A New Beginning, Many Challenges

In 1865, the Civil War ended, and the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. For formerly enslaved people, freedom brought new possibilities, but equality and safety were not guaranteed. Many searched for relatives separated by slavery, reunited families, established churches and schools, and negotiated wages for their work. Some left plantations; others stayed near family or familiar communities. Sharecropping became common in the South. A landowner supplied land and sometimes tools or seed; a family farmed the land and gave the owner a share of the crop as payment. Because supplies were often bought on credit and prices could be unfair, some families ended the year owing money. Others sought paid work or land of their own. Moving to a Northern city could offer factory jobs and schools, but the journey cost money, housing was crowded, and discrimination continued. During Reconstruction, Black men gained the right to vote, and Black communities built institutions and elected leaders. Yet white supremacist violence and unfair laws threatened these gains. Families made decisions based on their own resources, hopes, relationships, and risks.

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