The Major Goals For African Americans During Reconstruction

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Introduction
After two hundred years of slavery, black people were now free from the chains of slavery. In the years following Appomattox, black people had several goals. Ultimately their final goal was to become full citizens of the United States. First and foremost, black people sought to reunite their families that were dispersed throughout the institution of slavery. Also, black people desired to obtain their own land to farm for their family. Lastly, African Americans deeply aspired to have an education, giving them the ability to read and write, and wanting the right to vote along with their newly gained knowledge.
Reuniting Families After slavery ended, the predominant goal for African Americans would be to reassemble …show more content…

Freedom did not exist without education. After Emancipation, education proved to be a paradox, blacks that were illiterate were still in chains, contrastingly, those who were literate truly were free (Hine, 250). Alozo J. Ransier remarked in South Carolina’s constitutional convention, “If there is one thing to which we may attribute the sufferings endured by this people, it is the gross ignorance of the masses” (Smith, 62). Therefore, during Reconstruction, the Freedmen’s Bureau in assistance with Northern freedman’s aid societies established black public schools (Smith 92). From 1866-1860, the Freedmen’s Bureau hired 9,307 teachers, built 4,239 schools, and educated 247,333 black students (Smith, 92). At the time of 1870, $1 million would be endowed for the support of African American education (Hine, 251). At these schools, Northern ministers, educated blacks, and missionaries taught the children (Smith, 97). Furthermore, the efforts proved to be fruitful as children were able to learn to read, write and behave themselves. Universities and colleges were also established to provide education beyond high school. These schools included Nashville’s Fisk University, Avery in South Carolina, and Tougaloo in Alabama, primarily focusing on educating teachers (Hine,

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