After the ending of the Civil War, there were two problems in U. S. society between blacks and whites. One of them was the problem of elections and the right to vote. Giving blacks suffrage was essential because it denoted that both whites and blacks would hold political power. This is a very frightening thing for many white southerners because they have, in effect, lost control over what they had deemed to be their birthright, which is the right to run these governments (Walker, 00:09:49 -00:10:05). Thus, despite the alleged establishment of racial equality, the problem of giving blacks the right to vote remained topical in the U. S.
An equally significant problem that haunted the United States after the end of the Civil War was the destruction of plantations and the issue of their division. Although a federal decree returned the plantations to their original owners, their claims on the land were fiercely resisted by freedmen (Narrator, 00:12:58-00:13:07). Thus, some blacks agreed to joint land ownership, but many landed proprietors expected something large than their piece.
To resolve the disagreement over granting political rights to blacks, Republican candidate Ulysses S. Grant was nominated for the presidency. There was a kind of new politics of reconciliation, a need to bring South and North together because it would be good for the economy, federal government, expansion, and growth (Blight, 00:25:18-00:25:31). As for the work on the plantations, the landowners, on the one hand, needed to make a profit; on the other hand, they had to satisfy the needs of the workers, which they managed with difficulty. The Negroes threw all our authority to the wind and followed Campbell wherever he chose to lead them (Fan Butler, 00:41:05-00:41:13). It was impossible to reach an agreement between blacks and whites, as neither party was ready for change. Great changes take time…, one of the tragedies of Reconstruction is that it only lasted such a short period of time (Blight, 01:20:57-01:21:08). Thus, despite the measures taken, the problem of justice in American society remained relevant and unresolved.
Reference
Moffett, I. (2016). Reconstruction Part 2 of 2 [Video]. YouTube.