Essay On African Americans

The black folk were freed by the abolition of slavery, yet this new freedom was not so. Ther identity was forever fractured between black and American, and even after they internalized the whites’ perspectives of them, they still wanted to be both without the disadvantages and racism. They were degraded, dehumanize, and shamed for their lack of education and job skills. In 1865, the Freemen’s Bureau was established by Congress to provide them with aid after living in slavery and not owning tools, homes, or land.

Reconstruction happened after the Civil War ended, during 1865-1877. Many things happened during the time of the Reconstruction and it definitely did not do as much for African Americans as everyone thought it would. But they were still free. African American were free because of the 13th Amendment ended, the institution of slavery in the United States.

become an American citizen they had so many laws and things to stop African Americans to be equal to White citizens. First, there were these codes called black codes they allowed slaves to be freed but they stopped them from having rights they restricted freed slaves from voting, they could not go in jury duty and limited there right to testify against white people. They also were not allowed to own guns or any weapons and also could not work in many places so even though they were freed they were still held against their rights and they did not have much at all. Amendments were passed to allow people as in African American men to vote they banned or prohibited government from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote based on race,color,or past servitude.

Subsequent to development the Northwest Ordinance owning and selling slaves became illegal and therefore free slaves gained the ability to control their own labor and property(Doc B ). They are consequently free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way that they pleases as long as it’s within the perimeter of the law(Doc B ). The ability of blacks to obtain paid jobs, even though it wasn’t probable for them to obtain well paid jobs due to racism, indicates that they were then able to build upon their wealth, just like any free white man in the North(Doc B ). African Americans and their descendants were also permitted to gather freely without the presence of a white overseer who would restrict their ability to speak freely(Doc D ). Within a church of their own, blacks were able to congregate to not only pray but also to fight for their social rights, receive an education, shelter fugitive slaves, get married, and be buried(Doc D ).

African-American in the late 1800s and early in the 1900s were socially, politically and economically restricted from participating in the Southern state. Although, slaves were abolished in the 1865, even though they were free and escape the brutality in the South, their rights of human being were still taking away from them. They were given little right such as owning property in specific area. African-American could sue, be sued and testify in court only involving other African-Americans. They were given the right to get marry, however, they could not interact or have an relationship outside of race.

In 1776, the United States became a free nation independent from Great Britain. It represented a world where all individuals were equal and had the opportunity to start anew. However, that was not the case for African Americans. They did not receive the same opportunities as white citizens and did not get their “freedom” declared until 1865 with the creation of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery (The Library of Congress). To this day, the portrayal of African Americans is used as a tool to enhance the image of a white man or woman.

African Americans weren’t actually free during Reconstruction because they were initially not accorded the full rights of citizenship under the constitution, they were forced into submission by violence and intimidation, and were abridged the rights they had later gained by Black Codes. Despite the fact that African Americans were liberated from slavery, during the early years of Reconstruction, they were not equal citizens under the law. Even though blacks had fought loyally for the union, they were initially denied the right to vote (Doc a). The President of the United States, President Johnson, regarded black suffrage as something to radical that would “change the entire structure and character of the State governments,” (Doc b).

The passage of Reconstruction legislation, namely the Freemen’s Bureau Act, the Civil Rights Bill, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, and the First Reconstruction Act of 1867, gave African Americans greater economic and political rights, ultimately contributing to the Klan’s formation. First, as John Faragher stated, the establishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau in March 1865 entitled former slaves to benefits such as “food, clothing, and fuel.” (Out of Many, p. 364) Then in 1866, with the passing of the Civil Rights Bill and Fourteenth Amendment, “full citizenship rights” were granted to former slaves, according to Faragher. (Out of Many, p. 362)

Many hard worker achieved their freedom during the Revolution without formal emancipation. The British army, eager to debase the colonial economy, freed many hard worker as they moved through the United States of America n Confederate States of America. Many slaves in the Due north were granted their exemption if they agreed to battle for the American cause. Although a clear majority of African American remained in bondage, the growth of free blackness community of interests in America was greatly fostered by the War for American Independence. Revolutionary sentiments led to the banning of the importing of slaves in

Slaves were not granted freedom as late as 1865 in some states, and even then the African-American population was still mistreated (Doc 5). Nevertheless, African-American freedom can indirectly be attributed to the American victory in the Revolutionary War. Women, yet, were not granted total liberty until as late as 1920 in the 19th amendment of the United States Constitution (Doc 8). Although women have not had as much lingering unjust denial of freedom as the African American population faced after being granted their freedom (Doc 6). Some immediate changes were seen put into effect soon, after the war was won, the average white man demanded their right to vote and some even ran for a political position.

Union victory in the Civil War in 1865 may have given slaves their freedom, but the process of rebuilding the nation during the Reconstruction presented a whole new set of challenges. The Era of Reconstruction was the time after the Civil War where the nation attempted to promote justice and healing among the people. During this time there was a push for advancement of equal rights with the promotion of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves of the North, followed by the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery in the United States; the 14th Amendment that defined citizenship for black males and the 15th Amendment that went on to guaranteed

Pertaining to the rights of African Americans a new south did not appear after the reconstruction. While they were “free” they were often treated harshly and kept in a version of economic slavery by either their former masters or other white people in power. Sharecropping and the crop-lien system often had a negative impact on both the black and white tenants keeping them in debt with the owner. Jim Crow laws, vigilantes and various means of disfranchisement became the normal way of life in the South. It was believed that white people were superior to black people and when they moved up in politics or socially they were harassed and threatened.

The Underground Railroad gave Africans the ability to run away from the distress of slavery. Becoming free allowed slaves to build their own institutions. They began building churches, schools and mutual aids. “In the antebellum decades, the black institutions that had appeared during the revolutionary era in urban areas of North, Upper South, and – to a lesser extent – the Deep South grew in strength, numbers, and variety. This was the result of growing black populations, the exertions of the African American elite, and the persistence of racial exclusion and segregation.”

Slavery has existed for thousands of years in various cultures from all parts of the world. Slavery in the United States lasted for 245 years and it was a brutal way of life for black African Americans, but it also built the foundation for America’s economy. There have been a number of arguments presented in an effort to justify slavery, as well as many advocating for the abolishment of it. The slave trade was tolerated and fought for in the United States for hundreds of years because without it, plantation owners would not have been able to produce crops as efficiently as they did without the cheap labor that the slave trade provided.

American Revolution Effects Essay The American Revolution was the war in which Great Britain’s thirteen North American colonies won their independence. The revolution began in 1775 and ended in 1783. Some causes of the revolution were unfair, harsh taxes, the American colonies wanted to be independent and they felt that it was necessary to have a say in what goes on in Britain’s parliament or to at least vote for Britain’s law makers. After the war, the colonies became a new country, the United States of America after a Declaration of Independence in 1776.