The Great Migration In Reconstruction Time Period

During the late 19th century African Americans had entered the Reconstruction time period. Although slavery had ended Southerns still worked hard to remove African Americans rights using tactics such as taking the extra step to prevent blacks from getting an education. White Southerns began to burn down schools and lynch those who were teaching others. They also shot school educators within the area. They wanted to make African Americans afraid to get a education. They also created Black Codes in which laws were passed that put a restriction on the rights of African Americans. These restrictions included things such as share cropping, and cheap labor/wages.After this occurred blacks began to work around the constitutional amendments put in place. They did this by gathering together and attending the political conventions. This helped them gain a better understanding of the system and eventually participate in it where they then granted more rights. An example of this is Fredrick Douglass declaring complete citizenship. 

It was important for African Americans to work around the Reconstruction constitutional amendments so that they could become apart and have say on what was taking place. This lead them to gaining amendments specifically for them such as the 13th and 14th amendment in which provided them with more freedom. After the Reconstruction period ended there was a widespread outbreak of lynching done by whites to blacks. This was a way of expressing white supremacy towards blacks which lead to many deaths that were gotten away with. Whites justified this terrible act by creating excuses such as blacks acting out, causing physical altercations or violence which lead them to lynch. Each person had a right to a fair trial, in which most cases they won. Blacks then created an anti lynching movement in order to get the judicial legislative branch to get it to end. 

During this time period there was a migration of African Americans moving in hopes for better living conditions also known as the Great Migration. Many blacks traveled away from Southern areas and towards Northeast and West. They did this in hopes for a safe living environment and to be treated with more respect as well as in hopes for better jobs. When they moved they came to the realization that things weren’t to different on the otherside. There were rules in place that banned African Americans from buying properties and living in the neighborhood, and also there were still whites only facilitates. Over time blacks fought for more equality and gained better rights and living environments. Some of the African Americans did not leave the South because it became home to them so they remained. Overall, The Great Migration was a very important era, because a lot of blacks created there own communities, were able to house there race, became involved in political activism and gained good quality jobs.