Before the American Civil War happened close to four million African-Americans were slaves. At the turn of the century the Naturalization Act of 1970 allowed only white men to vote. After the Civil War the thirteenth (1865), fourteenth (1868) and fifteenth (1870) amendments were passed, allowing African-American males to vote and have citizenship, which also led to ending slavery. Even after the ending of slavery, there were still some white men who tried to keep white supremacy alive thereby dehumanizing and alienating African-Americans from the mainstream of people. Even after African-Americans were given all their rights, there were still problems with racial segregation.
Prior to the establishment of this act, African Americans faced many legal restraints prohibiting many of them from voting- a right guaranteed to all citizens under the fifteenth amendment. When African Americans attended the polling booths, they were often asked to complete a literacy test or pay a poll fine to vote. These tests caused a vast demographic of African Americans to be exempt from the voting process, excluding and discrediting their voices. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 finally outlawed any discriminatory voting prerequisites used by many Southern states at the time. The development of this act is often seen as a crucial turning point for the Civil Rights Movement and one of the nation’s most significant accomplishments since Reconstruction.
Although slavery was declared over after the passing of the thirteenth amendment, African Americans were not being treated with the respect or equality they deserved. Socially, politically and economically, African American people were not being given equal opportunities as white people. They had certain laws directed at them, which held them back from being equal to their white peers. They also had certain requirements, making it difficult for many African Americans to participate in the opportunity to vote for government leaders. Although they were freed from slavery, there was still a long way to go for equality through America’s reconstruction plan.
Washington and many other cities celebrated while more than 100,000 blacks paraded through Baltimore, but the victory did not last. While Republicans obtained African American voters in the North, the South was an entirely different situation; Ku Klux Klan and other violent racist groups intimidated black men into voting and those who did vote had their homes burned down, as well as churches and schools (“African Americans,” 2016). A few years later, Southern states required the blacks to pay voting taxes, pass literacy tests and undergo many other unfair restrictions. After 75 years, African American voting rights were once again enforced in the
The Union victory in the Civil War prompted the abolition of slavery and African American’s were granted freedom, along with rights that should have been there from the start, however, white supremacy overpowered in the South, forcing African Americans back into a state of slavery. The Reconstruction era, the postwar rebuilding of the South, proved to be an attempt towards change in the lives of African Americans but the opportunities were only available for a limited time. African Americans had hopes of a new South after the Civil War was fought yet that was only accomplished to a certain extent. African Americans have always faced discrimination in society, for that same reason they weren’t accepted into Congress. The graph shown in Document
In the Jim Crow context, the presidential election of 1912 was steeply slanted against the interests of black Americans. A majority of African Americans are still settling in the South, where they are currently facing stringent restrictions so they could not vote at all. While
Americans all around the nation were stunned by the executing of social liberties laborers and the ruthlessness they saw on their TVs. Freedom summer raised the cognizance of a large number of individuals to the predicament of African-Americans and the requirement for change. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed Congress to some extent in light of the fact that administrators ' constituents had been instructed about these issues amid Freedom
the boundaries of American democracy, demanding their rights as American citizens, and assert their very humanity in ways both subtle and dramatic. Recognizing the significance of World War I is essential to developing a full understanding of modern African-American history and the struggle for black freedom. " Colored folks should be patriotic," the Richmond Planet insisted. "Do not let us be chargeable with being disloyal to the flag". African Americans saw the war as an opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism and their place as equal citizens in the nation.
African Americans face a struggle with racism which has been present in our country before the Civil War began in 1861. America still faces racism today however, around the 1920’s the daily life of an African American slowly began to improve. Thus, this time period was known by many, as the “Negro Fad” (O’Neill). The quality of life and freedom of African Americans that lived in the United States was constantly evolving and never completely considered ‘equal’. From being enslaved, to fighting for their freedom, African Americans were greatly changing the status quo and beginning to make their mark in the United States.
Segregation and racism are only two of many things people of color have to go through. On top of segregation and racism, voting was something that really impacted the lives of African Americans. Voting rights were not fundamental human rights for African Americans. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was only the beginning of the future acts of voting rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was crucial to history because it created opportunities for future acts.
In the 1950s there were several laws that kept African American people separated from White Americans. African Americans were not allowed to do anything with White Americans or even be close to them. The White Americans were so harsh toward them that they established laws that said that African Americans could not vote, could not enter the same building of White Americans, they was not even allowed to drink out of the same water fountain. The people of the South were very strict to their beliefs and laws and if any African American was caught breaking any of the laws they were punished and sometimes killed. Some African Americans that were not familiar with the dangers of the south were few of the unfortunate ones to lose their life.
African American’s have been devoted to supporting the Democratic political party steadily over the last five decades. In comparison to Republican, the Democratic party has offered pioneering economic policies such as desegregation and the New Deal programs which has continued to sway the black vote into the present day. Although there are some African American that side more with conservative prospects, the clear majority undoubtedly vote Democrat. In the black community there is a notion that Democrats have a way of understanding the minority. Past presidents such as John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama received an overwhelming number of votes from African Americans for their efforts in promoting equality for all Americans.
Even though the government adopted the Voting Rights Act in 1965, African Americans’ suffrages were still restricted because of southern states’ obstructions. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was important for blacks to participate in political elections, but before this act was passed, there were several events led to its proposal. The government gave African Americans’ the right to vote by passing the 15th Amendment, but in the Southern States, blacks’ suffrages were limited by grandfather clauses, “poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic restrictions” (ourdocuments.gov). As times went on, most African Americans couldn’t register their votes.
Many Americans were concerned by the change that needed to happen for the people. The people were starting to stand up for what they believed in. With population increasing, things started to get out of control. Many political people held to much power over the people. People living in poverty were suffering more than they have been.
The government and American people say, that voting is a privilege, honor and everyone should patriate, if this is true why was that right so long to be establish. The ability to vote has hindered our liberty and equality for numerous years for women and African -Americans. The Fifteenth Amendment in 1870 gave the freedom for African-Americans to vote (Ginsberg, B., 2013); however, many feared of intimidation and retaliation. Finally, 95 years following the Fifteenth Amendment African-Americans was ensured their right to vote due to the Voting Right Act of 1965 (Ginsberg, B., 2013). It was not until the Nineteenth Amendment that was created and passed in the 1920’s that allow American women to vote (Ginsbert, B., 2013).
