How did educational opportunities change after the Civil War and for whom?

After the Civil War ended, educational opportunities changed significantly for African-Americans. Before the Civil War, African-Americans who were enslaved in the South had no real opportunity to be formally educated. While some slaves were secretly taught how to read, write, and compute, there was no formal schooling for the slaves. There also was a significant risk in trying to get an education while being enslaved.

After the Civil War ended, things changed for African-Americans regarding educational opportunities. The Freedmen’s Bureau was created to help African-Americans adjust to freedom. One thing that the agency did was to help African-Americans establish schools. The Freedmen’s Bureau helped to provide the funding for these schools. Teachers were hired and school buildings were constructed. Additionally, colleges were established for African-Americans. As more African-Americans became educated, they had more people who could teach in these schools. Reconstruction was very important for helping start the process of educating African-Americans after the Civil War ended.