A Democratic Society

Improved Essays
The United States became a more democratic society after the Civil War through the liberation of African American slaves and development of racial equality and the increase of mobility and empowerment of women. Both of these aspects were previously treated with grave inequalities, and after the Civil War each group steadily gained more power and freedom. A democratic society must include freedoms for all citizens regardless of their origins. The definition of a democratic society is very debatable due to the vague meaning that can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. A democratic society means each citizen is treated fairly and given fair representation in political, social, and economical issues. For a country to become more or less democratic …show more content…
Many of Hahn’s arguments in A Nation Under Our Feet show the perspective of the treatment of African Americans during and after the Civil War and how, despite many obstacles, African Americans were able to gain many more rights than they started with. When African Americans were slaves, they lacked the right to organize and become a part of the political world even within a small spectrum, but after the Civil War began many slaves started to organize and work together to transfer information to and from one another. As time went on, the connections made in churches and other parts of African American social life allowed for a very well connected ethnic society throughout the entire country. Without the constant social groups that formed throughout the African American society, their movement for their right to be free citizens would not have been nearly as strong. One of the key characteristics mentioned by Hahn is the Freedmen’s Bureau. The North used this organization to help uplift the South after the Civil War through education and helping to integrate its economy. The North tried to bring order to the South with the Freedmen’s Bureau, and as Professor Suri mentioned in lecture, could be considered the first foreign aid organization due to the secession of the South from the North. The Freedmen’s Bureau contributed to a more democratic society through improving the lives …show more content…
Despite the conflicting views of populism also gaining traction during this time, progressivism provided the idealized philosophy that the elites of the country would lead the United States into great prosperity through becoming active members of society. The book also mentioned the rise of mobility and women’s rights during this period with a large amount of focus on Jane Addams. Jane Addams was one of the many prominent members of the progressive movement as well as the feminist movement. During this time she was a strong advocate for those in lower parts of society such as the immigrants or the poor, she also founded the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom to aid in the efforts for women’s rights. After the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, it’s clear to see why Jane Addams was essential to the growth of a democratic society within the United States through the formal establishment of equal rights for men and

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