African American Uprising Dbq Analysis

Although African-Americans had technically been granted citizenship and voting rights when the 14th and 15th Amendments were passed in the late 1800s, they were still forced into subservient positions in society by white Americans who refused to acknowledge the former’s equal rights as citizens of the United States. They were bullied into not voting by Klansmen, forced to sit in segregated sections of restaurants and busses, and not given educational opportunities that equaled those of white students. This discrimination was especially prevalent in the deep south, where racist prejudices refused to die; the laws might have changed, but the people hadn’t.

In a juxtaposition of each half of the 1960s, the methods and goals of the Civil Rights movement evolved immensely. However, unlike more commonly known forms of evolution, this one was not positive. As a result of the continued oppression and segregation, African-Americans began to lose their patience with the government and took matters into their own hands by utilizing a more direct approach than they formerly had. Hence, a vast alteration of methods of the Civil Rights movement occurred as a result of the hardships experienced.

There have been many of times in the history of American where people have been treated unfairly. After the Civil War the 13th amendment was passed and black southerners were no longer slaves. Yet they were not really free. These people were unable to accesses the things that were necessary to sustain life. During this time African Americans had no idea what the “American Dream” was like. There African Americas of the south wanted freedom. They wanted the freedom of owing land, the freedom of marriage and bringing their families together once again. These people were willing to do whatever it took to be free, no longer having some telling them what to do or how to live. They intend to work and gain respect as any one American.

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Being as though this amendment was created and now applied to all people African Americans began developing many new skills that whites didn’t possess. “President Ulysses S. Grant supported Radical Reconstruction and enforced the protection of African Americans in the South through the use of the Force Acts passed by Congress. Grant suppressed the Ku Klux Klan, but was unable to resolve the escalating tensions inside the Republican party between the Carpetbaggers and the Scalawags (native whites in the South).” African Americans started off with making sure all African Americans had an education so that they may be able to work job and make their own money and succeed on their own

During the early 1930’s through the mid 1960’s there were many different approaches African American’s took for achieving social changes, and the Civil rights they deserved. Many great African American leader’s such as Martin Luther King Jr, Malcom X, and James Baldwin contributed towards the betterment of blacks living in America. Aside from individual African American leaders there was also groups that fought for black civil rights such as The Black Power Movement, Black Panthers, and Civil Rights Activist. Other events that transpired during this time period had also effected the civil rights movement in America. For instance: The altercation with Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white male ultimately led to The Montgomery Bus boycott protest,

The Civil Rights Movement began shortly after the end of World War II. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were two strong supporters for the ending of segregation during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's, yet both had different approaches to ending the inequality. Their philosophy for ending segregation was affected by their history. Malcolm X lived a tough life underneath poverty and he lost both of his parents at a young age. He wanted to feel accepted and comfortable, but eventually, he dropped out of school and began selling drugs and was sent to prison for armed robbery, where he discovered the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. Martin Luther King Jr., on the other hand, was more fortunate having lived a life in the middle class where

The 12950’s wasn’t actually the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. The first of the movement actually started 200 years before. They just weren’t able to get it announced everywhere or get the attention of the Federal Government. The Goal of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s was to show the Federal Government especially the president how justice in the south is given to the African-American people of the community and how to change it so it doesn't happen anymore because African-American people were mistreated and murdered, they weren’t allowed to do things white people did so they had strategies to prove it like sit ins and marches, and how successful the movements were against the justice in the south like Mississippi.

Between 1860 and 1877, America was in the midst of the Civil War and reconstruction following the war. America had many good ideas; however, very few of their revolutionary ideas ever effectuated exactly as planned. During this time period, there were many good ideas that were applied to the constitution or were said to be good, however many of these ideas were never truly implemented. Critics could state that America had undergone a revolution, however there was not much truly revolutionary about these events. It was not just constitutional changes, there were also social changes that were supposed to take place, but inevitably failed to actually be executed into Americans lifestyle.

