Final answer:
African Americans were technically free after the Civil War, but their rights were quickly taken away due to white supremacy and Jim Crow laws. The Wilmington Coup of 1898 further intensified the discrimination and segregation African Americans faced in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
Following the Civil War, African Americans were technically free from slavery. However, their freedom was short-lived as white supremacy and Jim Crow laws were put in place, taking away their rights and subjecting them to poverty and powerlessness. The Wilmington Coup of 1898 is a significant event in American history because it marked a violent backlash against African Americans' political and economic progress, leading to the erosion of their rights and the establishment of segregation.