Assessment Brief

n your original post, consider each of the following questions:
Radical Republicans and African Americans wanted to ensure that
Reconstruction was a time period in which Freedmen gained formal legal
rights and new economic opportunities. In light of these goals, which of
the following do you think was the most surprising outcome of the
Reconstruction period (1863-1877):
– That white Southerners violently challenged African Americans and
instead cast themselves as victims of Northern political decisions by
century’s end.
– That President Johnson actively sided with white Southerners, including their desire to take back land given to the Freedmen.
– That the Federal government and Northerners lost interest in protecting Freedmen’s rights by the mid 1870s.
Finally, do you think Reconstruction was a success or a failure in
light of its goals of protecting Freedmen’s rights (think especially
about what the Radical Republicans wanted to accomplish in advancing the
rights of the Freedmen)? Add evidence and examples to support your
assessment.
For your reply post, find a classmate that agrees with your original
position regarding the success or failure of Reconstruction and then
counter their argument with evidence from course readings. In other
words, if you thought Reconstruction succeeded, find a classmate who
also thought it a success and write a reply detailing the areas in which
Reconstruction policy failed.