At the end of the South’s Reconstruction, southern whites had reclaimed political control of the South. These new leaders, or "Redeemers," represented the business class of the South. They were concerned with advancements in commerce, transportion and industry. Blacks were still involved in politics until 1877, though. The "Redeemers" had little reason for Black prejudice. Though believers in white supremacy, they pledged to respect the African-Americans’ newly-won political and legal rights. Civil-rights legislation of the Reconstruction era remained enforced, as did new state constitutions. Blacks won elections to state legislatures through the 1870s and 1880s, and even a handful continued to serve in Congress. George White, the southern Black Congressman of the era, served until 1901.
During the time, however, Blacks in the South were falling into economic turmoil and dependence that would hinder them lest their legal and political rights were challenged. For example, the lack of land reform during Reconstruction meant that Blacks still earned a meager living working on land owned by whites. Sharecropping and tenant farming took over, and the vicious cycle of economic turmoil began. Thus, freedom from slavery had not drastically altered the economic conditions for Blacks in the South. This social and racial discontent set the stage for a migration.