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African-Americans could not own any property they desired, and some States created strict laws that would ‘punish anyone who offered higher wages to a black labourer’ (History Editors 2018).So how was the black community restricted?.The United States’ South had based their economy on slavery, and in April 1865, when Lincoln proposed ‘limited suffrage for African-Americans in the South’, he was killed only a few days later (History Editors 2018).

Although Lincoln’s successor started the Reconstruction (for equal rights), the South reestablished the provisions of the Black Codes under the Jim Crow Laws, which were active for almost a century: they were abolished only with the introduction of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (History Editors 2018).In fact, despite the abolition of slavery during the Civil War, it ‘ensure their availability as cheap labor’ (History Editors 2018).Between 1865-1866, the Black Codes were established, and their purpose was to limit and restrict the black community’s freedom.In this section, we will briefly discuss some of the major restrictions African-American people had to live by. The fact that the black community has been exploited and harmed over the centuries is widely known.In addition, before the Act, there were Black Codes, laws aimed to restrict African-Americans’ freedom. Johnson’s Act had its roots in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which stated that slaves were ‘forever free’.

They had no rights nor possessions and essentially were considered to be second class citizens.

Preceding the amendment and laws that sought to create more equality amongst the populations of the United States, were ‘three centuries’ of slavery and ‘four years of civil war’ (Hackney 1969).Before delving into the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and what it implied, it is necessary to take a step back and understand the political background of the United States during this period.Despite the existence of these laws, they were not fully respected and caused much upheaval amongst the white American population.The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was enacted with the purpose of preserving the black community’s rights.Let’s find out more about the Civil Rights Act of 1866!