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How Important Was Black Activism From 1860 To 1965

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Within the context of the years 1860 to 1965, how important was black activism to the advancement of black civil rights in the USA? Black Activism is unparalleled in its ability to bring about both de jure and de facto change - affecting change in the Supreme Court and forcing the hands of presidents to enact legal change; while also changing the perception of Black Americans and the issues impacting them in the eyes of Middle America. Black Activism grew more impactful as the period progressed; however, it was the work done by activists in the 1860s-1900s that laid the groundwork for the greater victories of later civil rights campaigners from 1945-1965. From 1860 to 1910, much of the work of Black Civil Rights campaigners was instrumental …show more content…

The Civil War changed the Northern view of Black Americans due to the significant role they played in the unionist forces – making up almost 10% of the Army by the end of the War. Moreover, the Civil War catalysed the Emancipation Proclamation as Lincoln understood that, by committing to abolition, he could better incentivise Black soldiers to fight in the Civil War and exploit them as a resource. Additionally, the Civil War affirmed the need for emancipation and abolition as, without it, the North-South divide would have continued, and war would have been in vain. The President – particularly Lincoln - also played a significant role in enacting legal changes during this period. It was Lincoln that issued the Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862 and pushed through the Thirteenth Amendment in 1864 – both fundamental in the abolition of slavery and thus the progress of Civil Rights for Black Americans. Later, Ulysses S. Grant furthered progress towards Civil Rights by supporting 1869’s Fifteenth Amendment and by enacting the Ku Klux Klan Act in 1871, not only targeting legal rights, but also access to them by attempting to minimise the threat of White terror and violence – thus making it realistically possible for Black Americans to vote. Furthermore, Congress, particularly during the presidency of …show more content…

For example, during the Cold War, there was a sense that America could not fight for freedom abroad without better conditions for its own citizens. Additionally, Soviet propaganda around American civil rights catalysed JFK to act to de-weaponise this strand of attack. Moreover, White support for change reiterated the need for federal action - suddenly, civil rights was an issue that stretched across voter demographics. Presidents also aided change during this period. In 1946 Truman established a Civil Rights committee to investigate increasing violence against Black Americans. Truman was the first president since Lincoln to publicly commit to civil rights. Truman also banned discrimination and segregation in the Armed Forces with Executive Order 9981 and established the CGCC with Executive Order 10308. Moreover, Truman prevented the Federal Housing Administration from lending money to segregated housing projects – incentivising integration and desegregating the Washington Airport restaurant. Crucially, Truman was unapologetic in his support for Civil Rights, appointing Ralph Bunche American Ambassador to the UN; making William Hastie the first Black federal judge; delivering the first presidential speech to the NAACP in 1947, addressing Civil Rights in his 1948 State of the Union address, and integrating his 1949 inauguration celebrations. Kennedy appointed five Black judges to federal courts, including the NAACP’s

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This proclamation allowed African American Soldiers to enlist in the Northern army which gave them a huge advantage. The emancipation proclamation was issued by Lincoln in 1863, which went underneath the south's ability to keep slavery and declared that all southern slaves were now free. After this was pointed into action the union army grew to contain 10% African Americans which led to the victory of the south. One more point that Current talks about is the blockade. The blockade was enforced by the union navy which blocked the southern ports and prevented the south from getting necessary supplies.

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Thousands of African American citizens were denied basic rights and discriminated against during the 1950s and 60s. The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, and lasted until April 9, 1865. During the War, the long-debated disagreement about slavery was brought to light and fought over. Segregation laws and black codes inflicted unjust punishments for those who didn’t follow them. Rosa Parks and Thurgood Marshall were some of the most influential activists in the 1950s-1960s because they fought for everyone's rights/beliefs, helped to strengthen the idea of equality in America, and helped develop strong arguments/protests that helped advance the country's unity.

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The civil war became a different war as the gleaming sun set over the bloody fields of Antietam. After the union had partially won the battle, Abraham Lincoln changed the war as he wrote one of the most controversial, and most crucial documents in American history: the Emancipation Proclamation (Dudley 166). Mr. Lincoln’s preliminary proclamation declared that on January 1, 1863, all slaves remaining in areas of the South “in rebellion would be declared then, thenceforward, and forever free” (Dudley 167). The Emancipation Proclamation paved the way to the abolition of slavery, and is by far one of the most important accomplishments made in history.

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Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation One year before the American Civil War came to an end President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Not only was the Proclamation a stepping stone for civil rights, but it was a strategic military measure. The Proclamation freed slaves in the confederate states in order to cripple the Confederacy while maintaining good relations with the boarder slave states loyal to the Union (McPherson, 557). The Proclamation was significant for Union strategy because it made it legal for blacks to enlist in the Union Forces (McPherson, 563), giving a strategic advantage to the Union to have more troops. By the end of the war blacks made up nearly 12% of Union forces, which was equivalent to the entire

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During the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s, shifts in the political and societal views were very apparent. Through out the time era, we saw figures of great importance and the strength of activists are its highest. The build up of severe racism and discrimination led to the beginning of the civil rights era, which led to several divides in blacks, as well as a beginning of a more enriched society.. The Civil Rights era had several key events leading up to the full force of the movement - including bus boycotts, Freedom Riders, and the Little Rock Nine. Once the movement began to increase in involvement, many supporters were gained.

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In 1945 African American civil rights advocates established challenges to the racial discriminations. Black Veterans and workers, after having already had a taste of liberation while being away at war, peregrinated home with the hope of reenergizing the civil rights movement. Many of the core resources such as leadership, legal resources, strategy coalitions with the whites, and a connecting philosophy to propel the movement forward, in the fight for African American equality converged during and right after the war (Schaller et. al. 942). President Harry Truman even took the time to make civil rights a component of his political and domestic agenda during his reign.

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Once the Civil War began, President Lincoln's ultimate goal was the restoration of the Union. However, the Union was keeping escaped slaves instead of returning them (which caused Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation). This measure opened the problem of what to do with slaves that had been captured by the Union. Eventually, the War ended, and the northern states won. Without President Lincoln's Proclamation, the outcome may have looked different You've probably guessed it by now - Lincoln proposed the 13th amendment himself!

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In the Confederate states by January 1, 1863, more than 3 million slaves was freed and blacks enlisted in the Union Army in very large numbers and it even reached some 180,000 by the end of war. When Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation it change the ways of the Civil War. No one knew how this would turn out to be. During the next couple of years, Lincoln was trying to figure out how to bring the damanged South back into the Union. The war started to come to an end in 1865 and he still did not have a good plan.

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Moreover, Lincoln believed that slavery was iniquitous and used the abolition of slavery to lure people, mostly African Americans, to help him win the war. As a result, thousands of slaves escaped to the North and join the Northern Armies. In Addition, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation after his victory to explain that all slaves in rebellious states will be free for eternity. The thirteenth Amendment was an amazing starting point of freedom for enslaved African -Americans everywhere.

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