How Did African Americans Treated In The Late 19th Century

In today’s America, the simple idea of not allowing a person who is no different than any other citizen to vote, to be treated the same as the rest of the population, and to even be considered a human beings would cause an unbelievable amount of uproar. Unfortunately, in the late 19th century it was all too common. Black people were treated as nothing more than slaves, though they had recently been freed. The Southerners still felt as if they weren’t being treated fairly. The country was divided While it was a start on their long journey for equality, many people wanted to speed it up. People of all races and genders decided it was well past time to revolutionize the United States to become a united and equal place for everyone both socially
During reconstruction, many blacks were empowered through advocacy. For example, in a petition by American descendants of African Americans they made the strong argument that if they were allowed to fight against rebel armies with white citizens, they should vote with them too (Doc C). They decided that they were no longer going to be quiet about these issues, but they needed to do so in a respectful and peaceful way. Likewise, many white citizens disagreed in the most peaceful way they thought they could. Many weren’t racist, they just believed that the government was getting too involved. In a diary entry by Gideon Welles he notes that the government’s job was to get rid of slavery, not being a liberation of a civil rights movement (Doc D). Some people weren’t ready for that even though they knew it was well
For example, after a long and hard fight, the 15th amendment was added. It guaranteed citizenship and the right to vote to blacks. This was a huge step! A.R. Waud’s illustration “The First Vote” was a beautiful visual to have people always remember that victorious day in America (Doc G). In response to that privilege being granted, there were backlashes. The KKK made sure to intimidate any and every black person they could to remind them that they still weren’t welcomed into society. However, the government came right back with the Klu Klux Klan Act of 1871. After all, they had to protect the life and property of their citizens in the best way they could (Doc H). The government and new citizens were finally beginning to cooperate