African American Civil War And The Period Of Reconstruction

After the Civil War and the period of Reconstruction there were many political, social and economic changes which continued to affect the society. The role of African Americans in society changed after the abolishment of slavery. This new freedom and opportunities were not much greater than before when slavery existed. Despite reconstruction efforts, African Americans faced discrimination. Society as a whole was altered extensively at this time. After the civil war, political changes affected African American lives significantly. African Americans were freed of slavery by the 13th amendment and the 14th amendment guaranteed their citizenship, â€Å"Everyone born or naturalized in the US were granted citizenship and were equal under the law† (Doc 1). After about 250 years of slavery, African Americans were finally free of slavery (Johnson, 2000). Though they were free, they had nowhere to go and no money to spend, â€Å"They were sent away empty-handed, without money, without friends, and without a foot of land to stand upon† (Doc 2). Former owners used their power to place limitations on emancipation. The former slaves had to end up working for their former masters and borrowing land/money from them. As many people disagreed with the decision of the 13th amendment, many hate groups started to appear. Most commonly known group was the KKK founded Tennessee, 1865 (Ku Klux Klan, n.d.). They took it upon themselves to hurt African Americans in various ways, â€Å"People have been drivenShow MoreRelatedReconstruction During The Civil War Essay1676 Words   |  7 PagesReconstruction The United States went through many changes after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction period of 1866-1877. 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