Leading up to the Civil War many laws …show more content…
This came in the form of the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation freed the slaves in the rebelling Confederacy. This may seem ineffective, but it was used to promote running away, rebelling against owners, and undermining the Confederate effort (Marten, James). In addition black men were allowed to enlist in the Union army. The Emancipation Proclamation began to make people question the new status of blacks in the United States.
The Emancipation Proclamation impacted the civil rights movement tremendously. After the proclamation was passed immediate measures were taken to secure rights for these newly freed people. There was a temporary program in 1865 called the Freedmen’s Bureau, which helped former slaves adjust to free life after the war. It provided food, medical care, legal assistance, and housing (history.com Staff). In addition, it financed committees for black education. However, this program lasted short term due to shortage funding and race conflict. It lasted until 1870 when Congress shut it