Reconstruction era and African American politics

Reconstruction era is a significant component of American history. This period began in 1865 after the civil war and slavery. During this time, the Americans tried to foster unity and move together as a nation. Political, economic and social integration was the driving force of the reconstruction era, and a lot of successes has been realized over the time (Dagbovie, 2010). It is argued that black Americans are the biggest beneficiaries of this period though its agenda was to promote coherence and unity of the American people.

The biggest achievement of the reconstruction era is the abolishment of the slave trade in United States.  There was a proposed constitutional amendment to this effect. To further this objective, the Congress also ratified the Thirteenth Amendment that formally abolished the slave trade. In addition, the fourteenth Amendment was passed in 1867 that was designed to provide citizenship and civil liberties to the recently freed slaves. There were further achievements of the reconstruction era since the Congress also passed laws that allowed the black Americans to participate in elections.

It is worth noting that reconstruction brought about numerous and critical change to social and political structure in united states.  African Americans suffered a lot prior to the reconstruction era. They were subjected to considerable physical punishment, were not allowed to read or write nor were they allowed to legally marrying (Sadler, 2009). Africans were also moved against their wills and their families broken up without their consent. However, the reconstruction period has brought positive change such as abolishment of slavery and equal participation of all the Americans in political set up. This is evident from the election of President Barrack Obama in the recent American elections.

Despite the tremendous changes brought by the reconstruction period, there are still some challenges facing the black Americans at the end of the era and the beginning of the Jim Crow. There were few setbacks in the political and economic rights of the black Americans. It is worth noting that there was still tension in the relationship between the whites and the blacks, especially in the southerners. For instance, there were few Africans who worked in the iron foundries and steel mills. They were also restricted from working in the textile industries that were regarded as the major economic activity in the region. The Africans were confined to work on the farms as sharecroppers or tenant farmers. In essence, the civil rights of the African Americans were curtailed to a great extent.

Jim Crow laws of segregation

A further setback after the reconstruction era is evidenced by the presence of the Jim Crow laws and segregation. His assertions seemed to contradict the provision of the Civil rights Act of 1875. From the provisions of this Act prohibited the discrimination of the blacks in certain amenities such as hotels, theaters, and railroads. However, this rule was challenged in corridors of justice and declared invalid (Hsiao, 2014). The courts suggested that civil rights should be distinguished from the social rights. Following this invalidation, several laws, especially in the southern states, legalized segregation of the black Americans mostly in schools, hospitals and restaurants. Jim Crow’s laws of apartheid were finalized after the case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). The Supreme Court judge asserted that this did not violate the provisions of the 14th Amendment since segregation did not violate the equal protection clause in the constitution. This was a major setback to the achievement of the reconstruction movement.

In the political point of view, there were also major setbacks after the reconstruction era. There was a political influence of the blacks even after the era, but this did not last for long. This was brought about after the concept of racism took center stage during the 1890s. The poor whites and the blacks formed an alliance that would significantly influence the political scene (Hsiao, 2014). Though the fifteenth amendment provided equal participation of the whites and blacks in the election process, the southern states tried to disenfranchise the blacks in the political process.  There were several constitutional limitations especially in Mississippi where the blacks would be disqualified to participate in electoral processes (Dagbovie, 2010). For instance, the grandfather clause is one of the significant restrictions whereby only people whose fathers or grandfathers had participated in the 1867 elections would be allowed to vote.

Democratic system (pluralism)

The process of democratization has been on a tremendous rise since the pre reconstruction period. It refers to a process whereby there is a government for the people by the people. It is the objective of every democracy to ensure that there is the equal participation of all the citizens in the electoral process. The choice of who governs America  is not only defined by the question of who casts the vote but also the model of governance plays a significant role in defining governance. African Americans response to increased segregation has made them a strong political force in the American politics (King, 2010).  This model is of the opinion that all members have an opportunity to use their political mobilization and skills to influence political outcomes.

In response to the unfair treatment of the blacks by the whites, the black Americans worked as groups and thus acquiring great bargaining powers as far as politics is concerned. They had an excellent opportunity to sway political outcomes and this lead to the conclusion that pluralism model was the best in America. The Africa American had participated in pluralism since 1960s especially during the rainbow politics. The black Americans have benefited immensely from the pluralist model since they have always voted for the leaders who will safeguard the interest of the blacks (Hsiao, 2014). The ability of the African Americans to work as a group has been instrumental in their participation in the pluralism model of democracy.

Conclusion

Africans are an integral part of the American community and are significant in decision making and other matters of national importance. However, they have suffered a lot in the hands of the white Americans. Nevertheless, the reconstruction movement has strived to redeem the African Americans from this bondage, and some positive results confirmed. The ratification of the thirteenth, fourteenth and the fifteenth Amendments has been the most notable achievements of the reconstruction era (King, 2010).  Abolishing the slave trade and granting them citizenship were some of the critical contributions of the reconstruction period.

In conclusion, reconstruction was a success story, especially to the African Americans. Despite the numerous challenges such segregation and discrimination even after the reconstruction, there has been positive results (Mair & Biezen, 2014). African Americans have been a major part of the American democracy where they have held serious electoral positions and participated fully in an election process. The southern states have also adopted pluralism model where the input of the blacks is highly appreciated. It is worth understanding that although some of the laws set up were not strictly followed, the reconstruction era formed the basis upon which the African American rights are protected.

References

Dagbovie, P. (2010). African American history reconsidered. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

Hsiao, K. (2014). Political Pluralism a Study in Contemporary Political Theory. London: Routledge.

King, K. (2010). African American politics. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Mair, P., & Biezen, I. (2014). On parties, party systems, and democracy: Selected writings of Peter Mair. Colchester, U.K.: ECPR Press.

Sadler, J. (2009). African American History: An introduction (Rev. ed.). New York: Peter Lang.

Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?