Reconstruction

I knew that after emancipation, there still was not equality and racism was a major problem in the southern states.  However, I did not know that for the period of time known as Reconstruction, federal troops actually did enforce civil rights for African Americans, giving them temporary hope of finally being treated as equals.  I find it hard to believe that the northern states, which fought so hard in the Civil War for the freedom of slaves, could just get up and leave them to fight for themselves in the south.  In some ways, things really weren't much better for African Americans, even though slavery had technically ended.  Lynchings, for example, were common and though people like Ida B. Wells tried to speak out against them, there was not much that was done.  Without civil rights, African Americans were unable to defend themselves against the unfair and dangerous treatment they were receiving, and I think that the people in the north should have done something about it instead of just abandoning them.