Reconstruction in America is the period that the United States took to rebuild itself after the Civil War. It was a period of many questions and much pain, but it aided the South to be a section of the Union again. During this time, some laws were passed so that some civil rights would be restricted, and some leaders reacquainted themselves with liberal roots such as Lyndon Baines Johnson. During the Reconstruction period and the period after World War 2, Americans tried to build their economy. With new laws, deals, and great leaders, most African Americans were able to achieve their dreams.
The reason why the African-Americans were able to achieve greater equality is that their leaders created better agendas that would support their rights. For example, Lyndon backed up the biggest reform agenda after the New Deal with Roosevelt. Another great move that Lyndon made was to finish the work that Kennedy had started before he was assassinated. Since he wanted to prove to the Americans that he was worth their votes, he worked hard twice to show them that he would be a better president before the day of the elections.
After the elections in 1964, Lyndon passed a law called the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 that focused on the foundation of American poverty (Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” [Ushistory.Org], n.d.). Another agenda that Johnson created was that he divided some funds to go and help the communities that were struggling with illiteracy and unemployment. Also, some school programs were established, which would assist the students with special needs in learning the same as other kids. Lyndon had a saying that he wanted to create a Great Society, and he also declared war to eradicate poverty in America. This motivated the Americans very much, and they were able to achieve most of their goals.
African Americans were able to vote after Johnson passed the Voting Rights Act, which barred discrimination and literacy tests that denied African Americans the right to vote. President Johnson put so much pressure on American liberalism and signed many laws that promoted equality in American society. For example, the Immigration Act banned discrimination based on the originality of a person.
After the Second World War, John Kenneth Galbraith, a Public intellectual and Harvard economist, argued that if the United States continued to consume luxurious goods, there would be economic inequality. Many scholars and economists took note of the predictions and warnings given by Galbraith, and they followed them. This made his book to be used as a label for postwar in the American Community.
After the Second World War, with the help of Galbraith's book, Americans experienced sustained and massive development that restructured the American economy and better standards of living. Due to this, economic inequality was reduced at a high rate, and African Americans were able to achieve their dreams. During the suburbs' growth, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) enabled African Americans to have home proprietorships by covering and protecting mortgagees from financial loss.
Government agencies supported FHA that assisted in the development of homeownership and lending people homes at lower terms of up to thirty years and rates. For example, in 1946, William Levittown created the first prototypical suburban society and named it Levittown (All Chapters, 2013). He divided it into small plots and offered them to veterans and their families at an affordable fee. This enabled most of the African-Americans homes to own homes and use other money for an economic boost.
References
Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” [ushistory.org]. (n.d.). Www.Ushistory.Org. Retrieved August 24, 2020, from https://www.ushistory.org/us/56e.asp
All Chapters. (2013, June 7). 26. The Affluent Society | THE AMERICAN YAWP. Americanyawp.Com. http://www.americanyawp.com/text/26-the-affluent-society/
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