mes, no income, and were uneducated. Congress established the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1865 to help the newly freed blacks.Douglass too felt that the “true solution” to the troubles faced by the nation was “the right of the Negro”. The enfranchisement of the blacks after the war was a controversial issue. Most Southerners did not want the African Americans to have the vote, nor did they want to forfeit their land to be divided among the former slaves. Many also felt the Reconstruction governments were not capable of handling the issues put before them. Blacks were seen as ignorant barbarians who could not run an official position properly. However, it was necessary to have one form of government in the South that held “one condition to the exercise of elective franchise, for all men of all races and colors alike”. Radical Republicans, and therefore Reconstruction, held the ideal of a nation with citizens sharing equality of both civil and political rights. This meant blacks not only needed to have their civil rights protected but also the right to vote. Suffrage was an issue of great importance and controversy during this time and for many years following. The right to vote has always been seen as one of the most important aspects of freedom. Although the former slaves were now freedmen, black suffrage was still hotly debated. Many felt that until blacks were given suffrage, freedom was only a taunt to them, while others maintained the opinion that blacks were too ignorant to deserve the vote. Douglass felt the easiest way of making the new government consistent and effective was to “give every loyal citizen the elective franchise”. Congress again stepped in to ensure the right of all citizens to vote and passed the 15th Amendment. In the previous amendment, a citizen had been defined as any person born in the U.S. According to this definition the freedmen were now le...
