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Impact Of The Reconstruction Era

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The Reconstruction Era occurred between 1866 and 1877, immediately following the Civil War between the Northern and Southern states. The Reconstruction Era brought change to not only the American economy, society, and government, but significant changes to the lives of African Americans as well. Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865 impacted conditions for African Americans in the post-war period through political and social changes in the Reconstruction Era; which ranged from a new array of rights to many new opportunities in society. Following the official end of the Civil War in 1865, the Freedmen’s Bureau was established. Although enacted before Lincoln’s death, it still had a significant impact on the lives of African Americans well into the 1870s. As noted in The Freedmen’s Bureau is Established: March 3, 1865, it explains that the Freedmen’s Bureau was “designed by Congress to function for one year after the end of the war to aid former slaves in securing food, housing, education, health care, and jobs in the midst of their changed circumstances.” This Bureau, with the help of Congress, helped thousands of newly freed slaves transition into American society with a bit of ease. They also did more than just securing the fundamentals of American society like jobs and education into the lives of African Americans, they established schools for blacks, mediated labor conflicts, and helped serve justice in state courts. To further establish the rights of African Americans,

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