The Struggle Of African Americans In The 1920's

Though the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1965 marked the end of slavery in the United States, African-Americans would not see anything resembling true freedom from the segregation and isolation imposed by slavery until very recently, and only after decades of difficult struggle. Some of the most important achievements occurred during the 1960s, when a generation of African-American leaders and activists, including Martin Luther King Jr., Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and the Freedom Riders, fought against some of the last vestiges of explicit, institutionalized segregation, discrimination, and isolation in order to attain equality and civil rights. Only by examining the treatment of African-Americans throughout America's history can one begin to understand how the the ending of slavery, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and the contemporary issues facing the African-American community are inextricably linked. In turn this allows one to see how rather than existing as a single, identifiable turning point in the history of civil rights, African American's struggle for equality and an end to isolation must be considered as an ongoing project.

Beginning in 1861, the civil war was fought over many political questions regarding slavery, yet was barely focused on the actual freedom of the slaves themselves. It is often taught that the Union fought for the freedom of slaves at the beginning of the war. However, it is more accurate to say that Abraham Lincoln’s primary goal at the beginning of the war was to reunite the Union after the majority of the slave-owning states seceded to protect their way of life: slavery. Yet, by the end of the war, the Union’s goal was to free the slaves. Though the laws securing slaves freedom and suffrage were contributed to by many, the primary driving forces behind them was the African Americans. Through their willingness to fight and support the Union cause, African Americans made the United States acknowledge their struggles and transformed the war into a fight for reconnection and freedom. Though hindered by racist people and policies, the African Americans’ participation during the war and Reconstruction greatly contributed to tremendous cultural change as well as the securing of legal rights to blacks.

After World War I ended, the 1920’s brought on dramatic political and social changes. For most people, the 1920’s brought them more conflict. They did not like the new changes and were trying to keep them from happening. However, for a small group of young people the 1920’s was a great time to make progress and move forward from the conservative norm. After women got suffrage, they pushed through the double standards and tried and got jobs in factories and offices, instead of only doing domestic work. African Americans pushed through the discrimination they were facing and moved to the northern states, where they got better jobs and better opportunities to pursue their dreams in literature, art, music, and stage performance.

The Civil War is something almost everyone has a general idea about. It is more than a huge part of America’s history and is the central event in America 's historical consciousness. This war, unlike the American Revolution which created the first American states, determined what kind of nation it would be. Though there are many reasons for the cause of the American Civil War, one of the main reasons is the different attitudes the North and the South had toward slavery. In January of 1863, The Emancipation Proclamation was

The Civil War was one of the most difficult and trying times during American history. The war ended with the the Union and Confederate states torn apart over one major issue: slavery. With the end of the Civil War came the end of slavery in the United States. Although the former black slaves were now free, they had no land and very few rights, and most did not even have family. Though out reconstruction, blacks were able to gain rights, but were continuously repressed by the white Southerners. The only way to truly enfranchise the former slaves was by effectively disenfranchising their former masters. The reign the masters had over their former slaves disabled the slaves from trying to fulfill their lives as equal American citizens. In

The Civil War marked a monumental period in United States History. President Lincoln found himself attempting to preserve the union, while the Confederates from the south were fighting to create their own separate country. This war was primarily caused by one issue: slavery. The northerners did not expect the power of the South; it was not the quick war that they had expected. Both sides had their fair share of victories and losses. From the beginning of the war the Confederacy had a strong advantage of military leadership. After turning points in the war such as the battles of Gettysburg and Antietam the power shifted to the Union, eventually leading to the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House. During the war, Lincoln was able to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves. The freeing of the slaves resulted in a tremendous change in the lifestyle of southerners, both black and white. White southerners no longer had free labor, and black southerners were free to start their own lives. However, many of these free blacks did not know what to do with themselves after they were freed (McPherson 105). They did not have any land or money, and the majority were not educated. They were promised land from the union, but they never received this land (PBS 1). Without land it was nearly impossible to gain money in the southern economy at this time. These blacks were technically free citizens, but they were nowhere

The American civil war took place between 1861 and 1865 after the controversial election of President Lincoln. This election created a big rift between the south and the north regarding the future of the slaves . While the southerners remained predominantly agricultural-based, the northerners became an industrialized region with the focus on using the slaves to provide cheap labor for the industrialists. The discussion about the fate of the slaves created a difference between the two unions with regards to taxation, freedom of the salves and federal rights . The differences about the fate of the slaves led to secession in which the northerners and the westerners intended to preserve their union.

