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Examples Of Reparations For African Americans After The Civil War

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Reparations for African American Slaves: A Complex and Controversial Issue. The concept of reparations for African American slaves has been a recurring topic in American history, sparking debates and discussions about justice, equality, and historical responsibility. After the Civil War ended and slaves were freed, there were attempts to provide some form of reparations to the newly emancipated individuals. These efforts, however, were limited and often fell short of addressing the deep-rooted injustices of slavery. In this essay, we will explore the historical context of reparations, examine influential figures who have advocated for reparations, discuss the different perspectives on the issue, and consider potential future developments related …show more content…

One of the key issues during this time was the question of reparations for former slaves. The Freedmen's Bureau, established in 1865, was one of the first governments to assist former slaves, including food, education, and housing. Some former slaves also received land as part of the promise of "40 acres and a mule," although this promise was never fully realized for most African Americans. The idea of reparations for African American slaves gained traction during this period, with advocates arguing that the government owed a debt to formerly enslaved individuals for centuries of forced labor, abuse, and dehumanization. However, as Reconstruction came to an end and the country shifted its focus to other issues, the efforts to provide meaningful reparations for former slaves faltered. The legacy of slavery continued to impact African American communities, leading to ongoing disparities in wealth, education, and opportunity. Influential Figures in the Fight for …show more content…

One prominent idea is the idea of monetary compensation, where the descendants of slaves would receive financial restitution for the harm inflicted on their ancestors. Another proposal is the idea of community-based reparations, where resources and investments would be directed toward historically marginalized communities to address systemic inequalities. Additionally, there have been calls for symbolic gestures like formal apologies for slavery and the establishment of a national day of remembrance. Despite these proposals, the issue of reparations has faced significant challenges and resistance. One major obstacle is the lack of political will and public support for reparations among lawmakers and policymakers. Many Americans remain skeptical or even hostile towards the idea of reparations, viewing it as a form of reverse discrimination or an attempt to rewrite history. Additionally, the practicalities of implementing reparations, such as determining who is eligible and how much compensation should be provided, remain daunting

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765 Words | 4 Pages

A common objection to reparations is “it's not feasible”. However, this is not good reasoning, there are many instances of such “unfeasible” things actually being feasible. An example of this was the first moon landing in 1969. If you were to ask an ordinary man on the street a few years prior if he thought we could ever reach the moon, he would have said no, yet that didn't stop it from happening. Therefore saying something is not feasible is not evidence that something is not feasible and shouldn't be used as an argument (Dowell).

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1077 Words | 5 Pages

A common misconception of the Civil War is that when it was finally over, people think that all the African Americans were immediately freed and they lived happily for the rest of their lives. Well, that is not quite accurate, as there were many things that had occurred during the time right after the American Civil War, known as the Reconstruction Era. This includes the the numerous laws and institutions that were put forth to help African Americans, such as the Reconstruction amendments. Many white Americans, especially those from the south, had opposed the idea of giving blacks the same opportunities and rights as they were given.

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156 Words | 1 Pages

Reparations for slavery is the idea that some form of compensatory payment should be made to the descendants of Africans who had been enslaved as part of the Atlantic Slave Trade. With that being said, I don’t believe this essay is a case for reparations. Coates never gives the breakdown of what the United States reparation would look like. He never tells us, his readers, how the system would work, or how anyone would actually make the political case for it. This argument is not about reparations for slavery, either.

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992 Words | 4 Pages

After the first slaves were brought in by the British more and more Africans were sought out. They became like a commodity for those that could afford to purchase them. Regardless, of their sex in the eyes of the law they were viewed and treated as property. Unfortunately, all black men, women and children equally shared devastating experiences during their time as a slave. On one side they were all separated form both their families and their homeland.

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1431 Words | 6 Pages

All these opportunities were unavailable and inaccessible to African Americans prior to the Reconstruction Era. Slaves were treated as property, not as humans, therefore prior to the Reconstruction Era, African Americans in America would not have even dreamed of receiving these types of benefits. Organizations, such as the Freedmen’s Bureau, provided slight freedom to black people in America and paved the way for immense progress in civil rights ideas to develop more during this time. Similarly, Ferdinand L. Barnett, an African American lawyer, addressed the National Conference of the Colored Men of the United States about education of white and black children (Doc 6). First off, Barnett being a lawyer is significant progress.

