Oldlu Ku Klux Slavery

Blanche Bruce, Robert DeLarge, Jefferson Long, Joseph Rainey, Benjamin Turner, and Josiah Walls are names of 6 of the 17 African Americans elected into the United States Congress. This rise in freedom led many Africans to believe that they could start new lives, but that wasn’t the case. The plan to free the naturalized colored people and give them immunities failed due to states passing the black codes which limited colored peoples’ immunities. The Ku Klux Klan wreaked havoc as they would torture and kill many colored people. The colored people were once again being discriminated and not given their immunities.

The violence slaves endured was the most vivid representation in Douglass’ portrayal of slavery in the South. No emotion or rage was held back by slaveholders and no pity or sympathy was put forth either. Cruelty and abuse were the only means of control the slaveholders believed would keep order. The pain inflicted upon these individuals, even to the point of death in some cases, fueled the typical master’s obsession with domination and power. However, throughout Douglass’s turmoil, his religious faith remained exceptionally strong. At times he found himself questioning how might his God allow him to endure such grueling circumstances, but he never let his curiosity hinder his faith. He also questioned how a man could call himself a Christian and yet treat another human being in such a humane manner. Douglass could never comprehend how the slaveholders were able to justify slavery through their faith and church as some of his “owners” did.

You could say that our country is growing in knowledge over the years, but the one fact many people lack is that all men and women are created equal no matter their race. Looking back into the history of the U.S. many of the most memorable building/structures were built by foreigners that we felt were not the same to whites. We issued them the title of slaves. Although in the past 100’s of years we have abolished slavery and slowly adopted them into our ways of living, there are many cases in which we still do not.

Slaves did not accept their fate without a protest, they did not agree with the Slave Codes. It was this fear of rebellion that led each colony to pass a series of laws restricting slaves' behaviors, these became known as Slave Codes. Since the Slave Codes were brought on by the fear of Blacks, the most cruel and inhumane punishments were kept for those who tried to reject slavery. Attempting to raise an uprising meant definite torture and death, but capital punishment was used for even minor acts of refusal, such as destroying any stack of rice, corn or other grain or setting fire to any tar kiln, barrels of pitch, tar, turpentine or rosin. Free Blacks who harbored escapees would be beaten by the slave owner and fined. In the courts if a slave

Although the United States was built on the idea of freedom for all, it’s clear, looking back at the treatment of certain groups of people, that “all” didn’t really include everyone. This is evident from the moment we landed in the New World and ravaged Native American’s and took their land, forcing them from their homes. And, even more so, in the unimaginable treatment of enslaved men, women, and children alike. As Frederick Douglass pointed out in the narrative of his life as a slave: Slavery, though often justified in the name of Christianity, was far from a Christian institution. Moreover, the presence of slavery proved that most of the United States was more so an immoral and unjust nation than anything else.

Since before the time of Jesus Christ, religious hypocrisy has run rampant throughout those who held power. Countless lives have been affected by others twisting religious interpretation in order to fit their own needs. Slaveholders used religion and scripture to their advantage when disciplining slaves, sometimes even if they did no wrong. Religious hypocrisy is especially relevant in the life of Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass’s life story depicts how religious hypocrisy committed by both slaves and slaveholders diminished the rights of slaves, while at the same time allowing injustice to endure.

Slaves were considered property, not as human beings, and were bought and sold as commodities. They were often listed in sales along with corn and land (document 5) and were leased and sold openly from slave dealer’s places of business where human beings were kept in a “slave pen” prior to sale. Inhumane punishment, such as severe and cruel whippings were inflicted on slaves for any minor infraction, often in public view. (document 2) The harshness of these beatings

The Atlantic Slave Trade attempts to dehumanize enslaved Africans in numerous ways. First of all, from the sketch of a slave ship in the Middle Passage, it reveals that each slave has very limited space on the ship. Therefore, due to the harsh living condition on the ship, many slaves died in the Middle Passage. In addition, slaves were used as possessions, sold in market, “poked and prodded by strange white people” (Berlin 4). This intends to show “plantation owners’ wealth and power” (Berlin 2). Moreover, slaves might be “whipped, restrained, or maimed for any infraction, large or small ” (Henretta 100). Particularly, slave owners brandishing hot irons on slaves, to reveal their confined identity as slaves. Furthermore, the slave owners also

