how did journalists' perception of reconstruction change over the course of the program?

Who wrote the reconstruction of American journalism?

Help us by joining CJR today. Leonard Downie Jr. and Michael Schudson are the authors of "The Reconstruction of American Journalism."

What does reconstruction mean in US history?

Reconstruction. Reconstruction, in U.S. history, the period (1865–77) that followed the American Civil War and during which attempts were made to redress the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy and to solve the problems arising from the readmission to the Union of the 11 states that had seceded at or before...

What was reconstruction like for African Americans in America?

During a brief period in the Reconstruction era, African Americans voted in large numbers and held public office at almost every level, including in both houses of Congress. However, this provoked a violent backlash from whites who did not want to relinquish supremacy.

What was Radical Reconstruction in the south?

Radical Reconstruction. In every state, African Americans formed the overwhelming majority of Southern Republican voters. From the beginning of Reconstruction, black conventions and newspapers throughout the South had called for the extension of full civil and political rights to African Americans.

How did the Reconstruction era change society?

During the period, Congress passed three constitutional amendments that permanently abolished slavery, defined birthright citizenship and guaranteed due process and equal protection under the law, and granted all males the ability to vote by prohibiting voter discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition ...

What were the political changes that happened after Reconstruction?

After rejecting the Reconstruction plan of President Andrew Johnson, the Republican Congress enacted laws and Constitutional amendments that empowered the federal government to enforce the principle of equal rights, and gave black Southerners the right to vote and hold office.

How did the Civil War affect journalism?

They dramatically transformed how armies conducted warfare and how newspapers and magazines did journalism. Bigger, faster printing presses allowed yesterday's battle news to be published in today's newspaper or next week's illustrated weekly. In 1861, the New York Herald topped 100,000 in daily circulation.

What were the different views on Reconstruction?

These were divided into three opposing camps: Conservatives (democrats), Moderates, and Radicals. The Conservatives believed the South should be readmitted into the Union as soon as possible, but the Radicals and Moderates believed there should be consequences for succeeding.

What were the lasting effects of the Reconstruction period?

Among the other achievements of Reconstruction were the South's first state-funded public school systems, more equitable taxation legislation, laws against racial discrimination in public transport and accommodations and ambitious economic development programs (including aid to railroads and other enterprises).

What were the 3 major issues of Reconstruction?

Reconstruction encompassed three major initiatives: restoration of the Union, transformation of southern society, and enactment of progressive legislation favoring the rights of freed slaves.

How did newspaper reporting change during the Civil War?

New technologies and new demands for information during the Civil War changed journalism in many ways. The telegraph, invented in 1844, allowed newspapers to gather information from different locales and report the news more quickly.

What role did newspapers play in the Civil War?

Because of this, newspapers in both the North and South were able to provide the public with important updates on the war's political issues, battle results, large-scale troop movements, and casualty reports. Perhaps more importantly, newspapers were responsible for editorializing the war.

What happened to the newspaper business during the Civil War?

What happened to the newspaper business during the Civil War? Readership expanded rapidly because people were interested in war news.

Was the Reconstruction a success or failure?

Reconstruction was a success in that it restored the United States as a unified nation: by 1877, all of the former Confederate states had drafted new constitutions, acknowledged the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, and pledged their loyalty to the U.S. government.

What were the aims and outcomes of Reconstruction?

The Reconstruction Era lasted from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to 1877. Its main focus was on bringing the southern states back into full political participation in the Union, guaranteeing rights to former slaves and defining new relationships between African Americans and whites.

How was Reconstruction a failure?

The failure to stop violence and protect the political gains of Reconstruction was a policy failure: the U.S. government failed to coordinate and plan to suppress a nascent insurgency; failed to deploy enough troops or use the troops with consistency; failed to consider other options to secure the rights of Black ...

What was one political impact of Reconstruction in the South?

Following Reconstruction, Southern state governments systematically stripped African- Americans of their basic political and civil rights. Literacy Tests. Many freedmen, lacking a formal education, could not pass these reading and writing tests. As a result, they were barred from voting.

Which of the following political issues significantly impacted the success of Reconstruction?

Which of the following political issues significantly impacted the success of Reconstruction? Southerners, incensed by the federal government's interference, found ways to circumvent Reconstruction efforts.

What happened after the end of Reconstruction?

After the end of Reconstruction, racial segregation laws were enacted. These laws became popularly known as Jim Crow laws. They remained in force from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 until 1965. The laws mandated racial segregation as policy in all public facilities in the southern states.

What changed after the Civil War politically economically and socially?

The first three of these postwar amendments accomplished the most radical and rapid social and political change in American history: the abolition of slavery (13th) and the granting of equal citizenship (14th) and voting rights (15th) to former slaves, all within a period of five years.

What changes did reconstruction bring to the American political system?

Reconstruction witnessed far-reaching changes in America’s political life. At the national level, new laws and constitutional amendments permanently altered the federal system and the definition of American citizenship.

What was the impact of the reconstruction era?

The Reconstruction era redefined U.S. citizenship and expanded the franchise, changed the relationship between the federal government and the governments of the states, and highlighted the differences between political and economic democracy.

What was the impact of the Reconstruction era on African Americans?

However, this provoked a violent backlash from whites who did not want to relinquish supremacy.

What was the purpose of reconstruction?

history, the period (1865–77) that followed the American Civil War and during which attempts were made to redress the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy and to solve the problems arising from the readmission to the Union of the 11 states that had seceded at or before the outbreak of war.

What was the purpose of the Presidential Reconstruction?

Radical Reconstruction attempted to give African Americans full equality.

How many African Americans served in Congress during reconstruction?

Sixteen African Americans served in Congress during Reconstruction—including Hiram Revels and Blanche K. Bruce in the U.S. Senate—more than 600 in state legislatures, and hundreds more in local offices from sheriff to justice of the peace scattered across the South.

What was Lincoln's plan for the South?

To Lincoln, the plan was an attempt to weaken the Confederacy rather than a blueprint for the postwar South. It was put into operation in parts of the Union-occupied Confederacy, but none of the new governments achieved broad local support.