In what ways was Reconstruction a success, and in what ways was it a failure?

Depending on your point of view, Reconstruction can be viewed as a success or as a failure. There are reasons why it can be viewed as a success. One of the goals of Reconstruction was to rebuild the South. As a result of Reconstruction, more industries were developed in the South as the South diversified its economy. Also, transportation expanded as more railroads were built in the South. Another goal was to reunite the country....

Depending on your point of view, Reconstruction can be viewed as a success or as a failure. There are reasons why it can be viewed as a success. One of the goals of Reconstruction was to rebuild the South. As a result of Reconstruction, more industries were developed in the South as the South diversified its economy. Also, transportation expanded as more railroads were built in the South. Another goal was to reunite the country. This occurred as all of the southern states that seceded were brought back into the Union by 1870. The reconstruction process also wanted to help the former slaves. Formers slaves got their freedom and got other rights they didn’t have before the Civil War. African-Americans males got the right to vote and some got elected to political offices, especially at the state level. African-Americans also got jobs and got help taking care of their basic needs such as food, clothing, and medical care.

There are some people who felt that Reconstruction was a failure. Reconstruction didn’t change the attitudes of many white southerners who continued to believe in the racial superiority of whites. Once Reconstruction ended, many of the accomplishments African-Americans had achieved were reversed or eliminated. Jim Crow laws were passed that legalized segregation. Groups like the Ku Klux Klan formed and began to intimidate and to terrorize African-Americans. African-Americans had their voting rights restricted with the creation of poll taxes and literacy tests. Many of the accomplishments of Reconstruction disappeared after Reconstruction ended.