Excerpt from Term Paper:

...... Once arriving, some Africans were treated like European indentured servants and set free after a designated period of time. Others were slaves for life, and their children were either slaves as well or born free. Over time, however, the masters realized the value of their investments and began to write and support stringent laws that tightened the bonds of racial slaverymaking African slavery an condition that was inherited and that denied black people the most basic human rights
When the Civil War ended in 1865, many African Americans hoped for their inclusion into the nation's civic culture. With ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868, which granted blacks citizenship, and the 15th Amendment in 1870, which extended the franchise, they were optimistic that their lives would change for the better. Many began searching for family members separated during slavery. Others exercised their political right to form labor associations, build schools, churches, and other institutions. Even though racial discrimination and violence dampened some of this optimism, blacks
voted and played an active role in the countrys affairs (Fogel, 1989)
Yet, the changes for which they had hoped so desperately did not come, as the situation worsened over the following decade.

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