To What Extent Was The Declaration Of Independence Dbq Thematic Essay

Nicole Smith 3/15/17
Mrs. Finder U.S. History
DBQ Thematic Essay

Despite what the Declaration of Independence says groups of people have been subjected to inequality and discrimination. Two of the major groups that faced a lot of problems were the African Americans and industrial workers. Through individuals, organizations, and government the groups have gained more equal rights. Government legislation was the most effective way for African Americans and industrial workers.

In my opinion, the group with the most problems are African Americans.Ever since African Americans came to the U.S. they have faced discrimination. The abolishment of slavery was due to the Civil War and the Union winning. After the war, they

A group of African Americans in Kentucky wrote a petition to Congress in 1871, looking for protection from the KKK (Document 1). Congress responded that soldiers could be sent to protect African Americans while voting, but they didn’t get much support from local officials, some were actually secretly KKK members themselves. They continued trying to address their issues through congress. In a speech, white racism was criticized in the Niagara Movement Address, given by leading civil rights leader W. E. B. Du Bois in 1906. Du Bois demanded that Congress do what they should have done after the Civil War and enforce full manhood suffrage and the amendments already passed, making sure the African Americans their citizenship rights. He stated that African Americans should address their problems by voting, by forcing for change, and by working toward equality, not just waiting for it to happen. Du Bois’ work with the NAACP to fight segregation, and to demand 15th amendment rights modeled a more aggressive approach to civil rights. The Brown vs. the Civil Rights Act of 1964 led to less segregation. The biggest changes were the result of government action. In 1965 President Johnson made a law designed to eliminate illegal barriers to the right to vote. This law became the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and, as shown in Document 3b, it had a dramatic effect on the number

society, mostly during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Industrial workers became a big thing of the American economy following the Industrial Revolution in the 1850s. The federal government was laissez-faire towards industry at the time, so this sometimes led to corrupt business practices. Industrial workers faced certain problems such as low wages, long working hours, and dangerous conditions. A lack of government regulation meant that industries could force ridiculous hours, pay, and conditions on their workers with no fear of punishment, and also meant that workers had little means to protest. If a worker protested, often he was simply fired because the employer could easily find another worker to fill his spot, or he was blacklisted as well. These were the issues faced by workers in the Homestead steel mill: low wages and 12-hour work days which they were powerless to do anything about. However by the late 1800s, workers were finding ways to address their problems. All people worked together in the Knights of Labor to improve their situation. Having such a diverse membership made them less effective than the American Federation of Labor which was a union for skilled workers. Workers banded together to form these unions to protect their rights. A speech by Samuel Gompers, the leader of the union American Federation of Labor, stated his union’s demands for reduced hours of work, “adequate wages”, and