African Americans: Change Via Legislation Or Change Brought About By War?
“Which most helped improve the de facto reality of life for African Americans: change via legislation or change brought about by war?”
It can be argued that either change via legislation or change brought about by war most improved the reality of life for African Americans. After the 13th Amendment was passed on the 31st of January 1865, slavery was officially abolished in the United States of America. However, African American’s still were treated as inferior by the whites, and even in today’s society we still see evidence of white supremacy. Even so, change caused by the result of the war and the laws passed through the legislation helped improve the lives of African Americans.
Firstly, the civil war helped improve the de facto reality of life for African Americans. Slave-owning stated had broken away from the USA in 1861, declaring themselves to be the ‘Confederate States of America’ led by Jefferson Davis. The south claimed that it was impossible to run plantations profitably without slavery due …show more content…
As well as the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 which freed all slaves, the first main changes to improve the rights of the African American’s were the thirteenth, fourteen and fifteenth amendments and the two civil rights acts. The thirteen amendment abolished slavery in America (unless as a punishment) in 1865. The fourteenth amendment in 1868 granted citizenship to recently freed slaves, and protect their civil liberties. However, this had little effect in the south and many states refused to ratify the amendment. The fifteenth amendment meant the government couldn’t deny citizenship on the grounds of race as well as allowing the first African American vote and blacks being elected into public office (however, this caused violence against black voters.) Both amendments were both highly ignored, so in reality didn’t improve the lives of African American’s,
It can be argued that either change via legislation or change brought about by war most improved the reality of life for African Americans. After the 13th Amendment was passed on the 31st of January 1865, slavery was officially abolished in the United States of America. However, African American’s still were treated as inferior by the whites, and even in today’s society we still see evidence of white supremacy. Even so, change caused by the result of the war and the laws passed through the legislation helped improve the lives of African Americans.
Firstly, the civil war helped improve the de facto reality of life for African Americans. Slave-owning stated had broken away from the USA in 1861, declaring themselves to be the ‘Confederate States of America’ led by Jefferson Davis. The south claimed that it was impossible to run plantations profitably without slavery due …show more content…
As well as the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 which freed all slaves, the first main changes to improve the rights of the African American’s were the thirteenth, fourteen and fifteenth amendments and the two civil rights acts. The thirteen amendment abolished slavery in America (unless as a punishment) in 1865. The fourteenth amendment in 1868 granted citizenship to recently freed slaves, and protect their civil liberties. However, this had little effect in the south and many states refused to ratify the amendment. The fifteenth amendment meant the government couldn’t deny citizenship on the grounds of race as well as allowing the first African American vote and blacks being elected into public office (however, this caused violence against black voters.) Both amendments were both highly ignored, so in reality didn’t improve the lives of African American’s,