It was inevitable that blacks would stay at the bottom of southern society. Just because they were free didn't mean that their lives experienced a complete turnaround. The fact that they had no base on which to start their new lives made it even harder. Many might have been better off in slavery. The most important reasons they couldn't start out on the right foot was their education level, racism that still exsisted and the overall transition.
             Some people thought that blacks wouldn't be able to live on their own. Most probably believed blacks just weren't as smart as whites. In some cases this was true. They never were given a chance to exel in education because of the bonds of slavery. A select few could read and write however, this would not be enough to get a well paying job. Many employers (who were somewhat racist) would place a lot of emphasis on education levels because they knew that was blacks' weak points; and that created a large disadvantage for blacks. If they were given the chance, blacks would be willing to learn.
             Soon the chance to learn was given to the blacks. An organization called Freedmen's Bureau was started six weeks before President Lincoln's death. It served as a refuge for blacks (and other low class citezens)and gave them a chance to move above their former status. It provided free meals, built hospitals, and helped newly freed slaves find jobs. Freedmen's Bureau also set up many schools where blacks could go to learn. Howard University, Hampton Institute, Atlanta University and Fisk Univestiy were some of the college-level schools Freedmen's Bureau supported. One quarter million black children were sent to schools because of the work Freedmen's Bureau did. Despite the help from The Freedmen's Bureau there were still the issues of racism.
             After freedom most blacks couldn't do much more than agricultural work-similar to tasks they performed while in slavery. Fortunate individuals w...