The Hottest News During the Reconstruction Blues!

It’s time we talk about the latest trend: Corrupt Plans for Reconstruction. Last I heard, Honest Abe Lincoln had been trying to establish something called the Ten Percent Plan. It’s supposed to give Southern states that seceded from the Union the ability to rejoin the Union. Now you might be thinking: This sounds great, what’s the catch? Funny you should ask because only 10% of voters in said state have to agree with the terms of the plan and denounce slavery through an oath in order for the state to be readmitted! Honestly, Lincoln’s plan will provide short term relief but cause plenty of problems down the road: mark my words! I believe this plan to reunite the States has good intentions but we must also think of the lasting effects that could be caused by only requiring 10% of voters to support the plan. Will this anger the Southerners further? Stay tuned for more updates on this hot new trend!

“Land of the Free”, by Joey Badass, describes the toils of an everyday American and emphasizes the fact that we continue to suffer as a result of our history, especially Post-Civil War .

Lyrics to Notice:

“In the land of the free, is for the free loaders Leave us dead in the street then be your organ donors They disorganized my people, made us all loners Still got the last names of our slave owners”

Above: The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair. Describes in great detail the horrors of the meatpacking industry.

Below: A political cartoon highlighting the nasty truth behind the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906

https://www.loc.gov/item/95521425/

Another way in which the working class was affected daily, even long after the Civil War, was in the quality and availability of sanitation for immigrant laborers. As written in new and deliciously descriptive  The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, an exposé on the Industrial workplace, “Let a man so much as scrape his finger pushing a truck in the pickle rooms, and he might have a sore that would put him out of the world; all the joints in his fingers might be eaten by the acid, one by one.” (Sinclair)  Absolutely disgusting! We tend to focus on the horrors of tenement living but forget that their daily work lives are just as dangerous and disease-filled. The meat was often recycled, even if it had fallen on the ground, and contained unsavory things such as dirt, spit, mold, stale water, and rat droppings!You couldn’t go a few feet without seeing workers that were missing fingers, hands, or even arms and legs. These conditions were both a by product of Industrial overpopulation and a reminder of how little the lives of immigrants were worth at such a pivotal point in American History.

Above: A political cartoon displaying the wealthy Americans' disgust and hatred for the immigrant, overlooking the fact that they were once immigrants too.

Below: A group of adults and children, working tirelessly, all to earn around $0.20 per hour

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qCjHn9LRM9pp4eihlDRwiNbB8eHV0B6nRXqr2ys7wIo/edit

“Chain Gang”, written by Sam Cooke describes the life of an average prisoner working constantly while being in a chain gang.

Lyrics to Notice: 

Though the Civil War has ended and Black people are said to be free, there seems to be a consistent stream of laws and “solutions” designed to control and contain the Black community. Our latest popular and quirky trend? Chain gangs! Chain gangs are groups of convicts, who were forced to complete labor while chained to other prisoners. Now, this isn’t just ordinary labor… that’s right everyone, this is extremely difficult labor! The convicts completed tasks such as road construction, ditch digging, and farming...all while saving the government money! Since the chain gangs arose as a solution to systemic corruption, the government was able to spend less on prisoner security, food, shelter, and medical care. As a result, those who were apart of the chain gang were often exposed to diseases, ulcers, and other infections while being chained together almost 24 hours a day. As far as systemic corruption and dehumanization similar to that experienced during slavery goes, this doesn’t seem much different if you ask me. And I’m fairly certain the 90% black chain gang members would agree too!

Jim Crow: a cartoon, created by Thomas Dartmouth Rice, modeled after African American stereotypes.

(TN) Jim Crow Law, 1891

Harper’s Weekly Editorial on “The Grandfather Clause”

Highlights the literacy tests used to prevent Black people from voting

It’s time we talk about the latest trend: Corrupt Plans for Reconstruction! Last I heard, Honest Abe Lincoln had been trying to establish something called the Ten Percent Plan. It’s supposed to give Southern states that seceded from the Union the ability to rejoin the Union. Now you might be thinking: This sounds great, what’s the catch? Funny you should ask because only 10% of voters in said state have to agree with the terms of the plan and denounce slavery through an oath in order for the state to be readmitted! Honestly, Lincoln’s plan will provide short term relief but cause plenty of problems down the road: mark my words! I believe this plan to reunite the States has good intentions but we must also think of the lasting effects that could be caused by only requiring 10% of voters to support the plan. Will this anger the Southerners further? Stay tuned for more updates on this hot new trend!