african+americans8

After the civil war the African American's lives changed dramaticly as they were discriminated against through racial hate groups, laws and codes, and voting. During reconstruction in the south alot of African Americans had trouble doing any thing, they could'nt find work, a place to live, and could'nt afford to even eat. Alot of the blacks in the south ended up staying with their previous owners because they could'nt afford anything else.

After the civil war the blacks rights were severly limited even though they were still "free". Two laws were passed to help this limitation happen, the black codes and the jim crow laws. The black codes imposed severe restrictions on freed slaves such as prohibiting their right to vote, forbidding them to sit on juries, limiting their right to testify against white men, carrying weapons in public places and working in certain occupations. The jim crow laws included laws that discriminated against African Americans with concern to attendance in public schools and the use of places such as restaurants, theaters, hotels, cinemas and public baths. Trains and buses were also segregated and in many states marriage between whites and African American people. Those laws limited and discriminated against the blacks.

After the civil war racial white supremicy groups started to form such as the Ku Klux Klan or KKK. The first branch of the Ku Klux Klan was established in Pulaski, Tennessee, in May, 1866. A year later a general organization of local Klans was established in Nashville in April, 1867. Most of the leaders were former members of the Confederate Army and the first Grand Wizard was Nathan Forrest, an outstanding general during the American Civil War. During the next two years Klansmen wearing masks, white cardboard hats and draped in white sheets, tortured and killed black Americans and sympathetic whites. Immigrants, who they blamed for the election of Radical Republicans, were also targets of their hatred. Between 1868 and 1870 the Ku Klux Klan played an important role in restoring white rule in North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. These groups still exist today but do not tortured and kill blacks any more.

In the United States, people have always been proud of their right to vote and help decide how the government will work. Even after the 15th amendment was passed blacks would not be able to vote. There were restrictions placed that a black would have to take a standard reading and writing test or a united states history test, and pay poll taxes before they were aloud to vote. There was only one problem, nobody ever taught them how to read write or anything for that matter. Blacks were restricted in almost every way in the reconstruction of the south.

The end of the civil war brought alot of discrimination with it. Even though the blacks in the south were "free" almost every aspect of their life was controled by laws, racial groups and voting restrictions. But even after 150 years blacks still not fully respected and are still discriminated against.