As the Civil War drew to a close, the Southern states were in shambles. Most of the battles had been fought in the South, so the Southerners' lands and property were in dire need of repair. Their economy was threatened, too, by the expense of war and the emancipation of the slaves. In his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction in 1863, President Lincoln pardoned most of the high-ranking Southern officials, explained how the states could...
As the Civil War drew to a close, the Southern states were in shambles. Most of the battles had been fought in the South, so the Southerners' lands and property were in dire need of repair. Their economy was threatened, too, by the expense of war and the emancipation of the slaves. In his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction in 1863, President Lincoln pardoned most of the high-ranking Southern officials, explained how the states could re-join the Union, and made certain provisions for the newly freed slaves to integrate into society.
Frederick Douglass thought that Lincoln’s Reconstruction program didn’t do enough to help the former slaves succeed. Although they’d been granted freedom, they weren’t considered full U.S. citizens, and so they were denied the right to vote. Douglass became a suffragist. He was a skilled orator, and he toured the country giving speeches which inspired many others to join his cause.
In 1870, largely due to Douglass’s work, the 15th Amendment was added to the constitution:
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Of course, this didn’t erase the problems of racism and discrimination. Douglass was a strong proponent of civil rights throughout his political career, promoting equality for African Americans, women, and immigrants.
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