*Have you ever wondered what kind of conditions African Americans had to endure at the start and end of the Civil War? Did D.C. follow the lead of other states or was it the first to shift from the attitude of Emancipation? What were the ripple effects of the Reconstruction Era? All of these questions will be answered if you read on.
The Reconstruction Era of Washington D.C. had 2 transformations that have been known to be quite long-lasting. The transformations were the exponential growth of the city and the end of slavery. The Congress was being constantly told by the Abolitionists to stop slavery – especially in D.C.
Congress, on the other hand, was dominated by interests of holding on to slavery and hence wouldn’t shift from their current stand.
It was in April 1862 that the Congress had finally approved the abolition act. Because of this D.C. wasn’t the only state on the verge of vast magnitudes of changes – the nation as a whole was going to evolve. Thousands of new families and individuals were brought into the city after the war. Real estate was on the rise with the increased population growth – changing and bringing Washington to what it is today.
At the beginning of the war, slavery was still legal and discrimination was at its peak with ‘black codes’ being assigned to the community. African Americans were to stay inside in the evenings and pay licensing fees for businesses.
Towards the end of the war, however, African Americans had fought in the war with valor and Black organizations were on the rise in civic life everywhere. Outside missionaries or the Freedmen’s bureau, the community had also brought forward local education institutions. Many former slaves were seen moving in from the countryside which was out of the control of disruptive forces.
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