The problem is, this in fact started to happen. Former slaves were given land to farm. Former slaves became enthusiastically involved in local governments. But then the southern states said enough is enough. Lynchings. The KKK. Jim Crow. All that was hard won, was lost. Sounds familiar.

June 26, 2025 - 21:43 UTC

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Yeah, this just brings us back to the original point that Reconstruction should have been far more comprehensive and punitive than it was.
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Oh of course. Lincoln died. Johnson sympathized. The northern states lost interest in continuing to battle the southerners who wouldn’t comply. Grant pushed back at times, but it wasn’t enough.
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