Problem:
Discuss the results of the Reconstruction process, 1863-1877. The core issue, simply put, is did Reconstruction succeed or did it fail, or is the verdict more mixed? Identify and speak to the various goals and needs in reconstructing the economies, societies, and governing structures of the defeated ex-Confederate states. Were these achieved or abandoned?
Most prominently, a central task of Reconstruction was the incorporation of the freed people (4 million ex-slaves) into the body politic with rights and opportunities to become full and equal participating citizens. Was this realized? What rights and opportunities did Reconstruction offer the freed people? What factors and circumstances served to undermine the aspirations and full citizenship of the former slaves? How did white supremacy and the application of political violence play a role?