First off, I'm sorry if my writing comes off rough. I'm typing on a cellphone and I often have issues formatting and spelling on it. Anyway, I've been taking a history class in college and I'm often left with more questions than answers. My professor seems either unwilling or unable to answer any question outside of the course work. He often states, "It's a whole other can of worms now worth getting into right now." and that's the end of it.

The thing that I'm struggling with the most is democratic behavior in the 1860s. Democrats seem to drag their feet at any progression and the Republicans are fighting at every avenue to support what was at the time referred to as the "Freedmen". After reading about all the hardship freed former black slaves went through I was excited to read about the Freedmen's Bureau(which operated as aid for black men in need of education and work) and I was filled with rage when I read Andrew Johnson vetoed this Bereau in favor of the Black Codes.

What confuses me is how this seems in opposition of democrats and republicans today. Our Democrat President of the United States is, of course, a Black man. The popular view of republicans today is that of white men fighting against the rights of minorities and the view of Democrats being the polar opposite. I'm in no way saying this is the truth of all Democrats and Republicans, I'm just talking about the public perception. I consider myself an independent and don't align myself 100% with either party.