African-Americans During Reconstruction

Since the Reconstruction Era was after the civil war which abolished slavery, many “blacks relished the opportunity to demonstrate their liberation from the regulations, significant and trivial, associated with slavery.”[1] One big difference between the African-Americans being slaves and free, was the fact that they were legally allowed to vote. Frederick Douglass, a former slave during this time, said, “slavery is not abolished until the black man has the ballot.”[2] This shows how important it was for African- Americans to be able to vote during this time. It was a major symbol and representation of how free they are. This is because they would have a say in the politics, which affect the whole country. Foner describes this by saying, “In