Final answer:
After emancipation, most former slaves, or freedmen, faced restrictive Black codes, and continued working under exploitative conditions as sharecroppers on plantations. They faced segregation, voter suppression, and violence, while also embracing newfound freedom to rebuild families. The end of Reconstruction led to the resurgence of white supremacy, Jim Crow laws, and the curtailing of civil rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Life for Former Slaves During Reconstruction
What became of most former slaves, also known as freedmen, during Reconstruction? The end of the Civil War and the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment brought about the emancipation of millions of enslaved individuals. However, their struggle for true freedom and equality was far from over during the Reconstruction era. Many of the Black codes were enacted by Southern states to restrict the freedoms of African Americans, limiting them to roles similar to serfs or indentured servants. Black people faced voter suppression, segregation in schools, and the threat of violence.
Although legally free, most black southerners continued to work on plantations as tenants or sharecroppers under conditions that echoed slavery. This labor system, along with new forms of intimidation and violence, particularly by groups like the Ku Klux Klan, maintained a social structure that significantly disadvantaged African Americans. Even though there was a transition to a free-labor economy, legal force and extra-legal violence sustained bound labor systems well into the twentieth century. Nevertheless, African Americans seized the opportunity to rebuild their families, claim their rights, and move with greater freedom than ever before.
The varied experiences of freedmen also included those of Native American freedmen, who viewed African American freedmen differently and faced their own unique challenges during this period. Despite the brief political successes and efforts to integrate African Americans into American life, the end of Reconstruction saw the resurgence of white supremacy, and the implementation of Jim Crow laws eroded the gains made by formerly enslaved people. This resulted in the entrenchment of racial segregation, poverty, and disenfranchisement for generations.