The time period between 1860 and 1877 was a time of turbulent political activity. In regards to this time of Reconstruction, a myriad of significant laws and bills were passed and made lasting changes to America and her constitution. Even though these laws and policies made up Reconstruction, they also made a revolution which changed America forever.
For the most part, Reconstruction was focused mainly on what should be done with the multitude of newly emancipated blacks. The big challenge was how to allocate civil rights and the enforcement of those rights to a race which for so long has been accustomed to the liberty-less institution of slavery. Some people believed that "We shall get rid of slavery by constitutional means. But conferring on the black civil rights is another matter" (Document D). Although this held a belief in parts of America especially in the South, radical republicans like Thaddeus Stevens made sure reforms went far past emancipation. After the 13th Amendment prohibiting the institution of slavery, two more amendments were passed in regard to creating and enforcing new liberties for the blacks. The 14th amendment, perhaps the greatest triumph for blacks, granted citizenship and equal protection of laws. This amendment, also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 destroyed " a civilization based on servitude gone for ever- ( Document F). Amendments like these " have revolutionized this Constitution of ours to that extent and every substantial change in the fundamental constitution of a country is a revolution." ( Document F). .
Following these amendments were a number of acts that enforced these newly gained rights. Acts such as the Ku Klux Klan Act and the 15th amendment prohibited the denial of suffrage on account of color or race. Protective acts such as these, made sure that the "revolutionary" policies would be substantial in effect and last a long time.
