In what ways was life during Reconstruction difficult for African Americans?

Life was
difficult for African Americans during . It was very difficult to go from a life where a person
was always told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, and then be placed in a situation
where that person now had to make those decisions alone. Additionally, the former slaves were
used to having all their basic needs handled by their owners. Now they were responsible for
their own food, shelter, and clothing. It was a big and difficult adjustment going from
dependency to independence.

Life was difficult because the former slaves had
few skills, little education, and limited funds. It was hard to get a job because of the lack of
education and skills. There were people who refused to hire the former slaves. A system of
sharecropping developed that kept slaves in a perpetual state of poverty and near slavery-like
conditions. Since the former slaves had little or no money, it was difficult for them to get
basic and needed supplies.

Since many white southerners didnt want the slaves
to be freed or have equality, African Americans had to overcome this obstacle also. Attitudes in
the South were very hostile to the former slaves. Life was very difficult for the former slaves
after the Civil War ended and when Reconstruction existed.