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Segregation and housing discrimination persisted to 2024, although immensely minimal, despite the efforts to dismantle racial segregation during Reconstruction. Discriminatory practices and policies emerged, leading to the ongoing segregation of communities and unequal access to quality housing options still occurring in the present.

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There are still lingerings of racial violence and hate groups that have not been eliminated in the era of Reconstruction.  The rise of white supremacist groups during Reconstruction, like the KKK, left a legacy of racial violence that echoes in modern hate crimes and acts of domestic terrorism against people of color, those who are/of African American (descent) ranking as the most targeted race for racial hate.

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Economic disparities is one of the issues persisting in the present due to the failures of Reconstruction. The economic opportunities promised during Reconstruction were often denied to African Americans, resulting in intergenerational wealth gaps and economic incongruity that continue to persist today.

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The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was a white supremacist organization, with its primary goal being intimidation and to oppress African Americans and their supporters, aiming to reverse their newfound rights and freedoms. The KKK exploited violence, terrorism, and targeted killings to instill fear and maintain their belief of white supremacy. Its impact hindered political participation of African Americans, and perpetuated racial division and inequality for decades to come.

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The practice of convict leasing emerged in 1846, where newly freed slaves faced limited economic opportunities. The system consisted of exploitative conditions and brutal treatment, mimicking slavery in many ways. This progressed racial inequality, as African Americans were disproportionately targeted and subjected to harsh punishments, while the profits from their labor primarily benefited companies and local governments.

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The Southern states of America remained determined to maintain slavery, and manipulated the law to heed their wishes. The Black Code Laws were enacted from 1865 to 1866, which mimicked the function of slavery by forcing someone to do physical labor, but legally. By exploiting the statement of “as an exception as punishment for a crime” from the 13th Amendment, Southerner citizens could accuse a Black person, although the 13th Amendment applied to all American citizens, and renewed the name of slavery. 

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Passed by Congress on January 31st, 1865, the 13th Amendment officially abolished slavery, with the exception as punishment for a crime. This law applied to all American citizens, like all laws in the U.S. Constitution. This marked a major development in the entirety of America’s history, contributing to the positive legacy of Reconstruction.

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This country has not always been united, despite the country’s name being “the United States of America.” In the 1800s, the country was split into the Union, composed of Northern states that supported the cause to abolish slavery, and the Confederates, which was the Southern states that wanted to keep slavery. Due to the predicament, a war was ensued–the Civil War. With the approaching end of the Civil War in 1865, with the victory of the Union, America was in shambles, both physically and socially. To repair the shattered country, Reconstruction had begun.

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The Reconstruction era in the United States of America was a response to the aftermath of the Civil War, which was caused by the split nation of the Southern and the Northern states. The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery, marking a significant milestone in the fight for freedom and equality. However, the issuing of Black Codes by Southern states sought to restrict the rights and freedoms of newly freed African Americans, effectively establishing a system of racial segregation. This was further exacerbated by convict leasing, a practice that exploited mainly African Americans for labor, which had a resemblance of slavery. The Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, utilized violence and intimidation to suppress African American rights and maintain white dominance. These failures of Reconstruction, including persistent racial inequality, economic disparities, and the lingering effects of racial violence, continue to impact the present, therefore showing that Reconstruction left a revolutionary yet unfinished legacy.