Reconstruction, civil war, american society, social reform, racism, gender equality, inequalities, activism
The postwar Civil War era, particularly Reconstruction, was a very changing period in American history. This paper considers the postwar period through a gendered lens that embraces the promise of Reconstruction, the failure of stubbornness, and how women's roles were articulated within the framework of the postwar South. In so many ways, Reconstruction brought opportunities and burdens to women for the assistance of the nation in the revival of war ruins, especially with matters of race, class, and gender.
[...] For sure, many women in the postwar South had tenuous positions, particularly poor white women and black women (DuBois et al. 107). Their opportunities for betterment were quite limited because of economic deprivation, as well as scarce resources to be given out to poor white women. They most often found placement in poorly paid job categories, such as domestic service or agriculture, and became vulnerable to exploitation and marginalization. African American women thus had triple oppression exposure to racism, sexism, and economic exploitation. [...]
[...] Similarly burdened by debt and the vicious sharecropping and tenant farming cycles, African American women and their families remained trapped. III. Characterizing the Postwar South and Women's Status Just as women's status within such a framework was inextricably and invisibly linked with the dominant socio-political and economic power relations of the postwar South, so much so that by the time they were described, their experiences came to be complexly defined by intersection. The Reconstruction brought some opportunities for women to expand their roles and social reform. [...]
[...] - Work Cited DuBois, Ellen and Lynn Dumenil. Through Women's Eyes: An American History with Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's Print. Du Bois, William Edward Burghardt. "The conservation of races." Theories of race and racism. Routledge 104-111. [...]
[...] One of the opportunities was their entry into the domain of philanthropy and social reform. The destruction that the war brought, and after it ended, saw many women in the midst of works of relief and giving aid to fellow affected citizens. Thus, institutions like the Freedmen's Bureau and the American Red Cross offered them a wider scope of opportunities to volunteer and help in their respective missions, thus expanding the pool of women beyond that at home. The period of Reconstruction also granted expanded opportunities in education and activism. [...]
[...] On the one hand, Reconstruction opened the door for them to participate in philanthropy, education, and political activism. Still, on the other hand, persistent inequalities along the lines of race and gender relegated them from actual empowerment and realizing full equality. The Reconstruction legacy, in regard to the never-ending struggle for justice and equal rights for all American citizens, testifies to the fact that people have to make peace with long-established and widely spread forms of systemic inequality to manage to build a more equal and fair society. [...]
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