Ethnic discrimination and racism in the United States have been problematic for hundreds of years, well before colonization. However, slavery shaped a far greater problem with racism in the United States. Slavery in the United States began in the 1600’s when the first African American slaves were brought over to Jamestown, Virginia to assist with the production of the cash crop, tobacco. Later in 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which led to a greater necessity for slave labor to support the South’s economy. In 1857, Dred Scott v. Sanford was a Supreme Court Case that was an indirect catalyst to the Civil War and arguably a poor Court decision in U.S. history, in regards to racial relations in the United States. Before the end of
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Sanford case is believed to be an indirect catalyst that propelled the United States into a Civil War. The war started in 1861 when seven southern slavery states, which later grew, declared their withdrawal from the United States and became the Confederate States of America. Slavery and the expansion of slavery westward were the primary causes of the Civil War that took more lives than other war in the history of the United States. Understanding this, President Abraham Lincoln created and delivered an executive order, the Emancipation Proclamation. The executive order was delivered on January 1, 1863. The proclamation announced, "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." However, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. For example, it only applied to the states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery unaffected in the Border States. Besides, it also exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. President Lincoln created the Emancipation Proclamation to benefit the union’s war effort against the Confederacy. In fact, the freedom promised in the proclamation depended on upon the union’s victory. Lincoln knew that the citizens had been negatively affected by the war and many just wanted the war to end. Lincoln sold the idea of the Emancipation Proclamation to be the end of the war. Consequently, the Emancipation Proclamation captured the …show more content…
Within a year, the rights for African Americans once again changed when the Fifteenth Amendment was passed. The Fifteenth Amendment states that U.S. citizens shall not be denied or abridged their right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. One year later, in 1870, Congress passed the Force Acts to protect the rights promised by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The Act read, “If any person, by force, bribery, threats, intimidation, or other unlawful means, shall hinder, delay, prevent, or obstruct, or shall combine and confederate with others to hinder, delay, prevent, or obstruct, any citizen from doing any act required to be done to qualify him to vote or from voting at any election as aforesaid …”. For this reason, the Force Acts banned groups, such as the KKK. Still, African-Americans soon saw their rights are taken away because of literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory measures. Thus, further smoke screens that Congress created to keep African Americans from having equal rights because of various fears, specifically in the South
Sanford case is believed to be an indirect catalyst that propelled the United States into a Civil War. The war started in 1861 when seven southern slavery states, which later grew, declared their withdrawal from the United States and became the Confederate States of America. Slavery and the expansion of slavery westward were the primary causes of the Civil War that took more lives than other war in the history of the United States. Understanding this, President Abraham Lincoln created and delivered an executive order, the Emancipation Proclamation. The executive order was delivered on January 1, 1863. The proclamation announced, "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." However, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. For example, it only applied to the states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery unaffected in the Border States. Besides, it also exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. President Lincoln created the Emancipation Proclamation to benefit the union’s war effort against the Confederacy. In fact, the freedom promised in the proclamation depended on upon the union’s victory. Lincoln knew that the citizens had been negatively affected by the war and many just wanted the war to end. Lincoln sold the idea of the Emancipation Proclamation to be the end of the war. Consequently, the Emancipation Proclamation captured the …show more content…
Within a year, the rights for African Americans once again changed when the Fifteenth Amendment was passed. The Fifteenth Amendment states that U.S. citizens shall not be denied or abridged their right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. One year later, in 1870, Congress passed the Force Acts to protect the rights promised by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The Act read, “If any person, by force, bribery, threats, intimidation, or other unlawful means, shall hinder, delay, prevent, or obstruct, or shall combine and confederate with others to hinder, delay, prevent, or obstruct, any citizen from doing any act required to be done to qualify him to vote or from voting at any election as aforesaid …”. For this reason, the Force Acts banned groups, such as the KKK. Still, African-Americans soon saw their rights are taken away because of literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory measures. Thus, further smoke screens that Congress created to keep African Americans from having equal rights because of various fears, specifically in the South