Historical Essay Sample North or South: Who Killed Reconstruction?

Many people wonder what happened after the Civil War and who was at fault for the end and eventual failure of reconstruction. When the Civil War ended it was clear to both the North and the South that the land, economy, and even population of the South had suffered greatly because of the Civil War. This time period of rebuilding the South was called Reconstruction, this took place from 1865 to 1877. During reconstruction there was no more slavery, former Confederate leaders were not allowed back into power, the 13, 14, and 15th Ammendments were created, and African Americans were given a much greater voice. Sadly between 1870 and 1876 almost all of the Southern states tried and in some ways succeeded to slow the progression or even turn back the advancements during reconstruction. With the election of 1876 coming up many people in America were eager to see what would happen. Samuel Tilden was in the lead and Rutherford B. Hayes would need a miracle to catch up. The election of 1876 was one of the most controversial elections of all time, because neither candidate had enough electoral votes and 20 of the electoral points were in dispute. A compromise was reached, Hayes would become president but the troops would be removed from the south, because of this many problems would start to develop. Violence, refusal to change, and racism were all causes of the eventual end and failure of reconstruction. 

One of the main reasons that the period of reconstruction ended was because of the South’s refusal to change its ways, even after slavery was abolished. According to Turgee in document A, “ I say to you plainly that any member of Congress who, especially from the South, does not support, advocate, and urge immediate active and thorough measures to put an end to these outrages ... is a coward, a traitor, or a fool.” This quote shows you that the South was not open to northerners coming down and trying to change the southern government and lead them away from slavery. Colby stated that, “ Klansmen broke my door open, took me out of bed, took me to the woods and whipped me for three hours or more and left me for dead. They said to me, "Do you think you will ever vote for another Radical ticket?" I said, "If there was an election tomorrow, I would vote for the Radical ticket." It is important to note that this was a former slave who would later be elected to the Georgia State Legislature, again this shows that the South refused to have any new people who were not white democrats in power. It could be said that the North was also stuck in its ways and would not change and be open to new ideas, but the difference is the South was willing to kill, threaten, and maim to get what they wanted. Another thing that is important to mention is the growth in political violence during this time in the south especially. 

It is important to mention the fact that political violence and other types or threats of violence were important to the end of reconstruction. According to Tourgee, “ It is my mournful duty to inform you that our friend John W. Stephens, State Senator from Caswell, is dead. He was foully murdered by the Ku-Klux in the Grand Jury room of the Court House on Saturday… He was stabbed five or hanged on a hook in the Grand Jury room…  Another brave, honest Republican citizen has met his fate at the hands of these fiends.” Albion Tourgee was a white Northern soldier who had moved to the south after the war; he served as a judge in NC. Colby stated, “ Klansmen broke my door open, took me out of bed, took me to the woods and whipped me for three hours or more and left me for dead. They said to me, "Do you think you will ever vote another damned Radical ticket?" I said, "If there was an election tomorrow, I would vote for the Radical ticket." This is important because he was an African American man and this shows us how African Americans and other white people from the North were treated. It could be said that the 

North was also willing to threaten to get what they wanted but it almost never happened, and if it did it was never to the extremes that the South was willing to go. While this was an important event in the ending of reconstruction it is also key to mention the main reason that all of these events took place, racism in the North and South. 

Finally, the main reason that reconstruction ended was the fact that the South was extremely racist at this time. According to Tourgee, “ Tourgee was a white, Northern soldier who settled in North Carolina after the war. He served as a judge during Reconstruction. I have very little doubt that I shall be one of the next victims. My steps have been dogged for months, and only a good opportunity has been wanting to secure to me the fate which Stephens has just met... I say to you plainly that any member of Congress who, especially from the South, does not support, advocate, and urge immediate active and thorough measures to put an end to these outrages... is a coward, a traitor, or a fool.” This shows that the South was extremely racist and would not allow former northerners to come into power or even live in the South. Richardson states, “ In the fall of 1873, pro-Grant and pro-freedman Boston Evening Transcript ran a letter...  arguing that “the blacks, as a people, are unfitted for the proper exercise of political duties… The rising generation of ... blacks needed a period of probation and instruction; a period… long enough for the black to have forgotten some thing of his condition as a slave and learned much of the true method of gaining honorable subsistence and of performing the duties of any position to which he might aspire." This shows that not only the South was racist but the whole country discriminated against African Americans. It could be said that the North was just as racist as the South, but the North was not willing to go to the same extents as the South was to harm former slaves rights. These are all of the main reasons that reconstruction ended too soon and eventually failed.

The South was the main reason that reconstruction ended because they were extremely racist, stuck in their ways, and prone to violence towards African Americans. The South was faced with a problem because they were going to have to change their ways because slavery was abolished, but they still wanted to have slaves because they thought that they were property. This was heightened because of their refusal to change, they were stuck in the past when it was acceptable to own slaves and treat them as property. They were extremely racist and they thought that African Americans would not be able to fend for themselves if they were given a life off the plantation. Finally they were willing to do anything to get what they wanted, they would threaten, injure, and even kill African Americans or Northerners that did not support their beliefs. This  is important to our country’s history because if this time period had gone differently then the country could be very different today. Many of the problems that we face today with race could have been solved many years or even decades ago. Reconstruction could have been a triumph in our country’s history but in the end it was a failure that set our country up for many difficult years to come.