Arguments for why Reconstruction was not a failure.
The Reconstruction implemented by Congress reorganized the Southern states after the Civil War, readmitted them into the Union, and defined the means by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society. Reconstruction was successful because it accomplished what it achieved, reintegration of African-Americans into the American political and social society. African Americans enjoyed a period when they were allowed to vote, actively participate in the political process, form political organizations and churches, establish some form of economic independence, acquire the land of former owners, seek their own employment, and use public accommodations.
African-Americans gained civil rights and emancipation during this Reconstruction period. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments all justified this cause. The 13th Amendment prohibited slavery, the 14th Amendment made ex-slaves citizens and guaranteed citizenship, while the 15th Amendment guaranteed blacks the right to vote. In the first time in history, America was creating a truly interracial democracy. Reconstruction also reorganized the state governments of the South. Black political leaders began to arise in the South like Senators Hiram Revels and Blanche K. Bruce. They were elected as delegates to state constitutional conventions. Most importantly, African-Americans could make decisions for themselves where they labored and the type of work they performed. Reconstruction also modernized South with Social reforms. They established adequate school systems, public works were launched, and property rights were guaranteed to women. The Civil War Reconstruction was a foundation for the modern civil rights movement in the United States "some which call it the 2nd Reconstruction.
