Though the fifteenth amendment gave black males the right to vote a poll tax was introduced to eliminate the black vote. It was effective because the large majority of blacks were poor and needed the money for priorities other than voting. Policies like these drove blacks deeper into poverty and only made the color line more definite. Racism also played a large role in immigration. Immigrants from all over the world were flooding the shores of the U.S. looking for the promise of the American Dream.
In the early 17th century, European settlers in North America turned to African slaves as a cheaper, more plentiful labour source than indentured servants and were treated inhumanly. African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries; during the 1950s, however, the struggle against racism and segregation entered the mainstream of American life. A growing group of Americans spoke
How far do you agree that the years 1945-55 saw only limited progress in improving the status of African Americans? The years 1945-55 can be described as ‘seeds of change’ in improving the African American people’s position in society as their lives saw slight improvements however nothing drastic happened that changed their economic, political and social status immediately in America. Before 1945, during the second world war, conditions of life for black American’s was slightly improving in the northern states with there being less institutional racism and more equal job opportunities with acceptable pay for everyone. However in the south, conditions were very different; Jim Crow Laws meant that deep racial divides were being enforced throughout most states. Segregation was seen as lawful due to the Plessy vs. Ferguson case saying that ‘separate but equal’ was how they should live their lives.
A lot of the states’ laws had to be overcome in order for the act to become effective such as Jim Crow laws. These laws made African Americans feel as though they were relegated to the status of second class citizens. Jim Crow laws prevents blacks from voting due to illiteracy, social class, and/or poverty. It did take some muscle from the federal government, the attorney general’s office and executive orders from the president to make sure civil right laws were enacted. But it was all worth it.
To one who may know little about the Southern states of America before 1990, may not understand or recognize the many motives and the source of passion for such a compelling commission. However, after reading Isabel Wilkerson’s “The Warmth Of Other Suns,” and speculating, it is clear that due to the physical and emotional suffering African-Americans endured during and before the emigration period, they were forced to finally take a stand for themselves and they ultimately did not just change their way of living, but the entire structure of America. A lot of times, verbal exploitation can afflict worse damage than physical abuse, especially as an adolescent. Due to that reason I allocate plenty of admiration to the generations who had to come of age under the caste system for I feel as though I would have been mentally and emotionally distraught each day. The story of the white farmer, constantly returning to the bottoms where the blacks lived, just to have a little fun or she off some anger was utterly repulsive to me (Wilkerson 34/35).
To support his thesis, he pointed out that any lower social class was sent to do manual labor. Some however, were simply better and cheaper to have as slave laborers, such as the African Slaves. (Williams 10) Racism was simply a consequence of slavery so that people could justify the idea of employing and owning slaves. For many years, historians and sociologists have debated the relationship between racism and slavery. Some contend that slavery caused and perpetuated racism, while others argue that racism caused and perpetuated slavery.
Such situations were all their life until the north defeated the south in the American Civil War in 1870’s. They got free by the new constitution released during the war. But the condition was not as good as people thought, the Africa Americans still were prejudiced especially in the southern U.S. Nowadays, although the situation has been improved a lot, Black man still get some bias form white people. The novel demonstrates many instance of mistreatment. Black people only get poorest jobs and hardest jobs.
In that respect they were better off after the war than before it and they have more rights. However in the north there was evidence of private discrimination and prejudice. This is the down side of a black person going to the north. The reason of a black person going to the north is to escape the racism, but they could be going straight to it and they would not know until they have experienced it. All over the south racism was still going on.
The Slave Trade had a big impact on Europe, Africa, The West Indies, and almost the rest of the world. But towards the end people started to believe that the slave trade wasn’t such a good thing. This was for more than one reason. For example: • It was believed that paid slaves worked harder than slaves who had been captured and forced to work, or had been bred into slavery. Also, if you hired slaves, you didn’t have to pay for their housing or food, and so people started to think that paid saves were cheaper and more profitable.
In a passionate effort to convey their message, they gave an overview of significant political and life altering moments in history. As a numbers person their use of statistics best helped me to better grasp the history. The income disparity between blacks and whites was just a simple example of inequality “...the median income of a non-white male college graduate in 1960 was $5,020 – actually $110 less than the earnings of white males with only one to three years of high school.” (p.28) Despite the gains that have been made this form of racism is still in effect today. It was embedded in the minds of whites that Africa-Americans were incapable of preforming and completing mundane task, so why pay them more. Their messiah complex led whites to believe that they were superior, which has spilled over to the current