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President Lincoln is Assassinated
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth. His death shocked the nation and talk of what came next were everywhere. His vice president a Southern slave-owning man by the name of Andrew Johnson took position as the president after his death. -
The Freedmen’s Bureau
The freedmen's bureau act of 1865 provided medical, economic, and housing help to southerners including newly free African Americans. The housing provided by the Freedmen's bureau was in the south due to unfair laws which left African Americans in the same plantations they had previously been freed of. -
The 13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment states "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction". In simple terms, the Amendment abolished slavery in the united states. This however did not help African Americans much as other laws kept them subject to other forms of slavery. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The civil rights act of 1866 established citizenship to all persons born in the United States, "without distinction of race or color, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude". The act although being vetoed by Andrew Johnson was still accomplished after congress vetoed Johnson's Veto. -
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan started as a social group for confederate soldiers but slowly things progressed and the group took a more violent turn. The white supremacist group started targeting African American citizens. Unfortunately, the Klan was not being stopped due to corruption and racism. The people in power were most often than not involved deeply with the Klan. -
Military reconstruction acts
The North split up the south into five different military districts. In order to protect newly free African Americans, their rights, and property. This was the first step the union took in order to protect African Americans' rights and possessions. -
Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment Trial
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Election of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was a civil war hero and veteran. His popularity won him the election however he was not a very good president his administration was labeled with corruption, and he ran the country in a military manner instead of civil. Grant did however sign a civil rights landmark, and enforced African Americans' right to vote. -
14th amendment
The fourteen established citizenship and equal civil rights for African Americans born in the U.S. -
15th amendment
The 15th amendments protected the right to vote, and it was a huge step in the support of African American rights -
Reconstruction Ends
A tie in the presidential election led to Rutherford B. a republican politician to be put in office in exchange for troops to be taken out of the south. Reconstruction ended the same way it had begun, everything previously done was overshadowed by this removal. African Americans were left in the same spot they had begun if not in worse condition.