Legislation after the Civil War Claim: Legislations passed after the Civil War were intended to improve the lives of freed slaves and Southern refugees, however lack of government support and other obstacles prevented the legislations from having lasting effects

The Freedmen’s Bureau ( ) Provided food, medical care and clothing for black and white refugees in the South. 1 Established schools to maintain literacy as fast and widespread as possible. (Around 3,000 schools) 1 Helped slaves transition out of slavery and other refugees transition to working class. 1 Many white Southerners opposed the Freedmen’s Bureau Positives: -Fed millions of people –Established hospitals and schools – Helped former find lost relatives 2 Negatives: -Understaffed and underfunded –Large opposition to the Bureau in the South –No long term protection for the freed slaves 2 1. Wormser, Richard, “Freedmen’s Bureau,” Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, last modified 2002, accessed October 11, A&E Television Networks, LLC. "Freedmen's Bureau." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. (accessed October 14, 2013).

The civil rights act of 1866 "grants freed people citizenship, provides them 'full and equal benefits of all laws, and empowers federal courts to defend these rights from interference by the state’” 3 Outlawed the black code granting former slaves the rights to: to carry a weapon, serve on juries, testify against whites, marry whites, traveling without a permit, and own land. 4 Prevented violence from southerners that would keep blacks from improving there position in society. 4 Those being discriminated against had little legal help assess meaning many were left with out a legal response Eric Foner, Reconstruction Reader (Wellesley, M.A. U.S.A: Social Studies Department, 1996), p Gerald A. Danzer, The Americans, student text. ed. (Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005), p

Civil Rights Acts Of 1871 What they are: Congress passed 3 acts making force or fraud a federal crime when used to prevent citizens from voting. Congress also passed enforcement acts which enforced the rights of blacks to vote, hold office, serve on juries, and have equal protection of the law. The main target of these acts was the Ku Klux Klan. 5 What they did for slaves: These acts enforced the rights of blacks and former slaves. One of the acts was the Ku Klux Klan act who's members had been murdering many blacks who tried to vote and whites who attempted to or enforced the rights of former slaves. These acts protected both the former slaves and whites. The act not only outed the Ku Klux Klan but outed any organizations that employed disguise and violence who denied others their civil rights. 5 Was it enforced: At first the acts were not enforced, this was because political leaders either sympathized with the Klan, or were members of the Klan, and or because they were too scared or weak to act upon it in fear harm would come to themselves or their families. Political leaders were also afraid to send black militia troops to fight the Ku Klux Klan because of the possibility of provoking a race war. The acts were not properly enforced until Amos Ackerman who was the attorney general at the time attempted to make people aware of the actions of the Ku Klux Klan. Due to this congress started enforcing laws and the situation changed. The act made private criminal acts federal crimes and therefore many Klansmen were tried and sent to jail. By 1872 the entire Klan's organization was broken "The Enforcement Acts," Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, last modified 2002, accessed October 11, 2013,

bib "The Enforcement Acts," Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, last modified 2002, accessed October 11, 2013, “Freedmen’s Bureau,” Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, last modified 2002, accessed October 11, A&E Television Networks, LLC. "Freedmen's Bureau." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. (accessed October 14, 2013). Foner, Eric. Reconstruction Reader. Wellesley, M.A. U.S.A: Social Studies Department, Danzer, Gerald A. The Americans. Student text. ed. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005.