Americ The Melting Pot

During the 1800s, discrimination against African Americans was apparent throughout America in varying degrees. Especially in the North, people wanted to find a solution to stop this inequality. When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment was passed in 1865, it was a turning point and ever since then more movements have occurred to promote greater equality for African Americans. Despite these turning points, discrimination still continued to occur for African Americans, and it has led to numerous historic and political movements.

The Civil War was fought over the “race problem,” to determine the place of African-Americans in America. The Union won the war and freed the slaves. However, when President Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation, a hopeful promise for freedom from oppression and slavery for African-Americans, he refrained from announcing the decades of hardship that would follow to obtaining the new won “freedom”. Over the course of nearly a century, African-Americans would be deprived and face adversity to their rights. They faced something perhaps worse than slavery; plagued with the threat of being lynched or beat for walking at the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite the addition of the 14th and

For the greater part of the nineteenth century, black people were slaves for white men. The Fourteenth Amendment was placed into effect to protect the rights of the black community after emancipation. It stated that, “all persons born or naturalized in the United States” would be supported under the doctrine. However, this article failed to uphold the rights of the newly freed slaves. The blacks, ridiculed and scorned by the public, were greatly suppressed by the white backlash. The states put into effect laws that would suppress the blacks even further, even though they were protected under the Amendment. The states made stipulations on rights the African Americans were granted, like the right to own land, vote, and even hold certain jobs. Voting was a major controversy for the newly freed slaves, they wanted the chance to be heard through politics. Nevertheless, they were still denied the simple right to vote in many of the states if they could not meet the prerequisites for reading or could not pay a voting tax. They made contracts for them to work for white men, just as if they were slaves and nothing changed. Black people were still waiting for their salvation under this new piece of legislation, but were unable to grasp it through the government. African Americans stood for their newly given rights under the Constitution and were denied by the people who put

In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation freed all African Americans that lived in rebel states. For years, only the rebel states had free African Americans, however, after the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment freed all slaves, no matter where they were. Of course, after years of slavery, whites were not used to having free African Americans around them, creating a hostile environment. One former slave, Houston Holloway wrote, “For we colored people did not know how to be free and the white people did not know how to have a free colored person about them” (African American Odyssey 1).

These developments included the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. During the Civil War African Americans were allowed to fight for the union and were paid; however, they were not paid as much as the white soldiers. This lead to the Emancipation Proclamation, which caused the 13th amendment to fall into place. The thirteenth amendment stated that slaves were now free. It is true that African Americans were considered to be free but because of elements such as, sharecropping, they were stuck in this economic slavery. The fourteenth and fifteenth amendments were ratified together. The fourteenth amendment stated that former slaves or African Americans were now considered to be citizens. The issue of African Americans being citizens could be traced back to the Dred Scott vs. Sandford trial in 1857. This case directly involved, the requirements for being a citizen. While it is true that African Americans were technically citizens, they were still not treated as if they were. However it is not completely true that they had citizenship because, “the courts will not receive negro testimony…. Is this the fruit of freedom, and the reward of our services in the field? …" as stated in a Petition from American citizens of African descent to the Union convention of Tennessee. The fifteenth amendment stated that African Americans could now vote. This played out nicely compared to the

In January 1st, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in all states. Two years later the thirteenth Amendment was added to the constitution which abolished slavery in the United States in December 6. It initially met with some resistance by some Southern states making it hard for black people to live and work it was overcome a year later but was not the end of turmoil. 1868 July 9th, The 14th amendment was added which granted African Americans equal protection under the law. The 15th Amendment was added to the constitution on February 3rd, 1870, granting all African American males the right to vote. The third Civil rights act was passed due to many white business owners refusing service to African Americans.

