The Reconstruction Era, a time of great change in the United States. After the Civil War, this era was a time when the government tried to put the country back together with the pieces of the North and the South. The trick was to put the nation back together so as not to recreate the causes that led to the breakup of the United States. Most of the South was in chaos, along with its government, after being devastated by the war that had taken place primarily in this region. A major goal was equality under the Constitution for those who did not enjoy it before the Civil War. This was primarily focused on African Americans, former slaves who had been freed under the Emancipation Act during the war. Now was the time to make sure these former slaves received the rights they deserved in this era. Government intervention was necessary to guarantee certain freedoms. However, even with the new amendments, African Americans were not treated equally and ways were found to circumvent such laws. Even women were not treated equally and attempted to gain civil rights and liberties at this time. Without this period of change and without groups achieving individual rights under government, we would not be where we are today in this nation of diversity. After the Civil War, African Americans would be free from slavery and would be treated as equals. However, life for these former slaves would be nothing like what was expected, knowing freedom only from what they saw their masters had. With this newfound freedom granted to them by the 13th Amendment emancipating them from slavery, African Americans believed they could live the free life they had dreamed of. “The family… middle of paper… that he was building. Even though the movement did not achieve immediate results or victories, I believe it was successful. It laid the foundation for individuals of the future to defend their natural rights. Rights granted to the white male population. Not to mention that this population was only made up of middle and upper class groups. Whites, women, African Americans, immigrants, and poor Native Americans were denied rights under the Constitution. Works Cited Notes: 1. Eric Foner, “The Making of,” in Give Me Liberty!: An American History (New York: WW Norton &, 2009), 523.2. Foner, “The Making of,” 523.3. Foner, “The Making of,” 524.4. Foner, “The Making of,” 529.5. Foner, “The Making of,” 535.6. Foner, “The Making of,” 549.7. Foner, “The Making of,” 537.8. Foner, “The Making of,” 541.9. Foner, “The making of,” 543.