What was the primary focus of Reconstruction?

The primary focus of Reconstruction was indeed on rebuilding the South and integrating formerly enslaved people into society. Following the Civil War, the Southern states were left in ruin, both physically and economically. The Reconstruction era sought to address the challenges of reintegrating these states into the Union while also confronting the issues of civil rights and the status of the formerly enslaved population.

This period involved significant legislative efforts, including the passage of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which aimed to abolish slavery, grant citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born in the U.S., and protect voting rights regardless of race, respectively. The goal was to provide African Americans with opportunities for education, employment, and participation in political life, fundamentally seeking to ensure their integration into a post-war society that had to re-evaluate notions of equality and social justice.

While there were other aspects to Reconstruction, such as economic rebuilding and addressing the political power dynamics in the South, the overarching theme revolved around redefining social relations following the end of slavery and striving toward a more equitable society for African Americans.