Many African Americans would have separate schools, bus seats, and even fountain drinks for the “colored”. If an African American would ever break these “laws”, they were either jailed, beaten, or killed for it. In response, many Africans saw the negative effects of violence and instead of choosing to fight back violently, they chose to protest through “nonviolence [,] as it grows from Judaic-Christian traditions [and] seeks a social order of justice permeated by love” (Doc. A). Many African Americans believed that through nonviolence it would help benefit the fight for equality because it would help them gain sympathy and support from the people through the sight violence being used on peaceful people. However, many African American’s were getting frustrated at how long it was taking to gain equality, protection of civil rights, and justice in courts so many thought that the time had “come for black people to arm themselves against [violence] before it [was] too late” (Doc. F) Many African Americans then started to turn to violence to try to push the fight for equality, but this was ultimately a disastrous decision because this caused the Civil Rights Movement to lose a lot of support they had from the

Discrimination and slavery filled our nation in the mid 19th century. African Americans were discriminated and seen as “property,” not human beings. Having been born as a slave, Harriet Tubman was no stranger to the harsh reality of slavery. Tubman’s childhood included working as a house servant and later in the cotton fields. With the fear of being sold, Tubman decided to escape for a better life. Harriet Tubman spent her life trying to save others from slavery, becoming one of the most famous women of her time who was able to influence the abolition of slavery, and effect the lives of many African Americans.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s a momentous movement broke out in the United States in pursuit of making a change in our nation for the better. This movement, titled the Civil Rights Movement, spread like a wildfire throughout the nation and made it possible for African Americans to have rights equal to those of whites. While at the end, this movement was successful in desegregating everything and achieving equality in the laws that were passed, it was not successful in integrating all people and changing the actions of others so that African Americans were treated equal to the white’s. Civil Rights Activists Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, Rosa Parks, and many other inspirational black leaders played key roles in lighting the fire that was

Many leaders arose during this time and called for a change in the treatment of African Americans such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. With the ideas of hope for a better future many African American communities decided to hold protests to change the way the government acted towards them. The government was supposed to help the people not disregard them when they are in need of help or focus on one group of people all together. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement each time they protest and it threatened the stability of the country the government gives in to them and granted them their rights such as the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The 1965 Voting Rights Act was put in place to make up for the holes in the 15th amendment which has allowed the passing of the Jim Crow laws as well as the unconstitutionally approval of the Plessy v. Ferguson case. As people saw the African Americans being hit with tear gas, being beaten, and whipped by the state troopers and still pushed forward showed the lengths they will go to achieve their dream of a new future.

For centuries Africa American’s have been stripped from their freedom, their history, and their human rights due to racism and white supremacy. However, in 1868 there was a light at the end of the tunnel, African Americans thought there was an end to racism and the beginning of equality when the 14th Amendment was created. The 14th Amendment stated, “All persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States… no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”(The Founding Fathers) With the privilege of being a citizen a person is entitled to universal freedom (Walton, Smith). Even though the 14th amendment enforced that the state shall not deny privileges to citizens, it never brought about equality for African-Americans because of racism. The Amendment was intended to create equality, however its meaning was misinterpreted and ultimately benefit white males. Because of this, it denied them of their right to freedom from barriers created to keep African Americans inferior such as Jim Crow Laws, Gorilla Warfare for Voting, and Institutional Racism.

Coupled with the fact that Jim Crow laws were enacted in the 1880’s and carried well through to the 20th century up until 1965. These laws allowed segregation in all public facilities such as water fountains, schools, bathrooms, public transportation, and restaurants. Furthermore, the supreme court ruled that the civil rights act of 1875 was unconstitutional. “Then in 1883, the supreme court ruled that the civil rights act of 1875 was unconstitutional because Congress did not have the power to forbid racial discrimination in private businesses” (pg 347). This showed the nation that the government was uninterested in the rights of African Americans. “The supreme court validated these practices in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) in establishing the “separate but equal” doctrine, officially permitting segregation as long as blacks had equal facilities” (pg 347). This was unconstitutional as the Courts soon realized “then came the landmark decision Brown V. Board of Education (1954) The ruling was revolutionary because the Courts finally saw the oppressive nature of the “separate but equal” clause.

Throughout history, African Americans have encountered an overwhelming amount of obstacles for justice and equality. You can see instances of these obstacles especially during the 1800’s where there were various forms of segregation and racism such as the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan terrorism, Jim- Crow laws, voting restrictions. These negative forces asserted by societal racism were present both pre and post slavery. Although blacks were often seen as being a core foundation for the creation of society and what it is today, they never were given credit for their work although forced. This was due to the various laws and social morals that were sustained for over 100 years throughout the United States. However, what the world didn’t