After the Civil War, the South went through a period of rebuilding, termed Reconstruction, but because many white people in the South were not ready to accept African Americans as equals, unfair laws were passed which restricted the rights of blacks. Life was better in the north in many ways for African Americans. The 1920s brought jobs and money, until The Great Depression hit. The Depression made times more difficult and left many homeless and jobless. The Harlem Renaissance ended. Despite the hard times that followed, the Great Migration had brought many blessings for African Americans.