Life after Slavery Post Civil War

uneducated. unemployed. Now that slavery was over, African Americans had 2 main problems. 1. They were uneducated. 2. They were unemployed.

So the United States government established the Freedmen’s Bureau.

The was an organization that provided freed slaves Freedmen’s Bureau The was an organization that provided freed slaves with food, clothing, medicine, and other supplies.

To make a living, many slaves became sharecroppers.

sharecropping? Sharecropping What was Sharecropping was when landowners gave the workers (freed slaves) supplies and a place to live. Then, at harvest time, the landowner would give the freed slave a share of the crop. This was not very helpful to the freed slaves. They did not make very much money.

Life did not get better for freed slaves just because slavery was outlawed. African Americans were still discriminated against. Let’s take a moment to discuss what “discriminated” means.

Jim Crow Laws After the slaves were freed, the were passed. The made it legal to maintain separate facilities for blacks and whites. Jim Crow Laws

Southerners happy because the laws still kept white and The made Southerners happy because the laws still kept white and black people segregated. Jim Crow Laws Let’s take a moment to discuss what “segregated” means.

The South also tried to keep black people from voting. This was called disenfranchisement.

The South also told me that I can’t vote if I don’t pass a reading test. Only about half of the black people living in the South can read. This is just a way to keep black people from voting! The South told me I can’t vote if I don’t pay all the taxes I owe the government. I can’t pay the taxes! I don’t have any money. Sharecropping does not pay me very much, and I am trying to take care of my family. This is just a way to keep black people from voting!

Remember, just because slavery was outlawed in the south, life was still very difficult for African Americans after the Civil War.

Let’s Review 1. What were the two main problems that African Americans had even after slavery was outlawed? 2. What was the ? Freedmen’s Bureau 3. What were the ? Jim Crow Laws 4. What was ? How was it beneficial to African Americans? What were its drawbacks? sharecropping 5. How did white people attempt to keep African Americans from voting? 6. Define: segregation discrimination disenfranchisement

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