2 things that helped African Americans:
In 1865, after the Civil War, the long process of Reconstruction began. Congress passed new laws to give African Americans freedom. Then the Civil Rights Act of 1866, African Americans enjoyed a period when they were allowed to vote, actively participate in the political process, acquire the land of former owners, seek their own employment.
2 things that hurt African Americans:
Many African Americans lived in desperate rural poverty across the South in the decades following the Civil War. Some States didn't follow the 13th amendment and still had African slaves.
