When the smoke of the civil war cleared, the US entered a new era. This era was nest known as reconstruction. Reconstruction was the government's grand plan to rebuild the south and reunite the states. There was a huge problem ahead however. The president and congress did not agree on how the south should be allowed back into the union. Andrew Johnson, president at the time, believed that the south should not have to be punished to be readmitted into the union. This was where the conflict of interest began. Congress believed it was not the president's job to rebuild the south. The president and congress argued many times and Johnson was nearly impeached.
During the period known as reconstruction, three amendments were ratified that changed the history of the African-American race forever. Amendment XIII abolished slavery in the united stated forever. It stated that all acts of slavery were to cease immediately. Violation of this of this amendment was punishable by court Marshall. Amendment XIV guaranteed rights to everyone born in the united states or currently residing within us boundaries. It also guaranteed citizenship to all legal immigrants. Amendment XV stated that all blacks would now be able to vote. However, soon after the ratification of this amendment, congress was awakened by an uprising of women's rights activists. What amendment XV meant was that all black men were now able to vote. Women's rights were still being denied, even though restricting one's right to vote was now a punishable offense.
During reconstruction, three main things threatened the newly-gained freedom the blacks had waited so long to obtain. The Jim crow laws, first of the three, officiated segregation in public places. This affected the black citizens every day, because they could not even come in contact with white people. Next, the black codes, which once again deminished the rights of all blacks. They limited the freedoms that the blacks had finally earned.
