Political Equity Comes First!

                Political equity should be the primary goal of the reconstruction.  Now that the slaves have been freed, the freedmen are living as a part of society in the United States.  The primary issue is not physical reconstruction.  Building the economy should also not be the primary goal.  By focusing on political equity, black people will be integrated into society and own and work their own land.  This will improve the economy and the overall relations between people which will ultimately improve in the reconstruction of physical buildings and land that were destroyed.  If black people do not have any political rights or land to work and live on, this just causes problems for everyone in the country.  Freedmen will just be wandering aimlessly and not positively contributing to society. 

                The freedmen want to be able to own land and become positive and contributing members of the economic system.  One black man named Prince Rivers said that “[Every] colored man will be a slave, & feel himself a slave until he can raise his own bale of cotton & put him own mark upon it & say dis is mine!”¹.  Besides the right to own land, as Frederick Douglass said, the freedmen just wanted “the right to vote, to hold office, testify in courts and sit in jury boxes”¹.  The goal of the reconstruction should include these political rights and should not be a new social order.  It is impossible to force people after many years of black slavery to expect blacks will be treated and considered social equals.  Having the goal of political equity as the primary goal, however, will help eventually lead to social equality. 

Frederick Douglass

                People should be working towards political equity which is a positive change rather than strengthening military defense in case of problems or working to prevent possible problems such as further rebellion.  By working towards the goal of political equity, society will become stronger and more unified.  Also punishing the confederates should not be a goal because that would alienate them and we should be working towards becoming a unified country.  Also trying to change as little as possible should not be a goal because the war has dramatically devastated the country and change is necessary to heal.  By working towards the goal of political equity, the country will greatly improve and other goals of the reconstruction will be accomplished in the process.   

¹Methods for Achieving Equality

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