Much of the antebellum south would be identified differently after the civil war. This massive culture shock for a wounded south would not sway the struggle to hold on to southern individuality. Ultimately many actions would force a desegregation between southern principles and southern principles. The American Reconstruction effort would be the first of these attempts. .
Reconstruction's intention to give Blacks the prospect of a new and better life. Many of them remained with their masters after being freed while some departed in search of self-betterment through education, as well as land ownership. They would find that freedom was not as pleasing or natural as the northern carpetbaggers made it sound. There were many hurdles standing in their way, chiefly race hating organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and the White League. There were also laws and restrictions placed on Blacks. The introduction of 'black codes'. These laws established by President Johnson's reconstruction plan held that blacks were to have a curfew as well as maintain identification. Labor pacts founded under Johnson's Reconstruction even constrained the 'freedmen' to their respective plantations. Instituting Racial Segregation; Blacks were now banned from serving on juries or appear as a witness, and blacks who were unemployed would be incarcerated and then auctioned off to employers to pay their fines. Southern States were compelled to ratify the 13th Amendment for reentry to the Union, but these legislators were pressured by Southern politicians trying to uphold southern traditionalism. As some freedmen would migrate to the south, they would spread the word of God and freedom. They would hold sermons that would draw crowds as they would read publications and recruit black men to rise and fight the oppression. Similarly, the Ku Klux Klan was looking have their meeting, and the stump is thumping sessions. Early on, the KKK was merely a menace to most blacks.