African Americans And Reconstruction Essay

Reconstruction did not help African Americans achieve the goal of being free. Even though slavery was illegal in the, South was trying to tentative the Congress. This was causing the South to still have control over African Americans, without it being slavery. Other words “ separate-but-equal”. After the civil war ended in 1865, the north declared the slaves to be free in the South (Thirteenth Amendment). This took effect on December 18, 1865. Although, slaves did not know how to read or write. Meaning it was going to be harder to find a job. This caused the economy of the South to be ramshackle. The white southerners took assumption and started sharecropping (when the landowners proved the land, tools, home, and supplies. The African Americans had to work on the land though) African Americans had to pay almost like a rant, but in order to receive pay they had to work. African Americans worked on the owner's land growing crops the selling to received the money needed. White southerners made African Americans sign a contract saying that they would work on the land and would pay off the

The black codes were tentative to the congress. The black codes limited the freedoms of the African Americans. Just like sharecropping the black codes required the African Americans to sign a work contract. Although in most states African Americans to prove they were working, even the sharecroppers.This was also include in the black codes. Punishment for not being able to prove you're working was often one year of work without pay. This has, however, allowed African Americans still own land, but only in the cities. It was pretty much like slavery. The south was trying to still take control over African Americans. Congress on the other hand passed many laws trying to eliminate these laws that were passed by the states, but the south would also ways find away around the laws