After the Civil War, the nation committed itself to equality for the freedmen through law and constitutional amendment. Discuss the forces and events that caused the nation to abandon this commitment during the subsequent years.

After the Civil War, the nation did indeed commit itself to equality for the freedmen through the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship and equal protection under the law, and guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race. However, despite these legal and constitutional advancements, the nation ultimately abandoned its commitment to equality for the freedmen due to a combination of forces and events.

One major force that contributed to the abandonment of this commitment was the rise of white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. These groups used violence and intimidation to terrorize African Americans and prevent them from exercising their newly gained rights. This reign of terror created a climate of fear and insecurity, making it difficult for freedmen to fully enjoy their rights and participate in the political process.

Additionally, the economic upheaval and reconstruction efforts in the South also played a role in the abandonment of the commitment to equality for freedmen. The Reconstruction era saw the rise of sharecropping and tenant farming, which effectively kept many African Americans in a cycle of poverty and debt, limiting their ability to assert their rights and achieve true equality.

Furthermore, the political landscape also shifted as the North grew weary of the Reconstruction efforts and the federal government's involvement in the South. This led to the gradual withdrawal of federal troops from the South and the eventual end of Reconstruction, allowing Southern states to enact discriminatory laws and practices such as Jim Crow laws and poll taxes that disenfranchised African Americans.

In conclusion, the forces and events that caused the nation to abandon its commitment to equality for the freedmen were multifaceted, including the rise of white supremacist groups, economic challenges, and a shift in political will. These factors ultimately led to the erosion of the rights and protections that had been promised to the freedmen, setting the stage for decades of segregation and discrimination.