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Black Codes
Black codes were laws in the South during the year of 1866 that legislatures in the Southern states made. Black codes were made to control African Americans in the South, and some laws allowed white employers to take advantage of African Americans. During the time of the Black Codes, freed African Americans were only treated a little better than they were in slavery. -
Civil Rights Act Of 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 gave Federal Government power to help protect African American's rights. It also gave them citizenship to the U.S. Unlike the Supreme Court in 1857, when they ruled that African Americans were not citizens. President Johnson then vetoed both bills, saying the Federal Government was overpassing their ability. The Republicans eventually defeated the veto. -
Reconstruction Acts
By the year of 1867 10 of the former Confederate states did not agree to the 14th Amendment. Congress then decided to pass the first Reconstruction Act. The act demanded that all of those states form new state governments. The states also had to make a new constitution that would need to be approved by Congress. A second reconstructioon act helped organize state constitutional conventions by allowing the army to enroll voters in each district. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment said that the citizenship of African Americans could not be taken away. If any state in the U.S refused to let any adult male vote, the state could (possibly) lose partial representation in Congress. The 14th Amendment also stated that everyone is entitled to "equal protection of th laws." None of the states could also take a human's property, liberty, or life, without going through the justice system -
15th Amendment
Congress proposed the 15th Amendment in 1869. This amendment ensured that State and Federal Governments were not allowed to turn down any white male citizen voter because of "race, color, or previouis condition of servitude." The 15th Amendment was then passed in the year of 1870.
