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Black Codes
Black codes were created to help excercise control over the freed African Americans. These codes allowed white employers and officials to take advantage of them in their jobs and other activites. For example, African Americans couldn't own or rent farms and African Americans who didn't have jobs could be arrested. Even though they were supposed to be free, many white people still did not like African Americans and them treated poorly. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Through this act, African Americans were now granted citizenship and their rights were protected. It was passed in response to a Supreme Court ruling in the 1857 case, Dred Scott v. Standford, where the Court found African Americans were not citizens. Because it was a federal law, states had to follow it. President Johnson thought the federal goverment was trying to have too much power so he vetoed the bill. The bill did become a law because the Republicans in Congress overcame the veto. -
Reconstruction Acts (1st)
Ten of the prior Confederate states had not approved the 14th Amendment or rejoined the Union. Tennesse was the only state to do so. This lead to Congrees passing the First Reconstruction Act. After the act was passed, 5 military districts were created out of the 10 states. The military districts were ran by a military general until a state goverment was formed. The states had to create and provide a new state consitution to Congress. The act also gave African American men the ability to vote. -
Reconstruction Acts (2nd)
The 2nd Act allowed the military to work to register voters and coordinate state constitutional conventions. The elections were for new state governments. Many white people in the South did not vote but lots of African Americans did. When all the votes were cast they allowed the Republicans to take control of the Southern States governments. By 1868 seven states had rejoined the Union by 1870 the remaining three had. -
The Fourteenth Amendment
The amendment stated that, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." This amendment protected African Americans. Their citizenship could not be taken away, men could vote, and they had equal protection of laws. -
The Fifteenth Amendment
This admendment stated that any males of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude" could have the right to vote. This means that African American men could vote without being rejected because they were a slave or becaused they were black. After the 15th Amendment was passed the Republicans thought that they had solved the problem of unfair treatment to African Americans because they had the power to vote but they were wrong.
