Reconstrction Era

The reconstruction era changed many things in the Unites States. It had some positive and negative effects of American life. Education in America became more important and African Americans were given places in congress. Along wit these positive effects came negative effects. There was segregation is schools and other public places, and hate groups, such as the KKK were formed. The effects of the reconstruction are still noticeable today.

The reconstruction had many positive effects on schools and education. In the 1870's 4,000 public schools were opened. This meant that both black and white people were now able to get an education. 9,000 teachers, both black and white, were recruited for these schools. So this offered blacks and whites more jobs and a better education.

During the reconstruction African Americans began to take places in congress. In 1870 Hiram Revels became a senator to Mississippi. Revels served for a little bit over a year, but now the barrier was broken. Between the years 1869 to 1901 20 African Americans came into congress. Another positive effect was the Freedman's Bureau. This was an organization that gave food and shelter to African Americans. The positive effects of the reconstruction were crucial to the development of African American culture.

The reconstruction also brought a few negative effects to the United States and the American people. Even though now the American people, including African Americans, had more resources for education, conflicts were brought up. Not everyone agreed with blacks and white having the same rights because some whites still believed that they were superior to blacks, so this brought along segregation and racism in public schools. Segregation and racism led to many more things in both the North and the South.

Hatred and racism caused hate groups to form. The most infamous group was the Ku Klux Klan. This was a secret terrorist organization that committed hate crimes