War can often be a catalyst for change on how a country behaves socially, politically, and legally. Likewise, peacetime can open up opportunities to focus on issues other than fighting. When the American Civil War Reconstruction Period and the time directly prior to World War I are analyzed for the everyday lives of African American’s in the three aforementioned categories, there are many similarities and differences. These time periods both have discrimination against African Americans voting and being represented still highly apparent. There are also still social difficulties for African Americans. However, there are changes in the ways they are oppressed, and the opportunities for equality that are presented.
Two of the most similar restrictions on how African Americans were allowed to act on a daily basis where those of the Reconstruction Period’s Black Codes and the Early 1900s Jim Crow Laws. The Black Codes were passed as a loophole mainly in the South to remove the freedoms promised by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment. They forced African Americans into the old labor positions that had held them in slavery. Their movement was limited, else they could be arrested …show more content…
During both time periods, African Americans had to deal with racist laws and legal systems limiting their rights, along with groups of people that reacted violently to any kind of rebellion or even existence of African Americans living and contributing to society. The Reconstruction period, however had little to no economic and educational opportunities. The early 1900s had much less African American representation in the federal, state and local government. Despite of all this, both Eras saw progress at least by its end to have more rights and a fighting chance for
Two of the most similar restrictions on how African Americans were allowed to act on a daily basis where those of the Reconstruction Period’s Black Codes and the Early 1900s Jim Crow Laws. The Black Codes were passed as a loophole mainly in the South to remove the freedoms promised by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment. They forced African Americans into the old labor positions that had held them in slavery. Their movement was limited, else they could be arrested …show more content…
During both time periods, African Americans had to deal with racist laws and legal systems limiting their rights, along with groups of people that reacted violently to any kind of rebellion or even existence of African Americans living and contributing to society. The Reconstruction period, however had little to no economic and educational opportunities. The early 1900s had much less African American representation in the federal, state and local government. Despite of all this, both Eras saw progress at least by its end to have more rights and a fighting chance for