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Discuss the original purposes of the Freedman’s Bureau and the goals of the planned enlargement of the program by Congress. Evaluate how successful it was in helping the Reconstruction efforts.
The purpose of the Freedman's Bureau was intended to provide social, educational, and economic services, advice and protection to the former slaves as well as the impoverished whites. The bureau provided food, clothing and fuel, and was responsible for supervising the abandoned lands of the South.
The Legislation seemed to have been working in its course of seven years until the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. After, President Lincoln’s death, Andrew Johnson was elected, and the Reconstruction efforts were a bit dismayed due to his personality, political background and his anti-black bias.
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Describe the purpose of the Native American reservation as well as the lives led by those who resided there. Did the reservation encourage or discourage Native American culture? If so, in what ways?
The intent of reservation was to provide protection for both the Native Americans as well as the settlers. The tribes agreed to live within clearly zoned plots of land in exchange for protection by the U.S. military. (Faragher, 2009)
Multiple tribes were forced to live within the same reservations diluting their tribal traditions. Those tribes quickly found their quality of life to be lacking. Malnutrition, demoralization and desperation became their way of life, and white prospectors continued to cross their borders in search for precious minerals. (Faragher, 2009)
The peak of their crisis was with the mass slaughter of the buffalo. The Native American food sources were practically wiped out and disease swept through their villages. (Faragher, 2009)
Reference:
Faragher, M., Buhle, M., Czitrom, D., Armitage, S., (2009) Out of Many, A History of the...