The New South is a term used historically to describe the American South after the American civil war ended in 1865. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and around 4 million African American slaves were freed. On one hand, African Americans enjoyed the dignities of freedom; no more brutalities, assaults, selling and relocation, no wages or legal rights, and this was very widely celebrated, both publicly and privately. On the other hand, white race prejudice still persisted. The blacks were given limited rights, for example, Laws known as Black Codes gave blacks rights to own property, marry, and engage in legal proceedings, but at the same time this made it illegal for them to testify against whites, serve in juries, or serve in state militias. The former slaves were never compensated for their enslavement, and many African Americans thus lived in poverty in the decades following the civil war.