Reconstruction

The period of reconstruction refers to the time in which many new policies were implemented between 1863 and 1877. This was a time when the nation was focused on winning the Civil War, abolishing slavery, defeating the Confederacy, reconstructing the nation and amending the US constitution. This era was succesful in providing big steps towards freedom and equality such as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments which provided former slaves with national citizenship and granted black men the right to vote. But this success did not last for very long. After Lincoln was killed, Andrew Johnson took over as president. He did not care as much for reconstruction as Lincoln and under his rule the Black Codes were put into place as were other rules that compromised the freedom of the newly freed slaves.
This is similar to the modern civil rights movement, which refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring suffrage in the Southern states.
Here is the link to an article regarding the modern civil rights movement:
http://civilliberty.about.com/od/raceequalopportunity/ig/History-of-Black-Civil-Rights/Modern-Civil-Rights-Movement.htm