The Congressional Reconstruction Period

With the end of the civil war, brought the beginning of the Congressional Reconstruction period. Due to the end of the war, slavery came to an end and law changes in the federal and local governments. The reconstruction period was created after the war in an attempt to rebuild the south and its government. The Union victory may have given slaves freedom, nut during the reconstruction period the south overturned their rights. They begin taking away laws given to the slaves to gain control over them once again. They began creating new laws that prevented African-Americans from practicing their lawful rights as a citizen. With Lincoln assassination and the new presidential election, federal government during is often argued questionable. It is

The thirteenth amendment was added in 1865, proposing that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except for punishment of a crime, shall be convicted within the United States”. This amendment protected African-Americans from being convicted of crimes, just because of the color of their skin and being a slave. African American were convicted many times before and during the war because they were slaves. Section 2 of the thirteenth amendment was proposed as well, which stated: “Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” This section gave Congress the power over the amendment instead of the local state governments. African American’s after the war wanted a few issues resolved that would give them rights as citizens. One of the main issues, African-Americans wanted to resolve was their marriages being declared by the state officials. Before and during the war, many slaves hold their own marriage ceremonies but was not seen legal by the state. Another issue they wanted to resolve was the right of education for their children. Slaves were originally not allowed to learn how to read and write or be educated in any way. They did not want slaves to have an education because it would make them equal to them. A freed Mississippi slave stated, “I shall give my children a chance to go to school, For I consider education, the next best ting to Liberty”. Many slaves believed that education was the only way they would be seen as citizen’s Slaves also wanted more housing and opportunities across the South. Also, before the war slaves were not allowed in any place other than their slave owner plantations. After the war, local governments gave slaves forty acres and a mule, which helped freedmen get their own housing. When it comes to jobs after the war, slaves wanted more labor opportunities in the south. The industry of sharecropping rose after the