Reconstruction Video Reflection

Learning about reconstruction after the Civil War was something I found super interesting. I had not realized that there were many different things to rebuild. There was a lot of damage to buildings that had to be rebuilt while the economy was also struggling. Resources and money were limited, making it more challenging to rebuild. Basically everything needed to be rebuild, like education, government, and more.

There was also big changes in government and in schooling. African Americans were now able to be a part of government. This would change the dynamic of running for government. With education, there needed to be more opportunities now. This is when black universities started to become popular. There still was so many areas for improvement to make everything fair. Some of the white people especially in the south were stuck in a pre-war mindset, making reconstruction still a time of struggle.

During reconstruction, African Americans were finally able to become economically independent. They were given new opportunities, like the ability to buy land and start their own businesses. They were able to have different jobs than before. They could be a police officer or they could be a judge. Even though there was independence, they still weren't given every opportunity that a white person had.

Families were reunited and friendships were formed. Groups were formed and new communities were created. There was also change in religion as they had complete freedom in worshiping. The churches became more than just church. It involved things like politics and teaching. 

There were negative sides during reconstruction along with the areas that had the ability to grow. The amount of crimes towards African Americans grew. There were still white supremacists that believed that African Americans’ shouldn’t be a part of government. The whites did not want to give up the power of being in control of everything. They didn’t want to give the African Americans’ a chance to try. 

When a former confederate general named Robert E. Lee died, white southerners grieved like they had lost the war again for the second time. They closed schools, lined newspapers in black, and they wore sashes. These southerners were holding onto life before reconstruction, making it hard for everyone as a whole to move on. The white southerners needed to let everything go for there to be fair chance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NNYPWhRhks