White Supremacy, Terrorism, and the Failure of Reconstruction in the United States

White Southerners opposed to Reconstruction used violence to undermine Black political power and force uncommitted white Southerners to their side. The U.S. government did not deploy enough troops and withdrew them too quickly. This failure shows that democratization must include ensuring rights and the rule of law, not just elections. Reconstruction demonstrates that a common policy recommendation—compromise with the losers after a civil war—neither ensures lasting peace nor prevents generations of injustice.