In the south slaves were not allowed to be educated in any way. Slave owners thought that if blacks were educated then they would come together and revolt. When the slaves were freed after the Civil War they encountered many problems as a result of being illiterate. One of the biggest problems they faced was when it came time to read the contract for the Homestead Act. Many slaves were taken advantage through the Homestead Act because the plantation owners would write the contract in a way that would not allow the slave to gain enough income to ever become self sufficient. As a result of being illiterate blacks did not have as many job opportunities and could only go into the agricultural business. Gradually over time future black generations were taught to read and write so that they did not have to endure the same hardships as their ancestors.