America’s views on biracial individuals can be dated back to slavery when slaves were forced to bear the children of their masters. These children were referred to as mulatto, meaning “the offspring of a "pure African Negro" and a "pure white”(Davis), and their treatment was often based on the complexion of their skin; if they had fairer skin, they were sent to work in the master’s house and were often times treated

After the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and the ensuing American Civil War all states where forced to ratify the thirteenth amendment which abolished slavery “within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” In 1870 the fifteenth amendment was passed making it unconstitutional to prohibit voters “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” While the thirteenth and fifteenth amendments made it constitution for African Americans to vote it did not prohibit states from implementing obstructions at voting booths such as poll taxes, literacy test, lineage tracking, and other qualifications. While Plessy v. Ferguson established the separate but equal doctrine which is described as “racially segregated but ostensibly ensuring equal opportunities to all races.” The established doctrine of Separate but Equal was never enforced, and the cries of the neglected fell upon deaf ears until 1954, 58 years after a virtual caste system was established in the Nation of “freedom and equal opportunity” segregating everything from schools to bathrooms because of the color of your skin.

Since the first slaves arrived in America in 1619, to Jamestown, Virginia in order to harvest tobacco , African Americans have been faced with many oppressions and have faced a long fight for freedom. After the abolishment of slavery due to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, formally the 13th Amendment, lead to the Reconstruction Era. The Reconstruction Era brought great hope for African Americans. This brought some change, many schools were establish and blacks were elected into public offices. This period became known as the “Negro Rule” Era, unfortunately, their progress was short lived.

The concept of a ‘Melting pot” is an idea that America is known for and accustomed to for years and years to come. Unfortunately, that analogy leads people to get rid of their culture for the American culture. Leading the public to the point where they strive to prove their differences just to stand out and make a name. One demographic, African Americans, have been trying to reconnect to their native heritage after being stripped from their identity years ago. From their traditions, how they cook food, and the way they do their hair. African Americans have become more determined to be in touch with their inner self as the years go by. Because they were ripped from their homeland African Americans may never know to the full extent of

Since the end of the Civil War in 1865, African Americans were promised citizenship, however they were still treated as if they were unequal. The black population faced racism and discrimination on a daily basis, still not receiving the benefits of the full rights that the Constitution promised in the Fourteenth Amendment, which defined national citizenship and passed in 1866. Change had to happen During the Reconstruction Era, plans to end segregation were put in place however, strong personal beliefs of many Americans prolonged the process. Many African Americans believed the new civil rights, would allow them to be free and have the same rights as the white population. In the context of civil rights, slavery would be abolished.

After the south’s defeat in the 1863 (yet officially over in 1865) Civil War, many legal documents and laws were created for African Americans to finally be provided freedom at last, but socially these laws were not thoroughly enforced and caused little change in the hearts of Southerners who managed to find slavery loopholes. Yet even after all the legal actions put in place, and into the late 1800’s and early 1900’s African Americans were still not accepted socially and Southerners created many ways to still discriminate them in society. The United States’ had created and upheld many legal developments during 1863 and 1877 which amounted to a revolutionary uprising for African Americans, but socially and societally there was very little change and even worse discrimination until well into the 20th

After the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War, millions of African Americans won their freedom and were prepared to join society as equal citizens. While some Americans embraced the situation, others strained to spread racism throughout their community. By 1900, the South had formed a segregated society, finding ways to get past new laws and keeping old traditions that kept African Americans under a white American system.

African Americans had won their freedom out of slavery after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." and no longer were they seen as possessions of the slave-owners. However, during the 1900’s there were still problems that arose, which made the life for African American people to struggle and be discriminated. The term for this was called segregation. African Americans were forced to attend separate schools and other facilities. During that time, white males controlled the workforce and many African Americans could barely find any well-paying jobs and were separated and discriminated all over. But at some point notable people who were against segregation

After the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, a number of laws both restricting and enabling the rights of black Americans was passed in the United States. Segregation laws came after the civil war (George 10). First, in 1870, a Virginian law made it illegal for black and white children to attend the same school (David). In 1875, Congress passed an act prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations. (David)When Blacks American emigrated to the west after 1875, they were met with hostility from both whites and Native Americans (David). From 1890-1908, all Southern states adopted new constitutions and voting laws designed to disenfranchise black votes (David)