Freedom for Blacks After the Civil War

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Recommended: Economic political social consequences of the civil war

Chapter 22: Describe freedom for southern blacks at the end of the Civil War. By the end of the Civil War, the economy had collapsed. Businesses and banks were ruined by inflation as well as the once fruitful cotton farms. The white aristocracy was poor but not humble; they stood defiant and shocked. Once the emancipation happened, there was a lot of confusion amongst slaves due to the fact that it happened unevenly across the country; at the end many of these slaves would have been freed more than once by the Union Army. Their freedom would last as long as the Union Army would stay in town, once the army left town they would found themselves re-enslaved by pockets of resistance. The slaves that were loyal to their owners were not willing to leave them, so they would oppose to be freed by the Union Army. Some slaves would lash back to their owners by having episodes of violent outburst. Others would joint the Union Army so they could pillage their former owner’s house. On the other hand, there were blacks that wanted to have the life that their masters had and for so long they were not allowed to have because of their status as slaves. Those slaves would acquire such fine clothes and jewelry and would demand for whites to address them as Mr. or Mrs. Many blacks took to the streets to seek for lost relatives. The emancipation allowed for so many families to get back together; so many years children, spouses, parents were forced to be separated, now it was the perfect time to reunite with them. Some others will abandon their current spouse and families, which were imposed by masters, and will look for the one of their liking to marry. From 1878 to 1880, there was a massive exodus of blacks from southern states to Kansas; the... ... middle of paper ... ...a stable and subservient force but in actuality it mocked the idea of emancipation. These codes forced blacks to continue to work in plantations, they would have to pay for rent to work the land and even work for the lender until debt was paid. If they were unable to pay their contracts they would incur harsh penalties. These codes also did not permit any blacks to participate in a Jury or even have a vote. Eventually, these codes were repealed but these blacks were still chained to their contracts and surrounded by poverty. At some point, people wondered if the spilled blood of blacks and union soldiers was done in vain; pretty soon they would get their answer. In 1869, after a great struggle black men had the right to vote and by 1871 eligible blacks were able to organize politically and began holding major offices in government. Works Cited American Pageant

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