Reconstruction Era

The American Reconstruction Era (1863-1877) was a period that predominantly followed the Civil War and focused on the rebuilding of the nation's infrastructure and dealing with a society in the reunified North and South that had to find a place for freed slaves in all the states. Originally viewed as a post-war time where radical Republicans fastened black supremacy by putting some African Americans in office upon the defeated South, it is now viewed as an experiment in interracial democracy (Foner). Many freed slaves sided with the Southern Republican party and became voters for that party, much to the chagrin of the white Southerners. Despite the obstacles that poverty and white individuals presented black citizens on the path of education, African American leaders, such as black Methodists who built Tolson's Chapel to educate themselves and their children in Sharpsburg, Maryland, made efforts that had long-lasting effects on former slave-holding states ("African Americans and Education"). Nevertheless, the Reconstruction movement was met with resistance by many white Southerners and some Northerners because terrorist organizations like the KKK targeted local Republican leaders, former slaves, and people trying to assist these former slaves with beatings and threats (Foner). The issues would only compile politically and socially during the latter years of and following the Reconstruction Era. During the years of this era, thousands of black men, women, and children were assaulted, killed, or terrorized, and eventually, the United States Supreme Court blocked Congressional efforts to protect formerly enslaved people (Stevenson). Soon, more laws would be set in place to bar many African Americans from voting or holding office, especially in Southern states, and this would mark the beginning of the Jim Crow Laws for many scholars at the end of this era of African American social advancements, education, and political writings.

Although the writings of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois tell about events that occur during the Post-Reconstruction Era, the positive and negative effects of the previous era for African Americans affected the events in the stories and their writing. The history of educational advancements for African Americans in the Reconstruction Era deeply influenced black authors, particularly those such as Washington and Du Bois, to show deep appreciation in their writings. Washington shows gratitude for the Bible teachings of his teacher to provide him great literary skills on top of religious knowledge in Up From Slavery. Du Bois also writes much about his educational journey at Fisk University and his struggles as a teacher, and he even focuses specifically on these topics in chapter four of The Souls of Black Folk. The discrimination and terrorizing of white Southerners, the KKK, and others during the Reconstruction Era also impacted the later lives of these authors. Washington encourages his brethren to develop their intellects but submit to seeking good relations with their white neighbors and not push too hard for gains in civil rights. Du Bois rebukes this notion in chapter three of his book and demands that his brothers take civil action.

Works Cited

“African Americans and Education During Reconstruction: The Tolson’s Chapel Schools.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/articles/african-americans-and-education-during-reconstructi.... Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.