In America, opposition to slavery started with acts of defiance such as “slave resistance”, where African American slaves would rebel in several ways to attain greater freedom. While this “revolution” gathered steam, with slaves often running away from their masters and finding shelter in swamps, lakes or in cities that believed in their cause, more organized forms of opposition, led by reformers like William Garrison (Document E), who founded The American Anti-Slave Society, also started gaining traction. The growing opposition to slavery, by both slaves and their white sympathizers, eventually culminated in a determined abolitionist movement that highlighted the plight of so many and galvanized public opinion against an appalling institution.
Slaves had to be dehumanized for the slaveowners to rationalize what they were doing, and therefore, as is commonly known, slave brutality was severe. The thought of emancipation, that slaves would no longer be suppressed in the South lead to fear for uprising, vengeance, etc. on the then former slave owners. These uprisings had happened before and the southern slave owners were terrified of what would happen if they weren't being suppressed. Emancipation would also mean that slaves would become free and citizens on equal standing with the whites.
From this letter you can see Tourgees clear use of the word “another” meaning that other Republican men were targeted and killed by the KKK all because they fought to have the South follow the same rules as the North. It was as though the KKK felt personally battered so they enjoyed doing to same to men that caused such emotions. Politics within the white community was not the only issue. As mentioned before African Americans did not get the political freedom that was actually granted to them not only because of their race and low standing but they were “ ‘unfitted for the proper exercise of political duties… blacks needed a period of probation and instruction’ “ (Document D). The idea of them being an unfit race who was in need of probation and instruction seemed to more closely relate to white Klansmen of the South.
Their audience were those who agreed with emancipation, and more specifically blacks who had just been free. Clearly from the image described, those two groups didn’t see blacks as their equals and despised them. Their purpose in creating this image was to install fear in blacks to keep them from voting and believing that they are equal to those in the ex-confederacy. The kkk had been using terror tactics all throughout the Reconstruction era because they didn’t want blacks to vote or participate in their politics the kkk wanted to keep white supremacy. For a while the South had enacted black codes which replaced the slave codes.
This time was hard for many African American families and hard for their kids to understand. They just didn 't understand; they were human beings just from Africa. They were chased after by the “KKK” threatening to kill them. Then a leader named Malcolm X was introduced to speak to the blacks and for them. He stood out from others and proved his points and was saying whites are evil.
Although white supremacist groups were peaceful at first, they became some of the most violent hate groups ever. White supremacists affected segregation and discrimination extremely. Their actions made segregation and discrimination worse for African Americans and harder for them to handle. White supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) used violence in order to control and make African Americans’ lives worse (splcenter). The KKK would lynch, flog, beat, burn, shoot, hang, and mutilate African Americans
For instance, in Virginia, the set slave prices and frenzied racial fears made liberalization a farfetched dream. During his time as the legislator, Jefferson did more than affirm his commitment to abolitionist resolves. However, his revision of the Virginian slave’s code had little effect on easing the burden that slavery had on the African American. This did very little in addressing the plight of black slaves and their freedom . For instance, Jefferson banished a white lad who sired a black baby to leave the state of Virginia lest she is placed out of the protection laws.
It denounces the unacceptable attitude of the King and the British nobility towards slavery. Through his writings, and despite being a slaveholder himself, Jefferson severely condemned the enslavement of African Americans in Northern States (but he would paradoxically allow it in the Southern States). Upon reading the excerpt above, the Congress decided to remove it from the Declaration. Why? Many landowners still used slavery for the cheap and quick labor it provided.
‘Opposition to AA civil rights remained powerful throughout the period from 1865 – 1992’ – How far do you agree? (25 marks) Opposition to African American civil rights came from a multitude of people and different groups. The KKK had an obvious resentment towards African American’s and they made this clear through their actions. However, opposition also came from the government, in the form of JFK, who always spoke about equality but let the south continue with their violence and violent state of mind. Also, in the amendments that had been made, they promised change but in reality change didn’t always occur, and this was due to the people, who didn’t support African American’s.
As a leader in the civil rights movement, King was naturally seen as a threat by those who opposed the civil rights gains he was helping to orchestrate. Additionally, there was an anti-Communist fever in the country at the time, and King was perceived as having ties to Communist ideology. Martin Luther King Jr. was assinated because he was talking about things that other people did not want him to talk about. Like, the Vietnam war and slavery. So the people that the only way to silence him was to kill him.