First World War Research Paper

The First World War, 1914 through 1918, occurred during the middle of the Jim Crow period where African-Americans were relegated to second class citizens and racial discrimination. Jim Crow separated the black population from the white population and elevated white supremacy as the rule of law. The war brought hopeful opportunity for the blacks in the hopes of achieving a measure of equality with whites and a sense of citizenship in America. The black population embraced the opportunity to do their part and show not just their loyalty but sense of worth to themselves and the white population. The paper will analyze how African Americans were affected by the war as observers and participants of the First World War. At the dawn of the twentieth …show more content…
The patriotism of the black communities was questioned even after they had openly supported the war effort. Racism appeared to be worse after the war even though many black men went to war as soldiers. This is the obvious assessment of how the war affected the African-American population as racial tensions increased, even though violence against African-Americans existed before the First World War. The white racial attitude towards the African-America community had not changed, but the attitude of the black community …show more content…
Signs of this were the 1919 race riots in the North, which was not a common occurrence before the war. The first was the mobility of the African-Americans as upwards of a million or more migrated northward as they were recruited for work in the northern industries. Another was the psychological confidence held by the returning black soldiers and given to the African-American communities as they became more expressive in their desires for civil rights and how they saw themselves as citizens, workers, and heroes. If there is one word to describe their awakening, it would be