Reconstruction Era Documentary Reaction

The Reconstruction Era brought major changes to the south. 

The Reconstruction era began with an enormous question: what would freedom actually mean for formerly enslaved African Americans? After the Civil War, the United States had an opportunity to become the “land of the free” that it had always claimed to be. Reconstruction was not simply about bringing the former Confederate states back into the Union, but also about determining who could be a citizen and what rights citizenship would guarantee.

For formerly enslaved people, freedom immediately became personal. Families that had been separated by slavery searched for one another by traveling across the South and placing advertisements in newspapers. African Americans also hoped freedom would bring education, voting rights, and the ability to own land.

40 Acres and a Mule

Land ownership was especially important because it offered the possibility of economic independence. The idea of “40 acres and a mule” represented the hope that formerly enslaved families could build independent lives. However, President Andrew Johnson ordered land to be returned to pardoned former Confederates, taking away an important opportunity for African Americans to establish lasting economic security.

This was only one example of how the promise of Reconstruction faced resistance.

African Americans encountered violence and continued attempts to control their freedom. Black children could be placed into so-called “apprenticeships,” where their labor was exploited in conditions that resembled slavery. African Americans were also shot at, and their homes were burned as white resistance to racial equality grew.

Still, Reconstruction produced important changes. Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment in 1866, addressing citizenship and equal rights. Former Confederate states also faced requirements for returning to the Union, including new state constitutions and protections for African Americans.

Yet the collapse of Reconstruction had consequences that extended far beyond the nineteenth century. Even 100 years after emancipation, Black Americans were still fighting for basic civil rights.

Community coming together at Mother Emanuel after shooting

The Charleston massacre at Mother Emanuel shows why this history remains painful and relevant. The violence described in the documentary connects to a much longer history of racial terror against African Americans.

Reconstruction represented a moment when the United States had the opportunity to redefine what freedom truly meant. It achieved remarkable progress, but its unfinished promises left struggles that continued for generations.

AI Disclosure: AI was used throughout this blogpost for formatting. I took ample notes while watching a documentary on the Reconstruction Era. I then used Copilot to help me clean up the text for grammar, spelling and punctuation. I asked the tool to help me shape it into the form of a blog post. I then edited the text, added links, and added images and captions. 

Plessy v. Ferguson Mock Trial Reaction Post

An African American citizen sitting in the same car as a white citizen.

The Plessy v. Ferguson mock trial raised an important question: Did Louisiana’s Separate Car Act violate Homer Plessy’s rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment? Plessy, an African American man who could “pass” as white, purchased a first-class ticket and sat in a railroad car designated for white passengers. After refusing to leave the car, he was arrested for violating Louisiana’s Separate Car Act. 

Plessy’s side argued that separating citizens based on race went against the idea of equality. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, yet the presentation argued that the country was not living up to that principle. Simply claiming that segregation was customary did not necessarily make it right.

One argument that stood out to me was the question of where segregation could lead. If a state had the authority to separate people in railway cars, what else could it separate? This argument showed that the case involved more than just where someone could sit on a train.

Plessy’s side also presented segregation as an economic problem. Requiring businesses to provide separate accommodations forced them to divide their resources, potentially affecting both companies and their customers. In fact, the railroad involved in Plessy’s case opposed the law because of the additional expenses associated with providing separate cars. 

Water fountains showing they are not treated equally

Ferguson’s side presented a very different perspective. They argued that the Separate Car Act separated passengers without legally treating them unequally. According to this argument, the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed equality under the law, but it did not require social integration.

Ferguson's Position also relied heavily on custom. Segregation had existed in society for years, and the defense argued that laws should be understood within those established customs. The argument claimed that feelings of inferiority came from how people interpreted separation rather than from the law itself, a position also reflected in the Supreme Court majority’s reasoning. 

Ultimately, the Supreme Court sided with Ferguson and upheld Louisiana’s segregation law, establishing the infamous “separate but equal” doctrine. 

The mock trial showed me how differently the idea of “equality” can be interpreted. Can two groups truly be equal under the law if the law requires them to be separated?

AI Disclosure: AI was used throughout this blogpost for formatting. I took ample notes while watching my peers mock trial. I then used Copilot to help me clean up the text for grammar, spelling and punctuation. I asked the tool to help me shape it into the form of a blog post. I then edited the text, added links, and added images and captions. 

EOTO The Reconstruction Era: First Black Members of Congress

Group of black American political leaders who gained representation during the Reconstruction Era.

The Reconstruction Era was a major turning point in American history. After the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, the United States faced the challenge of rebuilding the South and determining what freedom would actually mean for millions of formerly enslaved African Americans.

One of the most positive developments during Reconstruction was the growth of Black political participation. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment established citizenship and equal protection under the law, and the 15th Amendment protected voting rights regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. These amendments created new opportunities for African Americans to participate in American democracy.

For the first time in American history, Black Americans began serving in the United States Congress.

