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Period: to
Reconstruction period
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Black Codes
In early 1866, the southern stated founded black Codes. Black Codes were founded to control the actions of freed African Americans. Laws made it illegal for Africans to own or rent farmland, and it also made it legal to randomly fine or arrest unemployed Africans. Using these laws, southern employers could easily take advantage of african americans. Life now was very uneasy for african americans. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
After the founding of Black Codes, Congress attempted to protect the rights of freed Africans. In 1866, congress passed a bill that allowed the freedmans Bureau to try people that violated African's rights. It also gave the congress power to override laws the individual states made. President Johnson vetod these bills, claiming that they were unconstitutional, and that the government was exceeding its authority. Congess voted to override the veto, and the new bill became law. -
Reconstruction acts, 1 and 2
by 1867, many states in the south had not accepted the fourteenth amendment. to respond, congress passed the reconstruction acts, making five military districts out of ten states. Each district was governed by the union army until it created a new government. former confederates were not allowed to participate in these governments, and this also made it possible for africans to vote. the second reconstruction act made it so that the army could register votes and organise state congress events. -
14th Amendment
Congress was worried that the judicial branch might deny the civil rights movement. In order to make sure of this, congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment, making any person born in the united states a citizen of the USA and the state the citizen resides. While this amendmant made it easier to protect the citizenship of freed africans,, many considered this to be extreme, as this amendment excluded former confederate leaders. In result, most southern states first refused this amendment. -
15th Amendment
After the presidential election of 1868, congress passed another amendment. The new fifteenth amendment made it illegal to deny anyone to vote, if they were a citizen of the US. After this law was passed, many republicans thought that the job was done, but this view would ultimately prove too optimistic in the future.