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Freedmans Bureau
Lincoln and the congress created the freedmans bureau. The main purpose was to help the African Americans to get used to life after slavery. Freedmans Bureau had food, water, clothing, and other suppiles It also had schools with teachers from the North. -
black codes
The black codes were laws to help the newly freed african americans. But they still made it easy for white employers to take advantage of African Americans.Some of the black codes made it illegal for blacks to own or rent farms. Some of of the codes stated that officials could fine or take the to jail if the African American did not have jobs.But at least they weren't working in cotton fields. The congress tried to protect the rights of the souths African Americans. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act was a law that gave federal government the powerrto get involved in state affairs to protect African American rights.It also granted citizenship to African Americans.This act was meant to counter the Supreme Court descsion in the 1857 case. The supreme court had ruled that African Americans were not citizens. -
The Fifteenth Amendment
Most southeren states had rejoined the union by the time the presidential election of 1868 drew near.Most Americans hoped that the turbulent period of reconstruction was over.Congress took one more major step in reconstruction in 1869 when it proposed the Fifteenth Amendment.This Amendment guaranteed that stated and federal governments could not deny the right to vote to any male citizen because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. -
The Fourteenth Amendment
Congress worried about the courts might overturn the Civil Rights Act. Then they made another amendment to the Constitution which made the states radify in 1868. The thirtennth Amendment endend slavery. But the Fourteenth took the next step by stating that "All persons born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United Statesand of the State wherein they reside
