Post-Reconstruction brought significant difficulties for African Americans, including discriminatory Black Codes and Jim Crow laws that undermined their rights and kept them under white authority. The Black Codes regulated freedmen's employment and movement, while the Jim Crow laws legalized racial segregation and the "separate but equal" doctrine. African Americans faced discrimination in public facilities, employment opportunities, and their ability to assemble without white supervision. Figures like Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington provided leadership for the black community during this time of restricted freedom following the Civil War.

1. Post Reconstruction
Difficulties faced by African Americans

2. Discrimination
• Black Codes undermined African American rights and kept
them under white authority.
•Race was defined by blood; the presence of any amount of black
blood made one black
•Employment was required of all freedmen; violators faced
vagrancy charges
•Freedmen could not assemble without the presence of a white
person
•Freedmen were assumed to be agricultural workers and their
duties and hours were tightly regulated
•Freedmen were not to be taught to read or write
•Public facilities were segregated
•Violators of these laws were subject to being whipped or
branded.

3. Discrimination
• Segregation came across as “it was okay to treat blacks
this way”.
• Jim Crow Laws were passed.
Ex:
1. separate bathrooms
2. different drinking fountains
3. seats in the back of the bus
• The Jim Crow Laws were brought to Supreme court in
the Plessy vs. Ferguson trial. They decided to keep the
laws which is where the idea of “separate but equal”
came from.

4. President Johnson
• The 14th amendment was suppose to help and give the
blacks more freedom, but Johnson did not agree with it
so it did not help. And the blacks remained in what was
still pretty much slavery.

5. Fredrick Douglas
• Fredrick Douglas was the consultant to President
Abraham Lincoln.

6. Booker T. Washington
• Booker Washington was a black leader in the 18th
century who gave hope to the blacks.

7. Aftermath
• Some slaves quickly fled from the neighborhood of their
owners, while others became laborers for former owners.
Most importantly, African Americans could make choices
for themselves about where they labored and the type of
work they did.