Question

Did reconstruction make real progress in the battle to end discrimination?

Answer 1

The idea that reconstruction ended discrimination is a gross fallacy. After reconstruction ended, lynch mobs still existed, the KKK ran rampant, poll taxes, literacy test, and other restrictive measures stopped them from gaining any political clout, socially they were still viewed as inferior by many people, and economically they were unable to gain advantageous positions and become monetarily comfortable enough to gain a middle-class identity.