Racial Oppression In American History

Racial Oppression in American History

The United States of America was born from a rebellion and has become one of the leading super powers; a place that is highly sought after to live. Throughout, American history there are instances where racial oppression was the status quo. The rights and civil liberties of people were cast aside either by deep rooted racism, misguided fears or both. Some of the most well-known misdeeds of the United States is the historic treatment of African Americans, Native Americans and Japanese Americans as has been discussed in class. Racial oppression has been in American history in one form or another, taking on many different faces and going in various depths. These blemishes are but a few of the dark bricks laid

A perfect example is the Dred Scott v Sandford case. Dred Scott had moved with his owner to free states. When his owner died he tried to purchase his freedom; however, the widow rejected. Dred Scott filed suit and the case was heard by the supreme court. Chief Justice Roger Taney issued the decision, that Dred Scott whether free or a slave is not a U.S. Citizen and therefore had not right to sue in Federal court (Lecture, 05 February). This decision is considered the worst rendered by the Supreme Court; however, would subsequently be later overturned by the passing of the 13th and 14th Amendment.

With the civil war going on its third year, National Archives states, “It was only until President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, henceforward shall be free” (The Emancipation Proclamation, 2018). President Lincoln gave moral reinforcement to the union’s cause but also gave hope to hundreds of thousands of African Americans. Despite this victory it will be a long time before that great statement will come to fruition for the African American

A good indication of the social climate was enactment of the Jim Crow law which enforced racial segregation. A notable case challenging this was Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, Cornell Law School states in the syllabus, “The statute of Louisiana, acts of 1890, c. 111, requiring railway companies carrying passengers in their coaches in the State, to provide equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races, by providing two or more passenger coaches for each passenger train, or by dividing the passenger coaches by a partition so as to secure separate accommodations.” (Plessy v. Ferguson, 2018). The dissenting opinion was that “separate but equal” was constitutional as it did not give an advantage to one race over another (Lecture, 05 February). Despite those legislative achievements for equality, African Americans still faced mistreatment both in society and the discrimination was apparent while voting. African Americans had to take literacy tests to determine their eligibility to vote and at sole discretion of the person administering the test between 1950 and 1960. The Civil Rights movement combated these