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Effects Of Racial Discrimination On The Civil Rights Movement

Decent Essays
To assess the significance of Presidents in reducing racial discrimination during 1860-1970 we must first look at the impact each President had on the civil rights which will be measured by how they reduced racism through reports and legislation aiming towards African Americans (AA). Presidents were crucial in reducing racial discrimination because without the influence of national leaders it is impossible to understand how AA achieved integration and racial equality. Racial discrimination can be defined as being treated differently on the basis of race, either a one-off or as a result of a rule or policy. Significance can be defined as the impact Presidents made by passing legislation and reports that advanced civil rights. Whilst other factors were involved, such as the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) during 1950s -1970s, it will be concluded that the significance of presidents was the leading factor in reducing racial discrimination as they had the power to enforce Acts to eliminate discrimination.
Lincoln was significant for passing the 13th Amendment, an important act in reducing racial discrimination. This is significant because it banned slavery anywhere in the USA, implying that AA no longer had to practise involuntary labour for whites. However, people still discriminated against AA and gave them little rights. The Amendment didn’t stop blacks from being exploited under racial segregation, Jim Crow laws, and other unfair laws which the southern states imposed as an
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