How Did Reconstruction Affect African Americans

Following the Civil War, America underwent many changes during the Reconstruction era to reach where it needed to be or where it should’ve been. The purpose of reconstruction was to rebuild the South after the Union’s victory in the war that freed all the slaves the South had and needed. During this period, there were ratifications of amendments, social and economic factors that affected African Africans, and the end of reconstruction. Reconstruction was a period in the United States where it was going through significant changes and challenges. The first change made during the reconstruction period was the Emancipation Proclamation designed by Abraham Lincoln. How it came about was the North was disappointed in Abraham Lincoln’s failure

His stance was on his beliefs in Unionism and states’ rights–– he believed the federal government had no right to determine voting requirements at the state level, so under his reconstruction, he returned land that was confiscated from Union army and given to freed slaves back to prewar owners. His leniency caused southern states to enact a law called “black codes” designed to restrict African American’s activity and make their freedom a labor force. This enraged the North and Congress, which proceeded to them passing the Freedmen’s Bureau and Civil Rights Bill and needing Johnson to put his signature. The last of reconstruction was Radical Reconstruction. In this time, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act of 1867, which divided the South temporarily into five military districts and outlined how male suffrage was to be organized. The law required southern states to ratify the 14th amendment and following this, Congress approved the 15th amendment. Radical Reconstruction as by far the most progressive in allowing African Americans to participate in public life, the South’s first state-funded public school systems, taxation legislation, and laws against racial