African Americans After Civil War Essay

Lives of African Americans Before and After the Civil War In the early stages of the United States, civilians and political leaders didn’t have an ethical understanding of how to treat African Americans. Their lives severely changed over the maturing years of the country, however, some parts of their lives stayed the same. They were freed from slavery and given rights and citizenship, but were still seen as inferior to others. Thankfully today, everyone is treated equally under the law and Americans live together in unity, not separated by color. The main reason the Civil War started was because of the debate over slavery. The North saw it as unethical and it needed to stop. The South heavily relied on slavery for their cotton plantations

Unfortunately these amendments were not always enforced by states. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed as the reconstruction amendments. They outlawed slavery, provided citizenship to anyone born in the US including formerly enslaved people, made everyone equal under the law, and gave them the right to vote. These laws made a big impact on African Americans lives. Blacks were now able to vote and run for office, and since the majority of the south’s population were blacks, they held the majority of the positions in state legislatures. All of these things helped, but there were still inequalities so, “In 1875, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which guaranteed all persons equal access to public accommodations, including theaters, hotels, and transportation, and allowed anyone denied services on account of race to seek restitution in federal court,” (Reconstructing Citizenship). African Americans elected during the reconstruction helped to pass this act. Even after all of this, there were still people who opposed blacks being equal, so not everything in their lives

In Texas, “The Codes outlined a status for African Americans not too much removed from their earlier condition as slaves. African Americans without jobs often were assigned to white guardians for work without pay,” (The 1890s: Black Codes). They had stiff fines for small things such as breaking curfew and weren’t allowed to enter free public spaces. The Jim Crow Laws segregated most public places and found ways to get around the reconstruction amendments. One example: “Literacy tests and poll taxes, administered with informal loopholes and trick questions, barred nearly all blacks from voting,” (Jim Crow Laws). Schools, restaurants, and other spaces were segregated because whites did not want to have to interact or live among blacks. This resulted in things such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. With all the changes made, the lives of African Americans weren't the same as the white American