Hiram Revels

Hiram Revels of Mississippi became the first African American to serve in Congress when he took his oath as a U.S. senator on February 25, 1870. His entrance into the Senate was a historic moment. The Senate galleries were packed with visitors, and people applauded as Revels entered the chamber to take his oath.

Revels had already spent much of his life helping others before entering politics. Born free in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1827, he became a minister and educator and helped form regiments of African American soldiers during the Civil War. He also served as a Union Army chaplain and established schools for formerly enslaved people.

His time in the Senate was relatively short, but his presence was extremely meaningful. Revels became an outspoken opponent of racial segregation and broke new ground for African American representation in Congress.

His achievement represented how much had changed since the end of slavery.

Joseph H. Rainey

Later in 1870, Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina broke another political barrier. He became the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and was sworn into office in December 1870.

Rainey's personal story makes his achievement even more significant. He was born enslaved in Georgetown, South Carolina, in 1832, and his parents eventually purchased their family's freedom. After the Civil War, Rainey became active in South Carolina politics before reaching the national level. 

There was also an important difference between how Revels and Rainey reached Congress. Revels was selected for the Senate by the Mississippi state legislature, while Rainey became the first African American directly elected to Congress by his constituents. 

Rainey did more than simply break a racial barrier. During more than eight years in the House, he worked to advance civil rights legislation, fund public schools, and guarantee equal protection under the law. He also used his position to advocate for the concerns of African Americans on the House floor. 

The accomplishments of Revels and Rainey also helped mark the beginning of a larger change in American politics. Between 1870 and 1901, 20 Black representatives and two Black senators served in Congress, where they pursued reforms and represented their constituents.

Reconstruction did not eliminate racism or create complete equality. Black political leaders continued to face discrimination, violence, difficult elections, and attempts to weaken Black political participation. Rainey, for example, faced threats of violence even after winning election. 

However, these challenges make the accomplishments of the first Black members of Congress even more meaningful.

Only a few years after slavery ended, African Americans were serving in the federal government and helping shape the nation's laws. Hiram Revels and Rainey demonstrated the possibilities created during Reconstruction and gave Black Americans representation at the national level.

Their stories show one of the most positive outcomes of Reconstruction: African Americans were beginning to gain a political voice in a government that had previously denied them basic rights and representation.

AI Disclosure: AI was used heavily throughout this blogpost. I used Copilot, and I explained what the project was and my part in it. I then had it help me find information, and help me shape it into the form of a blog post. I then edited the text, added links, and added images and captions. 

Gone With The Wind Reaction Post

 

Scarlett socializing before the Civil War when everything changed. 

As I watched Gone with the Wind, I noticed a major shift in the characters' personalities and values as the Civil War began. The movie begins by portraying the life of a young privileged woman in the south. However, as war begins, the tone shifts from spoiled and privileged to destruction and survival. This rapid change throughout the south, and the southerners priorities is what stuck out to me the most throughout the movie.  

Specifically, I found that Scarlett O'Hara experienced a dramatic shift which caused her to learn more about herself. 

Before the war, Scarlett was a spoiled young lady who was used to getting her way. She was mainly focused on her romantic life and social status. Scarlett flirted with all of the men, and loved all of the attention she got, despite only truly loving the one person she could not have. Ashley Wilkes. 

Growing up with everything being handed to her, and getting lots of attention from men around her caused her to rely on others for everything. 

Scarlett showing independence due to the result of the Civil War.

Although, as the war brought destruction, death, and chaos to the town, Scarlett had to learn to be more independent.  

I also believe that Scarlett's development in character is meant to represent southern women as a whole at the time, and how the War gave them the opportunity to prove their knowledge and skills. Women were never taken seriously in this era, so by taking on responsibilities they were able to prove themselves and show they have important qualities as well. 

Though I was not present to actually experience any of this in real life, I felt the movie did a good job portraying how quickly things in the south changed. Despite finding some things accurate, some things I found were not very realistic compared to other facts I know about this era. 

More specifically, I thought that slavery in the movie wasn't represented correctly. 

Mammy and Scarlett's relationship

Throughout the film, relationships between slaves, and white slave owners are depicted in a much closer, and comfortable way rather than showing the full negative effects they faced. 

In particular, mammy was portrayed to have a close, comfortable relationship with the whole family. Along with that, she also seemed to have some power and freedom. 

The sad reality at the time was slaves were not treated that well. 

Although slaves could grow a close connection with the family they worked for, I believe the movie made it seem a lot less toxic and wrong than it actually was. 

I found Mammy, who was played by Hattie McDaniel, also had a strong influence on the importance of the message in the movie. 

Hattie was the first African American to win an Academy Award. This accomplishment adds another deeper layer to her role in the movie and represents how times have changed. 

Gone with the Wind did a good job displaying the hardships of everyone during the Civil War while also playing into the stereotypes of the south at the time and creating a romance out of it.