African American Civil Rights 1880-1980

For hundreds of years historians have debated about the most significant factor for the advancement of civil rights for African-Americans from 1880-1980. Prior to this, African-Americans were largely only slaves, particularly in the South as nearly 4 million black slaves were forced to do extensive labour there allowing them to have no freedom whatsoever. However, during the Civil War, President Lincoln stated all slaves “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free” as he issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. This abolished slave trade in the US and attempted to bring an end to the Civil War. Nevertheless, the protracted journey for the African-Americans to achieve equality was far from over. At the end of the Civil War, the Southern states passed “Black Codes” in 1865, restricting the lives of freed slaves and forcing them to work in low wage jobs. It was undoubtedly a slow process but was further hindered by the actions of such groups as the KKK who were involved in lynching

She also concludes that Marshall “felt that the best way to change the country and gain equality for all was through the court system.” Marshall was an attorney of NAACP between 1934 and 1961. During this period, he argued thirty-two cases before the Supreme Court, prevailing in twenty-nine of them and earning himself the status of “Mr. Civil Rights” . As a result, in 1967 President Johnson appointed Thurgood Marshall as the first African American Justice to the United States Supreme Court. He accepted that it was “the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place.” Haugen also argues that, “thanks to Marshall’s hard work and courage, many people of all races are free today to live in any neighbourhood they choose, attend any school they wish, and treated equally in the