America After the Civil War
American citizens were acclimated to violence against black Americans through the Jim
Crow laws. The reconstruction era was a time of hope for black people, but it was fused
with violence against them that was perpetuated by white people. By 1862, thousands
of black people fled to the union which strengthened the unions hand and helped change
the course of the war. When the war ended in 1865, newly freed slaves were stuck.
They didn't know where they stood, they couldn't get jobs, they had little to no money,
and they didn't even know what rights they had. Who is a citizen? And what rights do
those citizens have?
Many black families had been ripped apart by slavery, so the first order of business after
the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln was to reunite families.
Ads in the local newspapers were put out by parents looking for their children, families,
and spouses. In 1864, Congress took the first crucial step towards equality for the newly
freed black people. The 13th amendment was created to ban slavery in the United States
but it was not ratified by all of the states immediately. Was slavery really over? Could
freed slaves vote? Could they earn a wage? The Freedmen's Bureau was created with
the intention of getting black children in school, protecting all black people from
race-related violence, creating equitable and fair relations between black people and
white people, and getting black people land.
Unfortunately, the Bureau was extremely lacking in funds, they had about as much
money as it would cost to fight the war for a week. In order to be able to distribute land, "40 acres and a mule" was created, where freed slaves could rent 40-acre piece of land for up to 3 years and at the end of those 3 years, they could purchase the land if they would like to. This enabled slaves to be able to grow crops to sell or eat, have a roof over their head, and a place for their families to sleep.
Many white southerners had big issues with the Freedmen's Bureau. Black codes were
created as a way of recognizing that slavery has come to an end while also making sure
that there is little to no change in the proceedings of black people. These codes forced
black people to work under a white employer or risk being sold at auction, they
threatened jail time or the taking away of your children if you didn't have a job, and
black parents couldn't protect their children from physical or sexual violence in their
apprenticeships. Essentially, the black codes were a form of indentured servitude and a
way to keep the ideas of slavery alive. In 1866, the Civil Rights Act was passed over
President Andrew Johnson's veto while southerners were looking for any possible way to
classify black people as non-citizens. Riots broke out in southern cities like Memphis and
New Orleans where black Americans' homes were burned down, black people were shot
and killed, and black schools and churches were burnt down. In June of 1866, the 14th
amendment was passed which gave citizenship to all newly freed slaves. Tennessee was
the only southern state to ratify it. In 1867, military reconstruction began and the
confederacy was divided into 5 districts that were governed by military governors until
each state had agreed to ratify the Constitution, adopt the 14th amendment, and allow
black men to vote and hold office.