‘To what extent were Black Americans 2nd class citizens by the end of World War II?’ By the end of the Second World War, there were clear signs of change for Black Americans. At first black people were unable to get jobs due to racism. Black activist A. Philip Randolph was appalled at this ‘colour bar’. In response to Randolph’s threats, Roosevelt issued an executive order creating the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC) in 1941. This forced industries employed in the war effort not to discriminate on the grounds of ‘race, creed, colour or national origin’ when deciding who to hire.
The ruling, while another defeat for segregation in law, did not have an immediate impact. The Supreme Court in this case played a large part in being responsible for how long it took to secure better status for blacks. In 1946, Truman did establish a civil rights committee whose task was to examine violence against African Americans within America itself. This committee was filled with known liberals who Truman knew would produce a report that would and should shock mainstream America. The report was issued in October 1947 and it was called "To Secure These Rights".
In 1865 following the American Civil War, President Lincoln declared that the slaves were no longer slaves. That they were sleeves meaning they could choose what to do and when to do it. Most African Americans thought that this was a new start to their lives. In reality it took much longer than expected for real freedom to come about after the Civil War. Why did it take so long?
Freedmen would see some measure of good fortune with the creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau in March of 1865. The Bureau assisted blacks with food, clothing, shelter and jobs. Congress voted to continue this effort for three years, and the Bureau had more power to settle contract disputes, and manage special military courts. Johnson vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill in February of 1866. A second bill was passed in March of 1866 making blacks U.S. citizens, but this effort was soon overturned by Johnson, on the grounds that the bill would’ operate in favor of the colored and against the white race”.
According to Bowles, 2012, slavery began the civil war which led to further violence which in turn led to segregation. But just because this was the end of slavery, does not mean that the military leaders nor politicians can change the ingrained cultural beliefs of a people. The country was split between the North and the South; Northern white and in the Southern Blacks. African-Americans such as Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and even more recent Barrack Obama have made significant steps to improve and even stop segregation. According to Bowles, 2011, American History 1865 to present End of Isolation, The Black Codes codified some of these feelings into law when in 1865 southern state governments created legislation that restricted and controlled the lives of the ex-slaves.
DBQ Theme : Reconstruction After the Civil War, rebuilding the ruined South was a tremendous job. Just as troubling was the task of bringing the former Confederate states back into the Union. Should southerners who had fought against the United States government be welcomed back or treated harshly? How could the nation protect the newly won rights of freed African Americans? During a period called Reconstruction, North and South slowly reunited.
The Second World War is a significant event in history. I believe that it made a small amount of difference to the lives of black Americans; it was able to change some of the attitudes of white Americans; it helped influence the passing of the Fair Employment Practices Commission (1941) and also helped reduce the unemployment figures of black Americans. Although it made a substational difference, things were still not perfect. Black Americans were still targeted by extremist members of the Ku Klux Klan and they were still treated as second-class citizens. In this essay, I will analyze the ways lives changed for black Americans after the Second World War, as well as this I will look at the ways they may not have changed.
1863 marked the end of slavery and with the emancipation of slaves came hopes for a happier and more prosperous future. Instead emancipated slaves were met with as much opposition as they’d endured in bondage. States rushed to enact laws that would continue to oppress African Americans, and racist vigilante groups were contrived as a means of combating any and all signs of progress in the Black community (Leary, 2005, p.
Instead of the government allowing slavery, it looked like it found a loop hole to not treat people of color equally for anything whether it was sports, school or public facilities blacks were still treated as inferior. Thankfully the civil rights movement that occurred during the 1950’s and 1960’s would turn out successful after years of civil demonstrations (some which would become riots e.g. : Birmingham, Alabama), marches, and speeches. One might say that one of the most famous speeches of the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, would see fruition when looking at today’s society despite some traces of racism. Now we live in an era where different races can co-exist.
Reconstruction Congress took action in 1867 of reconstruction and tried to reconstruct and bring together our divided nation. They did this by applying certain requirements for the Confederate states to become part of the Union again, and trying to protect the citizenship right of freedom. But, Reconstruction ended by 1877 and the government’s efforts of equal rights were soon gone. Congress’ Reconstruction efforts to confirm equal rights to the freedmen failed. After president Abraham Lincoln died and the failure of President Johnson, Congress tried to take responsibility of the plans to reconstruct the divided nation that they had before.