History Unwritten

I don't know if you're like me, but in all of my American history classes, I don't remember learning anything about the Reconstruction period. I do remember being shocked learning about it outside of school when I'd graduated college and fighting the conspiracy-like thoughts of "what else were they hiding from me?"

Let's go into what the Reconstruction period is. in 1865 it'd become obvious to President Lincoln (who after the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the war was taking more of a hands off approach, not even telling the slaves they were free until June that year -after his death) that the free black men might want some rights. He announced his intentions on April 11th before being assassinated on April 15th, leaving a swell guy, Andrew Johnson in his place as President.

In case you didn't catch the sarcasm above, President Johnson is not so fun. The only kind of Reconstruction he was going to do was what he was forced to do under the Constitution. The 13th Amendment had been ratified (after some work) under Lincolns stay, so slavery was illegal and the union had to be one happy family again.

With basically no rules the Southern states set up to creating black codes, laws to force freed slaves into a kind of not-slavery. In order to stop this, part of Congress called the Freedman's Bureau of Civil Rights sent two bills, one to ensure that they'd be there for a bit to watch over this crap and the other to stop it. Johnson vetoed both, but he couldn't stop the 14th Amendment, stating that all men are equal, have equal rights and can be citizens of the United States even if they're descendants of African people.

Adopted in 1870, the 15th Amendment allowed black people to vote (if they could get to the polls, but that's for later) and this began a short utopia of time where things began to improve. Hiram Rhodes Revels became the first black man elected to Congress (under the duress of Congress).

Other black Congressmen followed him, but mid 1870's people started harassing black people who came to the polls. Ulysses S. Grant, now president after the countries first impeachment, tried to combat the brand new KKK and other white supremist groups. Sometimes, federal troops were sent to protect the Republicans there (who were at the time the left leaning party) and sometimes they weren't.

Eventually with the election of 1876, there came the nail in the coffin for early day equality. The election had no clear winner according to the constitution, so something had to be done. In order to win, Rutherford B. Hayes promised they would officially end the Reconstruction era and basically stop putting the Government nose in State business, even if it is racist.

And that's probably why they cut it out to be honest. In AP American history I had someone spend a great deal of time trying to convince me that the Civil War was about "States rights" and if you'd followed it up with "another decade or two of white guys whining because black people are near them." I don't think I'd have been as suggestible. It hurts to know that we could be so much further right now, if it weren't for these jerks.

Celebrate men like Hiram Revels this black history month. He was calm, and stood firm even when it was difficult.

Thanks to History.com and Wikipedia.com for information