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615 Words | 3 Pages

In his article, Coates argues that the idea of reparations needs to have an important place in discussions of race in America. Coates doesn’t argue that a great sum of taxpayer dollars be given to every African American. It is impossible to come up with a lump sum of money that would pay for hundreds of years of enslavement and abuse. Instead, Coates argues that the idea of reparations is what is important. That African Americans need start considering

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364 Words | 2 Pages

During the nineteenth century, the abolition of slavery did not lead to many positive changes for former slaves. This was due the fact that a majority of newly freed slaves did not achieve anything close to political equality. An example can be seen in the period of “radical reconstruction” in the southern of United States, where freed blacks were able to gain full political rights and power but it came with the harsh price of segregation laws, virulent racism, denial of voting rights along with a wave of lynching that continued into the twentieth century. The economic lives of slaves also did not improve dramatically either. With the rise of the highly dependent labor like sharecropping, it had soon replace slavery and the reluctance

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992 Words | 4 Pages

In addition, while the harm argument supports the idea of making reparations in order to rectify past transgressions, it also suggests that by being able to acknowledge the harms of such transgressions, these reparations can help in creating a better society with more equality. Although Boxill’s argument makes valid statements, as with any argument, there are objections. One objection is that slavery, which ended one hundred and fifty years ago, is not the direct cause of the harms which black people experience in the present day, although it agrees that slavery did harm the slaves at the time. Another objection states that present day black people only have the right for reparations from the slaveholders as they were the ones who initially caused the harm. In response to these objections, modifications to the harm argument may be made in order to avoid these objections.

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491 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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389 Words | 2 Pages

Based on Ta-Nehisi’s essay, the philosophical argument against reparations for African Americans is found in home-mortgage market. Clyde Ross bought “on contract” for his house meaning if he missed a single payment, he would immediately forfeit his $1,000 down payment, all his monthly payments, and the property itself (CITATION). This is not right because it only happened to African Americans. Missing a single payment shouldn’t make him lose everything. If white people miss payments they get a notice or get money added on to the previous payment, if the payment is still not paid then it can be taken away.

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1206 Words | 5 Pages

For many white Americans, slavery and the mistreatment of African Americans is “out of sight, out of mind”, it is difficult for many people to understand the true impacts that slavery has today. Segregation has not been prevalent in many people's lives, so it seems like a long time ago, but segregation has only been absent in the United States for under half a century. Prior to the legal end of segregation, slavery lasted for almost 250 years, Jim Crow laws lasted for 90 years, separate but equal was prevalent for 60 years, and 35 years of unfair housing. Inequality that lasted longer than the age of our country is bound to have a lasting impact on African Americans that still affects people

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1051 Words | 5 Pages

This action resulted in a total of four million slaves being freed at the end of the war and a new conflict began between the African Americans and the Whites of the South. Almost immediately after they were freed from slavery, many African Americans sought to reunite with their families, from which they were separated by the slave trade, and some also began to establish their own churches and schools. African Americans also began to demand that they were given political and civil rights that were equal to those that the White men had. While African Americans found that they finally had freedom, many also found that they had no home and no jobs. On the opposite side of the spectrum, however, many large farm and plantation owners found that they had lost the majority of their labor force once slavery was outlawed.

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422 Words | 2 Pages

However, changes that were made during Reconstruction greatly impacted the lives of many African Americans. While some efforts were made to achieve a status of equality, many suffered continuous discrimination and were denied (deprived of) their basic civil

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2313 Words | 10 Pages

With the ending of slavery former slaves could now enjoy what it meant to be an American. Sadly, for many former slaves this was worse since the united states government didn’t pass a law to help protect them instead they just ended slavery. Many found it tough to find jobs to support themselves. Those who found jobs often found they were underpaid and were even taken advantage of. Sadly, they couldn’t do anything about it since they weren’t a law in place that said that it could happen.

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529 Words | 3 Pages

African Americans are owed reparations because of redlining, slavery, and being denied of an education. African Americans were segregated by the redling method,for example, whites paid less money for housing .But the African American communities would have to pay more money for the same house that a white person lived in . Also if they missed a payment they would have to be fine $1000. Blacks were not allowed freedom because whites would discriminate against African American because of the color of are skin.

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