Reconstruction of the American South Research Paper

African-Americans in the South were afraid that any kind of relationship they would form with their former masters would lead to something resembling their enslavement (United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Reconstruction, William Pitt Fessenden, Thaddeus Stevens, United States. Congress). It was clear that it would take long before African-Americans would actually come to become equal citizens.

While the North was initially actively engaged in helping the African-American community in the South as they claimed their right, matters gradually changed and the government abandoned its passion regarding the condition. Racial segregation thrived in the South, especially because white individuals were unwilling to accept black people into politics for the supposed reason that the latter installed a corrupt system that worked against the country's well-being (America's Reconstruction -- People and Politics After the Civil War).

The Federal government lost interest in supervising the Reconstruction process consequent to seeing that conditions would stall and no one achieved any success in fighting for their cause. Reconstruction efforts mainly lead to increased oppression of the African-American public in the South (Civil War and Reconstruction).

The wave of racism observed throughout the South as a result of the Reconstruction was unprecedented, given that whites were ardently devoted to impose their power over blacks. Movements such as the Ku Klux Klan only added to the situation, highlighting its gravity (V: Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction).

Even though most government officials trusted that slavery and racism would be efficiently combated by the Reconstruction, they realized that it would take more than just a series of laws for them to achieve success (Moore Cullom, Shelby).Differences of opinion lasted long after the Civil War ended, given that people in the South did not lose their convictions regarding African-Americans (Civil War and Post-War Reconstruction). The Reconstruction influenced white supremacists in the South in beginning a terrorist movement that was meant to counterattack equal rights for African-Americans (An Outline of the Reconstruction Era).

Works cited:

1. Miller, Kelly. "The Primary Needs of the Negro Race"

2. Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens. "African-Americans get the vote in eastern North Carolina." Retrieved October 24, 2010, from the Learn NC Website: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-civilwar/4820

3. United States. Congress. Joint Committee on Reconstruction, William Pitt Fessenden, Thaddeus Stevens, United States. Congress. (1866). "Report of the Joint Committee on Reconstruction, at the first session, Thirty-ninth Congress." Govt. Print. Off.

4. "America's Reconstruction, People and Politics After the Civil War." Retrieved October 24, 2010, from the Digital History Website: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/reconstruction/introduction.html

5. "An Outline of the Reconstruction Era." Retrieved October 24, 2010, from the Children for History and New Media Website: http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/recon/reconframe.html

6. "Civil War and Reconstruction." Retrieved October 24, 2010, from the National Museum of American History Website: http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/timeline/pres_era/3_656.html

7. "Civil War and Post-War Reconstruction." Retrieved October 24, 2010, from the America.gov Website: http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2008/June/20080610221935eaifas0.7083688.html

8. "Reconstruction and Its Aftermath." Retrieved October 24, 2010, from The Library Of Congress Website: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart5.html

9. "V: Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction." Retrieved October 24, 2010, from the James Madison Seminar of Teaching American History Website: http://madison.schoolahead.org/node/7.....