On December 6, 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified (Archives). This amendment effectively abolished slavery except as a punishment for a crime (Archives). This was a great victory for blacks who were the prime target of slaves. However, for many, the passage of the amendment failed to change the attitudes of white Americans. Blacks were clearly not welcome in many cities across the country, with laws allowing them to work within a city's limits but requiring them to leave before sunset. We will review what a Sundown Town was; why they were created; how they were created; and how they were desegregated. When I first heard the term “sunset town,” I had no idea what it meant. I interviewed my parents (Schmitz) who married in the 1950s. Neither of them remembered hearing the term "sunset town" between the 1950s and 1970s. My father remembered hearing stories about black people not being allowed in certain towns, but neither of them had experienced a personal encounter. When I was a sophomore in high school, the first black family moved into a house just outside of Plymouth, where I grew up, and I remember my parents telling us that we should "stay home." distance from theirs.” be very careful, the children were younger than me, I certainly had no reason to look for them, so I didn't. I always remember this conversation with my parents, mainly because I didn't quite understand why we should stay away from them. After graduating, I moved to Appleton to attend school. It was my first personal experience with a person of color. One of my classmates was black, his name was Mikel and we became friends...... middle of paper ...... ionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/ browse/lynch mobPossible sunset towns in Wisconsin (nd). In possible sunset towns in Wisconsin. Accessed November 24, 2013, from http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/sundowntownsshow.php?state=WISchmitz, Cecilia and Lester Schmitz. Personal communication dated November 2, 2013. Presentation from Appleton, Wisconsin (nd). Accessed November 24, 2013 at http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/sundowntownsshow.php?id=566Title VIII: Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (nd). To the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/progdesc/title8 Wexler, L. (October 23, 2005). Darkness at the city gates. In the Washington Post. Accessed November 20, 2013, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102001715.html