which bore a striking resemblance to recently abolished slavery Under these

(which bore a striking resemblance to recently abolished slavery)  Under these laws African American marriages were only legal between African Americans (interracial marriages were illegal and frowned upon)  African Americans were prohibited from voting  African Americans were prohibited from owning property  African were required to work in low paying jobs

What were the black codes  African Americans could not assemble in large groups without the presence of a white person  African American could only hold agricultural jobs unless they paid for a license from a judge  For African Americans these codes enforced white superiority. The abolition of slavery was legally recognized but its policies were still thriving.

What was the Freedmen’s Bureau?  This important new agency: the Bureau of refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands acted as an early welfare agency which provided food, shelter and medical aid for those affected by the war – African Americans and homeless whites.  This agency had authority to resettle African Americans on confiscated farmlands in the south, but were later frustrated when president Johnson pardoned Confederate owners of the confiscated lands which the courts returned to their original owners  The Freedmen’s Bureau’ greatest success was its establishment of nearly 3000 schools for African Americans and taught nearly 20000 African Americans under the leadership of General Oliver O. Howard before it was federally defunded in 1870.