The time following the Emancipation Proclamation was at first a time when the color line was blurred. Blacks and whites intermingled freely, more so then ever before, yet these interactions were not representative of the South accepting the freedman into society. The Black Codes were enacted so that the former enslaved was not treated as equals in social and political relations. During the Reconstruction the freedman was searching for the meaning of his freedom and the responsibility it brought. The emergence of people trying to profit off the instability of the South added upon the troubles. Groups rose up in the South speaking out against the blacks and Northern influence. The freedom which the freedman sought was not truly found until he gained his enfranchisement. The new voters became a point of debate between the Republicans and the Democrats. The most significant strides toward equality came through education which was previously unavailable to the blacks. The growing division of whites and blacks became evident but it was always present.
             Immediately following their emancipation the blacks of the South made an effort to take part in every thing kept for them in slavery. The freedman took active roles in politics and made their voices heard. The 14th Amendment gave the blacks citizenship and the 15th gave them suffrage. The people of the South, black and white, interacted on all levels of society and the freedman saw one of his most enfranchised times in American history. Yet these newfound freedom was not evenly distributed; some states made steady progress toward for equality, while others reached a plateau soon after the freedom was given.1
             In an attempt to keep the system the way it had been many states enacted Black Codes which later became the Jim Crow Laws. These codes were the attempt of the wealthy bureaucrats of the South to protect their control of the government by "attempting to re-establis...