The conditions of Blacks after the Civil War were undecided. On the one hand, they were scattered around the country, separated from their families. They wanted to build their lives according to the dreams they had during slavery; however, they did not know where to start. They started by trying to reunite with their families by giving newspaper ads or simply going to the place where they last saw their families.
On the other hand, the status of Black people was unclear. Even though the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution passed Congress, it was not ratified by the states. Additionally, it was unclear if freed slaves could become citizens, earn wages as a free workforce, or enroll in politics. Thus, the time immediately after the Civil War was a time of uncertainty for African Americans.