The effect on Reconstruction on the former slaves was bad and they were treated the same as when they were slaves. They were not better off after the Civil war because of Sharecropping and Black Codes. Sharecropping was when a slave decided they would stay at their owner's house but they had to pay rent with their own food, so when the people had asked too high they would be in debt and were not allowed to leave until they paid it back. The Owner’s then had them work in the fields to help with the debt. This did not benefit the slaves at all because the now free slaves Black Codes was when the white people still treated the former slaves as if they were animals who had no equal rights. They couldn’t own a firearm, eat at the same restaurants,
