There wasn't much of a change in conditions for African Americans in the South post civil war, since they became free. The enactment of the Jim crow laws still discriminates African Americans until the civil rights movement. However in politics, Hiram Revels became the first African American to be in the U.S. Senate. Some wealthy African Americans were allowed to own property and work, but the majority were poor and still faced a harsh reality until the 1960s.
