 487) elected black state and federal officials represented them in legislature and other "political entities". Despite their majority in both the House and Senate, differences in legislative objectives, political policies, and ideologies prevented them from contributing anything that would have been beneficial to their people.
The essay, by Eric Foner, talks about how Reconstruction could not have been successful due to the lack of support from private and political parties. The black man was given his freedom on paper, but had no value in the minds of the white men. The blacks were no better off with their new-found freedom because of sanctions imposed by state governments limiting their rights to a minimum, if that at all. "To limit the freemen's economic opportunities, they were forbidden to rent land in urban areas." Even one of the few supporters of equality of black men had lost all hope, stating, "...this nation seems about to abandon them to their disloyal masters." Despite the Fourteenth Amendment added to the Constitution, giving black men the right to vote, private parties (Ku Klux Klan, Knights of the White Camellia, and White Brotherhood) resorted to intimidation and violence in preventing blacks from voting. Political parties imposed ordinances requiring literacy and laws of taxation in order to vote, further degrading the Fourteenth Amendment.
If forced to decide between the two, I would unfortunately have to side with Eric Foner. The blacks were severely at a disadvantage because of their masters and the laws that governed the land at the time. Without the formal education and leadership skills of a white man, the black community would not have the opportunity to influence or have a voice in their way of life. It would have taken a strong white man to stand up for the rights of the black man, and that man (Abraham Lincoln) had been assassinated before given the chance. With the state and federal government run by the white man, much like today, in addition to private parties (Ku Klux Klan, Knights of the White Camellia, and White Brotherhood) discouraging you from making a difference, the odds are stacked against you. Only those who are the exception in leadership can rally change.