During the decades of the 1920s and 1930s, the United States underwent a series of changes that had a drastic effect on people across the nation. As the economy began to slow to a halt, millions of people were left broke and without jobs. As the country’s farmers were paralyzed with debt, food prices increased radically (McElvaine). During the mid-1930s, a series of droughts coupled with poor agricultural methods led to years of soil erosion and dust storms known as the Dust Bowl, a catastrophe that destroyed farms throughout the Southern Great Plains (Shafer, Low). As a result, many farmers were forced to abandon their land to seek employment elsewhere. These migrant workers, attracted by the fertility and familiarity of the area, traveled to California towns such as Salinas, where they labored tirelessly for wealthy planters (Cayton, Gorn, Williams). The events of the Great Depression Era, following years of difficulty and poverty, paved the way to an entirely new way of life for Americans.

No agreement could be made between the 2 sides, leading to political instability and physical violence. The Civil War in 1861 was a result of the tension. After this conflict, the states had equal rights for white and black people, eventually leading to social stability throughout America. Southern States were re-admitted into the U.S as Free States, and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 brought more liberties to the black population. The act declared that all persons born in the United States were now

Toward the end of the war 186,000 black men who were free and rogue slaves had joined with the Union’s army forming regiments that were with the southerners and northerners alike. The civil war was a big part of america. Slavery has been around for quite some time and during those years someone needed to put a stop to it. The captain of the union Ulysses S. Grant lead the men who were fighting for what was right. They had a better future for america because using people for slave work is just plain wrong and someone needed to put a stop to it. The year that the Civil War took place was April 12, 1861. The union also went by The United State of America, there were 23, free states and five border states that supported it. The union were the

African Americans were a very important addition to the American Civil War such as fighting and spying for both the north and the south sides. The American Civil War was a war fought in the United States between the North and South states. The war was from 1861-1865 and was because the South wanted to establish itself as a separate nation. The northern states were called the Union and the southern states were called the Confederate. Between the north and south states were the Border States, which did not belong to either of the sides. The Border States included Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri. In the north, slavery did not exist but the south was the opposite. In the war, the north and south states fought against each other while the Border States were neutral. Before the war and during the war, African Americans were treated very unfairly compared to white people. This essay will examine how African Americans were treated before, during and after the Civil War.

The American Civil War was a time wrought with peril. Families were split along party lines and took up arms against one another to fight for what they believed was right. Yet there was one group of people who had more to gain than any other present in the war, and that was the African American slave. This war was one of the biggest turning points in the morality of America all because of what happened to the slave in this war. They enlisted in the army, fought bravely, and after long last, gained their freedom.

For many years, there has been diversity between the different races in America. Slavery was a vast part of racism. Slavery is when African-Americans were forced to do work that others didn’t want to. In nineteen sixties, a substantial movement occured. This movement was the Civil Right.

Many things happened during the Civil War. One of the most remembered things that occurred was the end of slavery. The abolition of slavery happened for multiple reasons. Some people felt that slaves were people and did not deserve the way they got treated. Other people thought that ending slavery would help bring the country back together.

The South wanted to free the slaves, however, they understood the “negative” political impacts. The North wanted to free the slaves, but they were very divided within themselves. Once ex-slaves gained the right to vote as a full human being (Black Suffrage), the Republican party arose to shape our country. (Roark, 471) With ex-slaves gaining the highly deserved power, the Ku Klux Klan (K.K.K.) was developing to support the democrats and restore “White Supremacy”. (Roark, 471) The political division raised what I would call a second Civil-War within the American government.