DBQ Essay

Thesis:

Between 1860 and 1877 there were many changes both socially and in legislation

which represented a revolution of sorts due to the fact that the changing ideas and

attitudes of people reached Congress and caused alterations to be made in the

Constitution, the very foundation of this country.

Constitutionally:

* The Civil Rights Act of 1866 redefined what it was to be a black in America.

* The legislative changes allowed blacks to move from being the underlings in a country

based on servitude, to at least on paper having some of the same opportunities as whites.

* The federal government did not previously think it was their place to grant black

suffrage.

Socially:

* Blacks in post-Civil War America felt that the union owed them and they began to

expect to be treated differently and protected by the union which they had served so well.

* White southerners for the most part only felt more aggression and animosity than ever

toward the blacks, which were no longer their possessions.

* The blacks being more demanding, and the whites being more upset led to many violent

conflicts between the two races.

Conclusion:

This was most definitely a revolutionary time period for the United States. The

blacks were now free and expected to receive the rights and privileges which came with

the title Unites States Citizen. However, there was the constant cloud of racism over

them due to the increased animosity directed toward the blacks from the white

southerners. Certain legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 helped somewhat,

but the discrimination and tension was still there. Altogether, the changes to the

Constitution and the changes in people s attitudes made this a time period which can

certainly be considered revolutionary as it altered the course of American history and

helped keep alive the legacy of slavery.