Reconstruction

The Reconstruction era was a time in America where there were big changes. Black Americans were freed and got rights as citizens. America began to grow as a “blended society’ although Black Americans were not able to sit among side their colleagues, they were getting education and jobs.

 

Black men were now taking roles of power. They were now in government. People that were slaves working on the farm went from working to now owning. These were big steps for black Americans in society.

 

We focus heavily on Robert Smalls. Robert Smalls became a legislature of South Carolina. Which is a huge step since South Carolina was a big factor in the Civil War. We learn about his upbringing. He was once a slave and during the Reconstruction that became a legislator. Robert escaped slavery by hoping onto a confederate ship which in turns is very dangerous. We listen to his story from his most recent family member.

 

Fear amongst white people began to grow. This began the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. These heathens believed in nothing but white supremacy. Too scared of the success of black people they decided to harm these people. They would beat them. They would lynch them. These scare tactics were winning.  Black people were scared for their everyday lives. They began shying away from success. They did not want to put themselves or their families in harms way. They would also ben together and just boo them away. This caused damage in black American confidence in themselves