Freedom: Life After Slavery (Primary Source Readers: Focus on African Americans)

Slavery officially ended in 1865 with the Thirteenth Amendment. But this did not mean that hard times were over. All of a sudden there were over 400,000 freed slaves who needed jobs and homes. Despite the fact that the law said they were free, many African Americans experienced discrimination due to segregation laws and racism. They were paid unfair wages and many ended up in debt. From the end of the Civil War to 1970 is known as the Great Migration. More than 7 million African Americans left the South in search of a better life. They established themselves in cities like Harlem where art, music, and literature flourished. During this time, there were many influential people who fought to end segregation and to improve the lives of African Americans. Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois started organizations to unite African Americans. Booker T. Washington opened a university to promote education. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. led nonviolent protests. Finally after 10 years of protests, the Civil Rights Act became law in 1964.