After the Civil War, slaves were free as the Constitution states. Is someone really "free" if they are seen as inferior? In 1865, at the end of the Civil War, Congress passed the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment abolished slavery in the United Sates. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan harassed African Americans even when all races were supposed to be equal. When the 14th amendment was ratified, all people born in the U.S. were recognized as citizens. A white person wouldn't dare kill another white person. The white murderer would face grave consequences. As in To Kill A Mockingbird, a black man would be seen as more guilty than a white man even if they committed the same crime. Citizens should be seen as equal no matter what race they are. African Americans feared voting at the polls because of how they were treated by whites depending on how they voted. These former slaves couldn't exercise their 15th amendment rights. I would say,yes, African Americans had more freedom during the Reconstruction than before the Civil War. Though, freedom unfortunately didn't mean equal.
Citation: "The Constitution of the United States: Amendments 11-27."National Archives and Records Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html>.
