Introduction
From the 1890s to the 1920s, the United States’ history faced an era of intense social and political change aimed at making progress toward a better society by solving problems in many areas such as the economy, education, labor, politics, environment, and transportation. This era came after the Reconstruction, a period between 1865-1877 that tried to redress the inequalities of social, economic, slavery, and political legacy and solve the problems after the American Civil War (Downs and Masur 4). Around 1910, the term “progressive” became widely used to describe a large, weakly defined political movement of organizations and individuals seeking fundamental change in American political and social life (Foner 659). The progressive era produced millions of jobs, leading to an economic expansion and bringing unmatched production of various goods within reach of American citizens (Foner 658). By 1920, cities had grown rapidly, and there were more people living in towns and cities than in rural areas. On the other hand, inequality remained the most conspicuous characteristic of the cityscape, and repeated labor unrest raised the question of what the government was doing to address it (Foner 658). Therefore, this paper will discuss the success and failures that resulted from Reconstruction through the progressive era.
Successes from Reconstruction through the Progressive Era
During the Reconstruction period, the modern civil rights movement advocated for the enactment of a national anti-lynching statute, access to defense employment, and an end to segregation. As a result, the Reconstruction period saw the establishment of the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) and the banning of discrimination in jobs related to defense (Foner 603). Even though the FEPC was weak in enforcing laws, it marked a tremendous change in public policy. Later, the commission would play an essential role in obtaining employment for the black in shipyards and industries during the progressive era. During this era, the traditional gender roles also changed because of the aftermath of the Triangle fire, which was one of the worst fire disasters in the history of America (Foner 251). Women took new jobs in the making of public policy and new responsibilities in the work environment.
In southern California, for example, Lockheed, the aircraft manufacturer, drove special buses into black-dominated neighborhoods; this strategy enabled blacks to be transported to various plants. This was a success of the Reconstruction era that saw 1 million blacks, 300,000 of them being women, to be employed in manufacturing jobs by 1944 (Foner 603). Between the 1880s and 1990s, the Reconstruction governments struggled to solve the transport issue by financing the construction of railroads which prompted the economic developments in the south (Foner 753). Even though political issues faced this era, the 1883 Civil Service Reform Act was enacted to put most federal employees on the merit system and end the so-called “corrupt system,” allowing the federal government to become more professional and rational.
During the Reconstruction period, Americans managed to destroy slavery and struggle as part of their move to create a free and equal nation. African Americans who worked from the Cotton Belt of the Mississippi to the rice plantations of the Sea Islands were in unity to destroy slavery (Downs and Masur 2). In the early 1870s, Republican state governments came up with new policies entirely fought by the democrats. The Republicans proposed the taxing of large landholders and passed a law that favored debtors over creditors. The taxing law allowed the tax money to be invested in public school systems for black and white children and other infrastructure projects (Downs and Masur 2). These laws influenced the progress toward a better society by solving problems in many areas such as the economy, education, labor, politics, environment, and transportation.
Failures from Reconstruction through the Progressive Era
Even though the Reconstruction era was driven by the vision of racial equality and freedom, an elitist and racist ideal was ascendant. For example, in the 1890s, the southern Democrats passed state laws to disenfranchise black men and declare that African Americans were an unequal caste of people. The Reconstruction seemed to get to an end when the Supreme Court, in its 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision, accepted the constitutionality of racial segregation and also disenfranchisement in Williams v. Mississippi (Foner 751). This decision resulted in a violent coup in 1898 by white Democrats pushing biracial Republicans-Populist out of government. The process killed hundreds of black North Carolinians who held protests. The Plessy ruling allowed for segregation, and this became standard throughout the southern united states (Foner 755). The ruling resulted in the institutionalization of the Jim Crow period, whereby everybody was required to get the same type of public services but within different institutions for each race.
Although the 15th Amendment was meant to do away with segregation based on color, race, and past servitude conditions in the Reconstruction period, the Supreme Court undermined its powers, leading to a loss of a series of cases in the 1870s. Women were more excluded from formal politics, and black men’s entrenchment came under increasing attack despite the existence of the fifteenth Amendment (Downs and Masur 2). Many laws that disenfranchised black voters were established in southern states. These restrictive laws were introduced by state legislatures, making the election and voter registration rules more complex. In addition, literacy exams and other restrictions were enforced arbitrarily, negatively affecting most blacks’ ability to vote. It wasn’t until the 1950s and later that these discriminatory behaviors were outlawed. In practice, the Plessy ruling created facilities for both whites and African Americans but reduced the quality offered to blacks (Downs and Masur 8). For example, schools meant for African Americans received less funding than schools meant for whites.
Conclusion
The successes and failures of Reconstruction through the progressive era continue to hold many lessons for the current and future generations in the United States. Even though the era reminds Americans of the liberation of many slaves from bondage and the deep racial prejudices and the lasting economic and political inequalities that existed for the former slaves, this era also points out the possibilities of moving beyond racism toward a more just society. The way former slaves fought for their American rights is an excellent example of how ordinary people can team up and change history. Today, Americans enjoy various advocated reforms ranging from female suffrage, labor, improved working conditions, urban improvement, education, prisons, and government reorganization as a result of Reconstruction. Therefore, institutions like schools need to identify ways of bringing attention to Reconstruction and the Progressive era to make Americans historical self-conscious while looking at how the events helped the U.S become a great nation after its earlier falls.
Works Cited
Downs, Gregory P., and Kate Masur. The Era of Reconstruction: 1861-1900. National Park Service, 2017.
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History | 6th Edition | Volume 2. Norton, 2019.