Thesis:
Between 1860 and 1877 there were many changes both socially and in legislation
which represented a revolution of sorts due to the fact that the changing ideas and attitudes of people reached Congress and caused alterations to be made in the Constitution, the very foundation of this country.
Constitutionally:
* The Civil Rights Act of 1866 redefined what it was to be a black in America.
* The legislative changes allowed blacks to move from being the underlings in a country
based on servitude, to at least on paper having some of the same opportunities as whites.
* The federal government did not previously think it was their place to grant black
suffrage.
Socially:
* Blacks in post-Civil War America felt that the union owed them and they began to
expect to be treated differently and protected by the union which they had served so well.
* White southerners for the most part only felt more aggression and animosity than ever
toward the blacks, which were no longer their possessions.
* The blacks being more demanding, and the whites being more upset led to many violent
conflicts between the two races.
Conclusion:
This was most definitely a revolutionary time period for the United States. The
blacks were now free and expected to receive the rights and privileges which came with
the title Unites States Citizen. However, there was the constant cloud of racism over
them due to the increased animosity directed toward the blacks from the white
southerners. Certain legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 helped somewhat,
but the discrimination and tension was still there. Altogether, the changes to the
Constitution and the changes in peoples attitudes made this a time period which can
certainly be considered revolutionary as it altered the course of American history and
helped keep alive the legacy of slavery.
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