The role of African Americans in the US has been crucial to every period of American history. For over a hundred years they had been enslaved, and disagreements over slavery culminated in the US’s bloodiest war. Groups such as abolitionists and northern, Republican politicians ultimately sought to use the war to change the status of slaves and all African Americans. When the Union won, three amendments were passed, which changed the lives of black people nationwide: the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The respectively ended slavery, made all citizens equal under the law regardless of color, and gave blacks the right to vote. And while the latter two did certainly have a huge impact on American politics and society, it was not as momentous as it would seem. …show more content…
They were not afforded the same rights as white people, such as due process, voting, and other guarantees of freedom. The two amendments changed that, by putting blacks on equal status with whites in the eyes of the law. Any black citizen could own property, run for office, and cast a ballot in an election. Subsequently, the number of black representatives in local, state, and federal governments rose, and African Americans gained a voice in legislatures. The concept of 40 acres and a mule gave new economic opportunities to African Americans, and the Freedman’s Bureau gave them support needed to establish independent lives. Blacks also received more formal education, putting them on a closer level to whites. For the short time being, they were not at the hands of the oppressive whites who used to rule over them. Blacks were legally the equal to whites in every sense following the 14th and 15th amendments. This opportunity was never before seen in the history of