-
Black Codes
Black Codes were laws that controled the rights of newly freed African Americans. White employers took advantage of the newly freed slaves until the Freedmans Bureau got involved. The Freedmans Bureau allowed African Americans to accuse and go to court against white people that violated their rights. The bureau had its own court where African Americans could sit as juries too. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This bill was presented by the Radical Republicans to protect African Americans and combat the Black Codes. The bill gave the federal government to be involved with cases protecting the rights of African Americans. It also granted African Americans Citizenship to the United States. Though vetoed by Johnson, the veto was overided and the bill was passed. -
Reconstruction Acts
The Reconstruction Acts required that the ten confederate states that hadnt ratified the 14th Amendment form new state governments. They also divided up the ten states in to five military districts. Each district was governed by a general until the new state government was formed. Another act empowered the army to register votes in the districts and organize state conventions. -
The Fourteenth Amendment
In 1868 Congress proposed the 14th Amendment. This amendment state that anyboby born or naturalized in the United States is be a citizen of the U.S. and the state they live in. Also this amendment guaranteed that no one could have their citizenship taken away from them by passing another law. Many of the Southern States didn't ratify it right away it was delayed until 1868. -
The Fifteenth Amendment
Shortly after Ulysses Grant won the Presidential Election Congress proposed the Fifteenth Amendment. This amendement quarenteed that the government could not deny the right to vote to any male because of their race, color or previous condition of servitude.
