![]() ![]() In this political cartoon from 1865 (b), Lincoln and his vice president, Andrew Johnson, endeavor to sew together the torn pieces of the Union. Le Mere thought a standing pose of Lincoln would be popular. In the North, racial segregation already limited black lives, and would grow more far-reaching in the decades ahead.Thomas Le Mere took this albumen silver print (a) of Abraham Lincoln in April 1863. As black people claimed new privileges, many Southern whites felt threatened and wronged, and they sometimes turned violent. All were a reminder of how radically different their lives were now.īut significant hazards lay ahead. Other steps were simple but liberating, like visiting a friend without the permission of a white person, or resting instead of working. Some actions were profound, such as voting, or reuniting with family members who had been sold, or learning to read. They represented what people believed they deserved, just because they were Americans.Īfter the war, African Americans could claim these rights and freedoms for the first time, and they took steps they had previously only dreamed of. But those twelve years changed the meaning of citizenship fundamentally, for black people and for all Americans.Īmerica was founded on revolutionary principles: the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, democracy, and equality. The struggle for black freedom and equality during Reconstruction produced long strides forward and bruising setbacks. An urgent contest for power erupted in Washington and throughout the country. He brought his support for white supremacy to the helm of government. ![]() President Johnson agreed with the latter. Others wanted the old America, with strict racial lines intact and whites in control. ![]() Some envisioned a radically new interracial democracy. Would black people now be accepted as equals? The country was deeply divided. Vice President Andrew Johnson took over.Ī burning question faced the nation during Reconstruction. Just at this crucial moment, a Southern sympathizer killed President Lincoln. America needed to reunite, heal, and change. ![]() Reconstruction began with the Confederate surrender that ended the Civil War. ![]()
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