The History Cat: Reconstruction Era

Describes what the South was like after the Civil War ended. Many places were in ruins and people were desperately poor with many being homeless. Social structures had collapsed now that slaves had been freed. The Reconstruction era began under President Andrew Johnson but his initiatives got little support and he declared them finished before long. Things deteriorated further in the South and discrimination against blacks ran rampant. Andrew Johnson was impeached and Reconstruction plans moved ahead, with many blacks moving into positions of power while others still continued to be harassed and attacked.