Slavery After Emancipation Essays - Reconstruction Era, Free Essays

Slavery After Emancipation Essays - Reconstruction Era, Free Essays Slavery After Emancipation contact me to receive the sources used After President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, former slaves took on a new role in American society. This role was one of more significance and self worth than in slavery, but this class of freedmen was anything but appreciated. Without the manpower of the slaves, the south's agricultural society would fail, and without the agriculture there would be little money or food in the south. The passing of the Louisiana Black Code in 1865, confirmed that whites felt as if blacks could not handle the responsibility or the rights of true citizens. Whites thought they did not deserve these rights because they were inferior to themselves and simply less than human. These restrictions were so harsh; it is, as slavery had never ended. The blacks were free, however many of the negroes everyday rights were abolished. Section 3, of the Louisiana Black Code states No negro shall be permitted to rent or keep a house within said parish. Section 9 declares that No negro shall sell, barter, or exchange any articles of merchandise or traffic within said parish. And one of the worst of these codes is in Section 4 of the Louisiana Black Code. Every negro is required to be in the regular service of some white person, or former owner, who shall be held responsible for the conductor of said negro. (Doc 1) This was basically returning payed-slavery. Many blacks remained on these farms and pl antations because they did not know what else they could do after emancipation. However, now they were being forced into staying because few knew anything other than farming. In December of 1865, Congress voted to stamp out these codes. Testimony to the southern white sentiment showed what would have happened if states were allowed to employ their own laws in regards to slavery. (Boyer, 503) Blacks soon develop a sense of freedom and want to create lives for themselves. They do not want to remain in a place and continue to be employed by those who previously treated them as animals. Mr. Lewis, a former slave, tells a planters wife, Mrs. Henry, I want to move away and feel ontirely free and see what I cen do by myself. Even kind masters, like the Henrys, lost many slave due to the want and need of freedom. (Doc 2) Charles Davenport stated Freedom meant us could leave where usd been born and bred, but it meant, too, dat us had to scratch for our ownselves. (Doc 5) Outsiders made independence nearly impossible though. The sharecropping system, in which most had worked before, was still the only employment available and certainly the only work blacks knew as familiar. Rural merchants tried to give blacks a chance for employment, but often forced them into a position where they would sharecrop. (Boyer, 520) The Ku Klux Klan was also had a devastating effect on both the black mind and body. The Klan greatly influenced the black freedom. Klan members would harass, beat, and even kill those blacks that did not take the clans advice, usually telling them to vote democratic. One man was taken out by the Klan, beaten, and was told to promise he would vote the democratic ticket. He responded by saying I dont know how I will vote; it looks hard when a body thinks this way and that way to take a beating. (Doc, 5) Enforcement Acts attempted to reduce the Ku Klux Klans activities. These Enforcement Acts first goal was to protect black voters themselves. The elections would also be federally supervised. These Acts went another step forward by limiting the rights of those whom disadvantaged or impeded blacks voting. The president was also given the power and authority to position federal troops in an area declared to be under rebellion of these laws. Unfortunately, Grant withdrew many federal troops positioned throughout the south and disabled an effective way of enforcing the Acts. (Boyer, 515) Black family and social life began to steadily improve. Family dynamics were turning toward more traditional ways with the man was at the head of the household completing most of the manual labor. the negro women are not disposed to field work,