Securing Basic Needs:
- Many newly freed slaves were without homes or resources. They sought food, shelter, and clothing from former slave owners, the Freedmen's Bureau, and charitable organizations.
Searching for Family:
- Families had been separated during slavery. Former slaves often traveled to reunite with loved ones, while some remained at home and awaited their reunion.
Labor and Employment:
- Freed slaves primarily continued as agricultural laborers on former plantations, often under sharecropping or tenant farming arrangements. However, some began seeking work beyond agricultural labor.
Education:
- Access to education was crucial for freed slaves. Schools and universities were established, and former slaves showed a strong desire to learn to read and write.
Community Building:
- Freed slaves formed their own communities, establishing self-sufficient institutions such as churches, schools, and mutual aid societies.
Political Participation:
- The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (ratified in 1870) granted voting rights to African Americans. Many former slaves actively engaged in politics, exercising their right to vote and running for office.
Land Ownership:
- Acquiring land was a primary goal for many freed slaves, as it symbolized freedom and self-determination. Some purchased land through hard work and savings, while others participated in government programs aimed at providing land to former slaves.
Activism and Advocacy:
- Freed slaves participated in various social, political, and civil rights movements. They formed organizations like the National Equal Rights League and worked alongside abolitionists and reformers to advocate for their rights.
Migration:
- A substantial number of freed slaves chose to migrate from the South, where they faced discrimination, to the West or urban centers in search of better opportunities.
Economic Entrepreneurship:
- Some freed slaves established small businesses, such as grocery stores, barbershops, and laundries, to earn a livelihood and become economically independent.
Overall, the period following the Civil War was a time of significant change, growth, and activism for freed slaves as they transitioned from bondage to freedom and began the process of rebuilding their lives and communities.