Question

On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Two years later, on January 31, 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment, officially abolishing slavery. News spread slowly throughout the South. This left formerly enslaved Black people to figure out their new place in society with little or no assistance. Many were forced to make a deal with their former masters to begin working for pay; others migrated to different states in an attempt to reunite with family. Slavery was legally over, but racism and discrimination were far from finished. In the years following the Civil War, during an era known as Reconstruction, the federal government made an effort to improve the social status and civil rights of Black people. Some progress was made, but the backlash to this progress was severe. Within 15 years, Black Americans in the South saw their civil rights rolled back yet again as the Jim Crow era began.

Which of the following best describes the legal end of slavery?

A

An immediate solution to anti-Black hatred and bigotry

B

The beginning of a slow improvement with very few setbacks

C

An important first step that did not put an end to racism

D

A failure and opportunity for plantations to expand

Answer 1

C. An important first step that did not put an end to racism