The Emancipation Proclamation abolished the legal fact of slavery, but racial discrimination and segregation remained during the reconstruction era. Many things happened during the time of the Emancipation Proclamation and Reconstruction and it definitely did not do as much for the black people as everyone thought it would. The blacks became the forgotten people after the war and fell through the cracks of society, while people only looked on. Then the suddenness of the Emancipation left both the blacks and whites unprepared to deal with each other and their new status. Also, there was difficulty with legal discrimination and harsh imprisonment as blacks attempted to integrate themselves into a white society during a very overwhelming time.

After the war, the blacks fell through the cracks of the North and South. There was massive confusion regarding what people were really fighting for. The North was fighting to abolish slavery, whereas the South was fighting for their state's rights. The blacks were caught somewhere in the middle between right and wrong. As Abraham Lincoln introduced the Emancipation the Southerners were bitter and resented the

For the blacks, all hopes continued to plummet, especially after the Black Codes came into affect. The Black Codes were restrictive laws applying to only blacks. Under these laws, any white could arrest a black who violated a labor contract, blacks who could not prove they worked were jailed, blacks under the tender age of 18 could be bound to an apprenticeship, blacks were barred from owning land, they could not preach or sell liquor without a special license, they were forbidden to even rent land and racial intermarriage was punishable by life imprisonment. These codes also set strict color line restrictions for churches, schools, restaurants, hotels, parks, streetcars, railroads, and steamboats. By the end of the year, the abandonment of the emancipated people seemed to have become an established fact.

Upon conclusion, the fact that blacks have endured tremendous struggles in their lives is obvious, even during the time of Reconstruction. Whites and blacks were enable to find a common ground on which to agree upon. They were mislead, misrepresented, and treated in a shameful manner and just because of the color of their skin. People were unable to see and comprehend that all the beauty in the world is a compilation of a variety of people and cultures. Diversity was not respected and the differences continued to increase, separating the whites and the blacks even more. It is obvious that we would be nothing without the timely contributions of all ethnic groups. What has happened over the course of history is not always something to be proud of.

They were sent away with no education and would soon learn that life could be a cruel game directed at them. They never had the option of being the winner. They were given the losers positioning right away. The blacks were vulnerable and the carpetbaggers were quick to take advantage of them. The carpetbaggers were cold-hearted people who would stop at nothing for a little money. "I was pretty hard up and I did not care who the candidate was if I got two hundred doll

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