Expectations resulting from the war should be ones of a positive outcome, however, this is not always the case. General Ulysses S. Grant imagined a perfect society, but that was probably more about his optimistic imagination than about what was happening and would not come to pass. At the end of the Civil War, Reconstruction had a tremendous impact and encouraged changes throughout society. Reconstruction, which followed the United States Civil War, was an effort to reunify a divided nation in order to include African Americans in society. This movement was both a positive and negative effort for African Americans who were former slaves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayReconstruction ended Confederate secession and slavery, making newly freed slaves citizens with civil rights. The three new constitutional amendments were also introduced, namely the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments. The primary event that contributed to the success of the Reconstruction Era was the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox. Grant, like the union, was against slavery, and because of their success, all efforts to end slavery were complete. The 13th Amendment was introduced, abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude. This freed hundreds of thousands of former slaves. These slaves who were in the South were known as “freedmen.” They were promised that they would be treated no differently than anyone else, but they were still rejected by the former Confederates. At the beginning of the Reconstruction period, slaves were no longer slaves but became freedmen. Freedmen were newly freed slaves living in the South. The 14th Amendment gave them citizenship and the protection of equality like everyone else, meaning they gained rights. Some of these rights were the right to practice their religion, education, fair employment and property contracts, and the right to maintain a strong family structure. The 15th Amendment gave them the right to vote. Freedmen had equality and rights like everyone else, but this did not last throughout the Reconstruction era. Reconstruction was not always positive, it took a turn and turned into a racial downfall. Jim Crow laws were introduced to “keep society the same.” Jim Crow laws were a set of state and local laws legalizing racial segregation. There were black codes similar to Jim Crow laws. The Black Codes were strict laws specifying when, where, and how freed slaves could work and participate in society. These codes appeared throughout the South and affected the daily lives of citizens of color. These codes took away their right to vote and controlled their place of residence and movement. These laws created segregation in public schools, venues, transportation, restrooms, restaurants, water fountains, and including the right to participate in the U.S. military, etc. Because their rights were taken away, this caused major racism which introduced the Black Codes. mind: This is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, after the civil war, the reconstruction era was full of positive and negative events, however, still other events led to the downfall of Africa. Americans..