Both Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs had similar experiences in regards to their owners getting more involved with religion resulting in a change in the treatment of their slaves. Frederick Douglass’ slave-owner in 1832 was a man called “Captain Auld” by his slaves. Douglass describes him as a “slaveholder without the ability to hold slaves”. However, after attending a Methodist camp-meeting and experiencing religion, Auld becomes crueler. Douglass had the slightest hope that Auld’s involvement with religion would incline him to emancipate his slaves or—at the very least—be more humane and kind. Douglass was disappointed. “Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slaveholding cruelty.” The man became more involved in religious activity; it became a part of his everyday life. Douglass provides an example of his master’s usage of religious sanction for cruelty and brutality. Douglass witnesses Auld tie up and whip a young woman while justifying his actions with a passage of Scripture— “He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.” Harriet Jacobs had a comparable experience. “When I was told that Dr. Flint had joined the Episcopal church, I was much surprised. I supposed that religion had a purifying effect on the character of men; but the worst persecutions I endured from him were after he

"It declared that slaves needed written authorization to leave their plantation, that slaves found accountable of murder or rape would be hanged, that for robbing or any other major offence, the slave would receive sixty lashes and be placed in stocks, where his or her ears would be cut off, and that for minor offences, such as associating with whites, slaves would be whipped, branded, or maimed."(Henning 1) Black slaves were forbidden from carrying firearms by a 1639 Virginia law, which prearranged 20 lashes for violations of the law. "There was one exception: with his master’s permission, a slave could bear firearms to defend against Indian raids."(Goldenburg 2) For the 17th century slave in Virginia, disagreements with a master could be result before a court for judgment. A slave owner who wanted to stop the most defiant of slaves could now do so, aware any punishment he or she imposed, could include death and would not outcome in even the smallest amount slap on the wrist.

Shattered dreams. Broken promises. They were hung between freedom and slavery. They struggled to find a different kind of freedom and independency where justice has yet to exist and racism wasn’t just a part of life, but what life was all about.

Life for African Americans in the United States has never been easy. First they were enslaved and later became free. Lastly they just needed the same rights as everyone else. The Klu Klux Klan wasn’t going to let that happen. The Klan wanted to stop all political and economical equality for African Americans. They were violent and terrorized all African Americans and anyone who tried to help them acquire equality. The Klu Klux Klan is a harsh and is extremely racist. They had a part in economic and social problems in the United States in the late 1860s (History.com Staff).

During Reconstruction there were many failures recorded in this time period, such as the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK established in 1866 after blacks were given free equality in the United States. The members of the KKK would stretch all throughout the southern states and threaten Jews, Catholics, blacks, and republicans. The klan has caused over a thousand deaths. When going around and hitting every town the klan would meet up and hold underground meetings. They unfortunately could not weaken the political powers of the southerners and anyone in that matter. This group of people would do terrible things to innocent people.

They had no clue on what they did to deserve such violence. “We wish to do right, obey the laws and live in peace and quietude but when we are assaulted at the midnight hour, our lives threatened and the laws fail to protect or assist us we can defend ourselves, let the consequences be what they may”, said a general from Calhoun. Black men, women and children thought they had been set free, they had laws to prove it, yet the white man ruled all, they were in control and weren’t backing down for the African American race. As time went on and the daydream of the frightening war played through the blacks’ heads, there were white men trying to get the African Americans a spot below the white Americans.

From this document, it is clear that although after the Civil War the slavery had been abolished, people in the south still wanted to resurrect the “Old South”, and thus during the Reconstruction Era, the Ku Klux Klan was founded by a Confederate general and became known as the “invisible empire of the South” in which members represented the ghost of the Confederate dead returning to terrorize African Americans. We can see that to really achieve the union throughout the nation and eradicate racism, the U.S. still had a long way to go.