Final answer:
During Reconstruction, Southern states had to establish equal rights for blacks, create public schools, and ensure African Americans could vote to be considered reconstructed. Although there were efforts to promote infrastructure and a more equitable society, the period faced significant challenges and didn't fully achieve these goals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Reconstruction period after the Civil War was a time when Southern states needed to be reintegrated into the Union under a set of conditions. To be considered reconstructed, Southern states had to create new state constitutions that provided basic rights and equal protection to blacks, establish public school systems, and take a series of legislative and social steps to ensure a more equitable society.
This included investing in infrastructure like railroads, establishing hospitals, orphanages, educational institutions, and ensuring that African Americans could exercise their rights, particularly the right to vote, which was solidified with the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment.