Explanation: After the US Civil War, a process known as ‘Reconstruction’ began. In this, the rebellious slaver Southern states and any traitors in them were reduced in political power, and newly-freed Black folk were supported politically and economically to put them on more equal footing. During Reconstruction, the first Black congressmen were elected, and the first anti-segregation acts were passed by the Federal government.

Unfortunately, it would not last - infighting in the Republican Party (at the time, the more progressive and egalitarian of the two parties) eventually resulted in Reconstruction losing steam, and the South regaining much of its former power and influence over national politics.

PugJesus is American confirmed

This has long been my personal belief as well.

Reconstruction was as perfect a point as we had ever had to do right by all Americans. We had a clear delineation of who wanted to be an American citizen with responsibilities to each other as a nation of people, and those who would enslave others for profit. We knew the ringleaders and high-powered supporters of events that caused the deaths of over half a million Americans and much of the death and suffering of untold numbers of Africans and their American born children.

They ended up doing nothing to the vast majority of them in the hopes that morality would win a bigger victory than any punitive damages. They were naive. We were left with almost another century of indentured servitude to the very same people who caused the war, no wealth or land was redistributed, and no equal protection for freed people.

The same error or judgement carries on to this day. No penalties for the Business Plot, Nixon/Kissinger, Reagan/Bush, Bush Jr, and now the current administration. This same naivete where we as a country would accept that we can’t try a sitting president for crimes we have evidence of. This is ridiculously stupid, laughable, and disgusting. We hold regular citizens responsible for their actions, but not the rich or powerful and call ourselves a democratic republic.

My main hope now is we are looking to have an equally clear line being drawn showing who is clearly on which side once again. What seemed like an impossibility to have a clear delineation again between people seeking liberty and equality and those that would sell us all out for their own benefit is appearing. If/when control can be restored, we may just have a chance to right this wrong again.