Greetings, Students.
Please take a moment to consider how your reading, this documentary and/or our class discussion explores how the Reconstruction Era was a failure of peace and a failure of community.
How does this knowledge of the Reconstruction Era challenge, affirm or change your understanding of American Culture/History, African American Culture/History or/and your community?
Dr. Hill
1) I think something that was interesting that I learned from seeing the short clip is the involvement is the involvement of the slaves in the Civil War meaning how their were many rebellions against former slave owner and their oppressors. In school most of us are never really taught about the African American involvement in the Civil Wars.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed this clip as it was one of the first things that I actually didn't learn in high school. I always thought that it was odd how in high school history the conversation of blacks and whites disappears between the civil war and civil rights movement. I always wondered how something, that APPARENTLY had no note worthy impact on our history for over a 100 years, could still perpetuate itself. This is a fine example of how much impact racism had on our history.
ReplyDeleteThere is a question that I would like to consider. It feels to me that reconstruction was the origin of racism. Now I know that we enslaved Africans/African Americans, impart , by how they were visually identifiable. But I feel that after the Emancipation there was no mix, at all, of race as there was, some, in the previous institution of slavery and comodifide bodies African Americans were the only target of the onslaught. This is simply food for thought.
ReplyDeleteI did not realize how violent the reconstruction era was. It was appalling to see how people treated these newly freed slaves. I also did not know that the reconstruction era gave rise to the first terror organization that America has seen. The clip was very informative and interesting to watch. This seems to be a part of American history that is less mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to know that even after the civil war, violence continued so dramatically. Prior to watching these videos I did not understand that the Reconstruction period involved significant problems with freed slaves. I had heard about it but never tried to delve deeper into the subject.
ReplyDeleteI was not surprised at all of the outcome after the abolishment of slavery. Of course the newly freed slaves were going to face trials and tribulations.We, as African Americans, continue to face racism to this day. No law has yet come to full affect against our rights.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I was not too surprised about the treatment of African Americans after the abolishing of slavery, since it is hard to even think that whites would easily accept that there were free slaves and that they could not have complete control over blacks anymore. Of course we do not hear about the treatment of freed slaves after slavery was abolished, we only are taught what society wants us to know. I was however shocked to hear that there were African Americans who obtained political positions after this time period.
ReplyDeleteI am completely surprised by the way that african americans were treated after the civil war ended. Its crazy to me to see freed slaves having to go through trials and how violent the reconstruction era was. The ways racism has changed over the years is crazy to think about.
ReplyDeleteI was always taught that reconstruction was the time period where our country was put back together.I was never encouraged to ask the important questions like why, if reconstruction was the time period to bring the north and south together, the conditions of the black people never got any better. Learning this new information is insightful as to what African Americans really meant to Americas government and politics. Learning that abolishing slavery was all about money and capitalism, that the north feared the south because slavery was a huge industry that did not benefit the government at all are realities children are neglected to learn in school. See that the government sacrificed African Americans as sort of an insurance so that the bitter whites southerners would cooperate with the north is disgusting. How I see it, even though we were free from slavery, that power that slave holders had was just transferred to the government and during the reconstruction era. Where there should have been laws to protect us and bring security our new owners allowed us be used as punching bags for those who lost family members, homes and all their money in the civil war.
ReplyDeleteI can't say that I was surprised by the way that African Americans were treated during the reconstruction era. I would never expect a white man to just willingly accept that his slaves were now free. Especially with slavery being such a large part of society. I will say that I was definitely uniformed about just how bad the treatment of freed slaves were. In school, the horrible treatment of African Americans was never really mentioned but they would discuss how the reconstruction era was a time for America to rebuild and reassemble after the civil war. As someone commented earlier, it did always seem that there was a missing piece between the civil war and civil rights movement and now I see why. There wasn't much that changed after the civil war and efforts to change did not work. I think the video did a good job of explaining the reality of the Reconstruction Era that many people (or at least myself) did not know before.
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