How successful was Reconstruction? Consider political, social, and economic factors.
Reconstruction was for the majority, a failure politically, socially, and economically. It was a failure politically when Andrew Johnson came into presidency; he opposed assisting blacks, which caused a devastating halt in the quest for equality. Though the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments passed, they weren't enforced. Since the amendments weren't enforced the majority of the time there were ways for racist southerners to work around the law making it impossible for Blacks to put their new rights into action.
Andrew Johnson let the same racist plantation owners, and confederate officials back into power. They bent the laws to work in their favor and were free to terrorize, hang, shoot, and rape slaves anyway they felt like. Sick of the war, and deepening involvement with reconstruction socially, the whole country seemed to tire with the concerns of the freed slaves. .
Economically reconstruction was unsuccessful in trying to get the new freed slaves back to work. With restrictions on where Black men and women could work in the South, there were virtually no jobs but the previous slave duties they had. Share cropping also robbed Blacks of the crops and profits that were rightfully theirs. The whole southern mentality to try to keep the Blackman from advancement put a halt on the Blackman from ever making a decent wage. All in all, reconstruction was a failure.
2. In her work as a journalist, Ida B. Wells challenged social norms. By citing specific examples, explain the nature of these norms and how she challenged them. .
Ida B. Wells was a pioneer in her time. Not only was an educated Black journalist, she was a woman. Just being who she was, broke the stereotypical role African Americans and women were portrayed in society at that time. Being a ground breaking journalist she reported things that where kept hidden from the public, writing about horrific accounts of lynching and other forms on terrorism on blacks, very few had the courage to tell the truth like she did.
