The End of Slavery

[cladking]

I don't know much about the subject but emancipation would have been very hard on many newly freed people. Slaves were normally well cared for and most didn't work extremely hard but did put in long hours. They had a pretty much lifetime job with a pension. While many slaves continued to work for their old owners for "pay" some had to compete with other workers which often meant more work. Many slave owners died in the civil war or financially ruined by it (think confederate currency). This resulted in their former slaves being unemployed and generally unemployable. The southern economy did recover fairly rapidly and former slaves helped tobring this about but the end of the war would have been very hard on many of them. It seems quite plausible that many might have died. There was an exodus of healthy young male blacks toward the west after the war where they were much better accepted than in the south. More than a few took families with them.

I don't know the facts but it does sound interesting if any of it is true.