Reconstruction, the era of the Civil War, was filled with both positives and negatives for African Americans.
Positives
- Passing of the 14th and 15th amendments- These new constitutional amendments gave African-Americans rights that they never possessed. This includes citizenship rights (14th amendment) and the right for African-American men to vote (15th amendment).
- Freedmen's Bureau- This federal agency was created to help newly freed slaves find job and educational opportunities.
Setbacks
- Black codes- Southern states passed black codes in order to stop African-Americans from using their newly granted rights. These included poll taxes, literacy tests, and the grandfather clause. All three of these worked as barriers to stop African-American men from voting.
