Question

Primary Source: Frederick Douglass on Reconstruction

Write an extended paragraph of 8-12 sentences on the document located on page 2 of this study by
responding to the following prompt:
What does Douglass think is the most important thing to be done during Reconstruction, and why
does he think this will help the nation?

Answer 1

Frederick Douglass prioritized the integration of African Americans with full citizenship rights during Reconstruction, emphasizing the importance of amendments like the Thirteenth, which abolished slavery, and the Fifteenth, securing voting rights.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the Reconstruction era, Frederick Douglass believed that the most important issue was the integration of formerly enslaved people into Southern society with full citizenship rights. Douglass understood that emancipation was merely the beginning of the struggle toward racial equality.

This vision of Reconstruction touched upon the need for amendments like the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, addressing legal freedom that the Emancipation Proclamation and Civil Rights Act failed to fully guarantee.