Final answer:
The post-Civil War gains of African Americans were undone by Jim Crow laws, disenfranchisement, and violence led by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. Racial segregation was enforced, and political power was stripped away through various tactics, undermining the efforts of Reconstruction until the civil rights movements of the mid-20th century.
Step-by-step explanation:
Disenfranchisement and Segregation After the Civil War
The gains made by African Americans in the South after the Civil War were effectively wiped out by a combination of Jim Crow laws, violent intimidation by white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, and various disenfranchisement tactics. Jim Crow laws mandated segregation in all aspects of public life, including schools and transportation, while deviously crafted voting regulations like literacy tests, property qualifications, and poll taxes, in conjunction with outright violence and intimidation, severely curtailed the political power of African Americans. This systematic oppression lasted until the mid-20th century, with some gains being rolled back through additional voting restrictions and continued racial animosity.
Jim Crow Laws and Oppression
Post-Civil War efforts to include freed slaves in the democratic process were undercut by state and local legislatures that passed Jim Crow laws, which mandated racial segregation and effectively reversed the progress made during Reconstruction. Former Confederate sympathizers passed the Black Codes, aimed at keeping the African American population in a state of subjugation. The federal government's withdrawal from enforcement of Reconstruction policies let these discriminatory practices take root.
The Continued Struggle for Civil Rights
It was not until the civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s, often considered the Second Reconstruction, that meaningful federal legislation was enacted to strike down the oppressive laws set in place after the first Reconstruction. Civil rights activists used a mix of legal challenges and grassroots activism to challenge the status quo. However, despite earlier victories in court and in legislation, African Americans continued to face resistance, often violent, from those who sought to maintain the racial hierarchy.