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The Emancipation Proclamation
The Announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation which stated that on the eve of the following year, all slaves in the rebellious Confederate states would be "thenceforward, and forever, free" (www.pbs.org). -
"Union Refugees" by George W. Pettit
"Union Regugees" by George W. Pettit created ca. 1865 -
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The Freedmen's Bureau
The Freedmen's Bureau was established shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation and before the end of the Civil War to act as a temporary service for newly freed blacks to adjust to having civil liberties. The bureau created schools and attempted to solidify fair contracts between Southern landowners and black laborers. The bureau lasted longer than it was originally intended to, but was shut down in the summer of 1872 from lack of support by politicians (www.pbs.org, www.history.com). -
End of Slavery
The 13th Amendment was officially adopted into America's Constitution after being ratified by a sufficient number of states just twelve days before. This marked the official end of slavery/involuntary servitude when not in punishment for a crime (www.history.com). -
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Ku Klux Klan
Started as a secret club by some Confederate verterans, the Ku Klux Klan quickly grew into a large-scale terrorist organization throughout America. Klan members systematically intimidated and killed black leaders and politicians, with countless instances of inhumane brutality known and unknown occuring throughout the Klan's existance. Klan activity died down sometime in 1872, to be revived in 1915 in response to Civil Rights activity (www.pbs.org). -
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Reconstruction
Starting on an unspecified date, Reconstruction refers to the time period wherein the South was being reorganized to fit back into the United States. After Lincoln's assassination, President Johnson enstated a form of Reconstruction which favored whites, but then Congress got ahold of it and enforced a militant form of forced Reconstruction on the South in favor of Blacks. Schools were built and Blacks were given civil rights and voting rights, though racism and segregation ran rampant (www.pbs) -
The Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution enforced the Civil Rights of Blacks as citizens of the United States, including the point that no citizen may be deprived of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law (www.pbs.org). -
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Enforcement Acts
Laws and Acts passed during this time period helped enforce Blacks' rights to vote, hold office, and serve on juries. The acts targeted groups resisting these measures, specifically the Ku Klux Klan. Klansmen were brought to trial by the hundreds during this period and jailed or fined for their organization's actions. These measures seemed to work for a time before Reconstruction ended and power fell back into white hands (www.pbs.org). -
"Free" by Emma Marie Cadwalader-Guild
"Free" by Emma Marie Cadwalader-Guild created ca. 1876 -
"An Old Roadway" by George Inness
"An Old Roadway" by George Inness created ca. 1880
