The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation is a document that is of a particular relevance to the history of the emancipation of slaves in the United States. It was signed by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 (The Emancipation Proclamation, 2019). The document states that “the people… in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free” (as cited in On this day, 2021). Thus, the Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in 10 states outside the control of the Union forces (On this day, 2021). In the rest of the states and areas that did not rebel against the Union, slavery remained legal. The complete emancipation of slaves in all states would require changes to the Constitution, which was impossible during the Civil War.
Although the document is controversial, it became the basis for changing the course of the war. The most important point in the Emancipation Proclamation was that the freed slaves were able to join the Union army (The Emancipation Proclamation, 2019). Thus, the document confirmed that the Civil War is an act of liberation and the advancement of the Union serves this purpose. It is one of the most significant documents in the history of the United States, as it laid the foundation of concepts of freedom and equality.
The Freedmen’s Bureau
After the emancipation of slaves in the United States began, many Blacks faced serious challenges. The Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees was created to support freed slaves, including the provision of land, clothing, food, and medical services. The act also “established schools, supervised contracts between freedmen and employers, and managed confiscated or abandoned lands” (Freedmen’s Bureau Acts, n.d). The Bureau existed during the last year of the Civil War and another year after its end. The slaves freed after the adoption of the Emancipation Proclamation did not have a livelihood or land, and many also lost contact with their families. The Bureau helped such people adapt to the new conditions, providing education, assisting in labor contracts and disputes, and, with less success, working on redistribution of land.
The Bureau faced many difficulties in the future, and its continuation was not approved by the Senate. However, this act is of key importance to the history of the United States, as it allowed many freed slaves to integrate into society. The social support provided by the Bureau’s agents not only to Blacks but also to the impoverished White people during the Civil War was significant in restoring the nation.
13th-15th Amendments
A number of amendments to the Constitution after the end of the Civil War were aimed at racial restoration. This process assumes that Blacks who were former slaves were socially and politically integrated into society and expanded their rights as US citizens. The 13th Amendment was ratified in 1864, a few months after the end of the war (American history, n.d). It abolished slavery “within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (Abolition of slavery, n.d). Thus, this Amendment granted freedom to all Blacks in the United States, socially equating them with Whites. It is the most significant in the history of the United States, as it proclaims racial equality.
The 14th Amendment provided former slaves with protection, as well as the right to equal participation in legal proceedings. It was adopted in 1868 and affirmed the concept of citizenship and supports the rights of citizens, as well as prohibits their denial (American history, n.d). The 15th Amendment introduces changes in the political life of former slaves, and it is also significant for the process of emancipation. It was ratified in 1870, and it “prohibits federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race” prohibits federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race (American history, n.d). These documents have made a significant contribution to further expanding social equality among US citizens. Moreover, it allowed the Blacks to participate in the political life of society and the state, which is extremely important for strengthening the idea of freedom during the Radical Reconstruction.
The Black Codes
The abolishment of slavery and the empowerment of Blacks met with backlash from the southern states. In particular, in 1865 and 1866, the Black Codes were passed, a series of laws restricting the freedom of former slaves in the region (American history, n.d). The laws provided for the arrest of Blacks who did not have written evidence of employment with them. Additionally, in South Carolina, former slaves were only allowed to work as farmers or servants, and otherwise, pay a significant tax.
The system of sharecropping also emerged that provided Black families with land to rent and obliged them to give part of the harvest at the end of the year to the landowner. This opportunity granted former slaves greater freedom in social life but limited their financial independence and was often the cause of impoverishment or debt. The Black Codes wreaked havoc on Blacks in the Southern States after the end of the Civil War, as they also punished vagrancy with hard labor on plantations. In conditions when the slaves had just gained freedom and did not have financial independence, this put under threat thousands of people. Thus, these laws were aimed at restoring slavery under different formulations.
Black Codes and the Southern states’ reaction to abolishment also prompted the Radical Republican Congress to take action. In particular, to improve the position of the Blacks in the region, the Southern States were divided into military districts and placed under military rule. This measure also allowed ratification of such important documents as “the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the 14th Amendment” (American history, n.d). Thus, the Black Codes became a significant milestone in the history of the United States, as they accelerated the passage of important laws expanding the rights and freedoms of former slaves in all states.
The Ku Klux Klan
The emancipation of slaves met with a reaction not only from the government of the Southern states but also on the social level. At the end of the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) movement emerged, “a secret organization that used terror tactics to target newly freed African Americans” (The Ku Klux Klan, 2020). The expansion of voting rights allowed Blacks to become members of the Senate and other legislative structures.
Changes introduced by the Radical Reconstruction met with opposition from the Southerners, who, as part of the KKK, performed terrorist acts against the Blacks. Members of the movement obstructed the participation of former slaves in the voting by using “intimidation, violence, and murder” (The Ku Klux Klan, 2020). Thus, the activities of the KKK intensified racial segregation in the South of the United States. This movement is significant for the history of the United States, as it emphasizes the confrontation between the South and the North in relation to the abolishment process, as well as the existing social contradictions. It is not unimportant that the actions carried out by the members of the KKK became the reason for the fight against segregation in the future.
References
Abolition of Slavery. (n.d). Interactive Constitution. Web.
American history: The Civil War and Reconstruction: amendments, acts and codes of Reconstruction. (n.d). Lloyd Sealy Library. Web.
Freedmen’s Bureau Acts of 1865 and 1866. (n.d). United States Senate. Web.
On this day, the Emancipation Proclamation changes history. (2021). Constitution Daily. Web.
The Emancipation Proclamation. (2019). National Archives. Web.
The Ku Klux Klan. (2020). National Geographic. Web.