Vianey Joachin History 1700 MW 5:30-6:50 11/6/13

Equality and the Vote in Reconstruction

The articles for the dueling document talked about the equality of votes. It discussed how some people wanted to integrate and help the African American to come together to join society. While others were concern with loosing their slaves. Both of the side brought good points to the argument over the voting rights. Overall, I believe that the opposing view was afraid of the change. Meanwhile the supporting part was ready to see the development of our country.

The first article is from the African Americans point of views. They go into the article to explain how even as some opposed they were given the right by the United States government to be free black men. Then they go on to say that as freemen they have the equal right to have the same freedom as other white men. The free black men believe that they should be treated as equal and not to be judge by the color of there skin. Later, they go back to reinstating that as the Declaration of Independence said that they were guaranteed that all free citizens of this government would be treated equally.

The second article on the document talks about the opposite point of view. This was about all the people that opposed the freedom of the slaves which were the southerner leaders. They wanted the government to grant them with slaves freedom but with a few

requirements. These requirements would have been very difficult for a slave to accomplish. The opposition wanted them to own real estate valued at no less than two hundred and fifty dollars. They also wanted them to pay taxes. After, those requirements they said that they would accept the union.

The third article is from the people that wanted equality privileges. They go into the article to provide many examples on how if we didnt help the slaves to get back on there feet they would not be able to integrate with the rest of th e Americans. The author goes on to say that without our help the free slaves will not be able to get an education, understand laws, and manage business. He felt that without the necessary help the slave might as well have remain with their masters because they will not survive out in the world. They strongly believe that the south was benefiting from the weaker races and that they did not want the change.

Two of the articles go on to say that they approve the right for free black to vote. This all started after the second awakening the north was very focused on the fact that slavery was a sin. This brought the first eye opening for the north. They wanted to abolish slavery in the south. As the north became more drawn into this they wanted to find answers. So the most reliable source they found was the book named Uncle Toms Cabin. This book was an inflammatory book and its purpose was to promote abolition of slavery. This gave some of the fact about slavery that the north needed. When the south heard about this book they defended themselves stating that in the bible it said that slaves must obey there master. They also argued that Greece and Rome where built by slaves. The south wanted to excuse their reason for having slaves. By the time President Lincoln was elected the south was very afraid

that he would abolish slavery. The south then decided to seceded from the union and became its own. They elected a president and started a war with the United States. The south did not want the slaves to be free. The United states end it up winning the war. When it came time for the states to come back to the union they were imposed some conditions to join again. First, by the president of the United States which at the time was Johnson. Then by the Congress the reconstruction took into affect without the south imposing rules on slaves. All of these events helped to bring about the end of slavery. It open the way for change and improvement. It provided equality by ending segregation.

On the second article was about the people that opposed the equal right to vote. The leader of the south goes as far as starting a way with the United States. This was the first movement that separated us as a union because of the different views about slavery. The second sign that show that this was not going to change was the fact that after the south lost the war they still wanted to continue to impose on slaves. At first, when the president wrote the reconstruction of the south they went ahead and still created black codes. These gave them power to control curfews, employment restrictions, and moving restrictions. They went as far as making voting restrictions that included literacy test, poll taxes, and the grandfather clause. The grandfather clause did not allow the current freeman slaves to vote but their future kids would be able to. When the congress reconstruction came about they had to drop these restrictions and allow free slaves to vote but they found another way to intimidate them. They created groups that would scare free black man from voting by threating them to kill their family. These were attempts to maintain slavery in the south and maintain some control over free black men.

I agree with the north on their point of view .I feel that the slaves deserve to be free because they did a lot to help the economy grow. I also consider that they should have an equal right just like the rest of the citizens. They funded this country along with the whites because at the end we were all immigrants. We all came to this country to have a new start in the new world. They worked so hard with out benefits and they work until death. All they knew where long hours of works and bad treatment. They deserve some improvement after all that they had been through. I think that it was easier for the south to have an inferior class below them in order to make a bigger profit. The nation needs to allow different culture to enter into this country that was funded by immigrants. At the end, I believe that by freeing the slaves this gave a wider range of culture, options, and opinions. It expands this country as the land of hopes and dreams. Like in the book of Horatio Alger wrote if you work hard and you can obtain fortune. This gave others hope of a better future.