The Society Changes of the United States

Have you ever thought about how much society has changed over the years for all these different people? The diversity of Americans have had a enormous amount of change over the years, from voting rights to African-American and woman's position in society African-American's place in society has changed grandually over the years. Starting on January 1, 1863 when Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamtion which states, "I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within these said designated states and are parts of states are and henceforward shall be free..." (172). During the 1870's racial segregation laws passed to separate blacks and whites in public and private areas. These laws soon came to be known as Jim Crow Laws. These laws applied to schools, hospitals, parks, and transportation systems in the South. Despite these restrictive laws, African-Americans were able to reach higher levels of education, for example, blacks founded Howard, Altana, and Fisks Universities between the years 1865 and 1868. The very first African-American, in 1895, to get a dotorate from Havard was W.E.B Du Bios. He founded the Niagara Movement, which stated, on page 285, that African-Americans should be well educated in liberal arts in result of well-educated leaders. In 1896, the Jim Crow law case reached the US Supreme Court. "Plessy v. Ferguson," on page 287 states that the public accommodations did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment and that the court decided that "separate but equal" was indeed fair. When the 1910 and 1920's came around, African-Americans decided to start moving North, which is known as the Great Migration. Hundreds of thousands of African-Americans left their homes in the South believing,"The daybreak found them gone. The wind said North." This quote was stated by Zora Neale Hurston on page 453. A little later, during the 1920's a literary movement called the Harlem Renaissance supported and celebrated the African-American culture. James Weldon Johnson stated, "Harlem is not merely a Negro colony or community, it is a city within a city, the greatest Negro city in the world..."(454). In the 1930's the New Deal opened up many opportunities and a new a activism for African-Americans. For example, Mary Mcleod Bethune was an educator who was hired by the president "to the head the Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administation"(505). Racial equality was never a full commitment for Roosevelt. Therefore African-Americans had to step up more to improve areas the New Deal failed to do. Later on, African Americans moved towards the midwest finding better jobs. "...the precentage of African Americans working in skilled or semi-skilled jobs rose from 16 to 30 percent" (592). Although all the migrating didn't change the discrimination, a civil rights leader named James Farmer founded "C.O.R.E" Congress of Racial Equality. This organization to stop urban segergation. In 1943, as stated on page 593, "The violence... revealed to many Americans -- black and white alike -- just how serious racial tension had become..." Heading into the 1950's, a court case broke out on May 17, 1954, called Brown v. Board of Education. This case regarded a little girl named Linda whom was denied a place in an all white elementray school, down the street from her house. Chief Justice Earl Warren stated, "In the field of public education, the doctrine of separate but equal has no place" (703). The next year, December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks sat in the "white" section of the bus and was arrested for refusing to move to the back of the bus. Around 1960, James Meredith won a court case which allowed him to join an all-white university. The Govenor of Mississippi refused his entrance. Riots broke out and "It took thousands of soldiers, 200 arrests and 15 hours to stop the rioters" (711). Three years later, Martin Luther King Jr. flew into Birmigram to march with a small band of marchers. Thus concluding to his arrest. While he was in there he wrote a letter expressing, "...when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize and even kill your black brothers and sisters;... then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait" (712). A new leader emerged during 1965. Malcolm X, a man whom was the complete opposite of Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X stated, "The time has come for the American Negro to fight back in self-defence whenever and wherever he is being unjustly and unlawfully attacked" (719). Soon 'black power' emerged as well as the Black Panthers, better known as a political party who fought police in the ghetto. In the year 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed. LAter on during that year, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was passed ending discrimination in housing. In the 1980's African Americans were able to get better jobs, for example: L. Douglas Wilder was the first black governor of the nation as stated on page 843. Today we have equal rights for African-Americans. The president of the United States is now and has been a black man.

Women have had a huge change over the years. Woman have been known to be name makers, not workers. When the 19th century hit, poorer woman had no choice but to start to work. They worked on farms raising livestock. They also work in the industries, for a better pay opportunity. In 1869, Susan B. Anthony and Cody Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association, stating that, "I would sooner cut off my right hand than ask the ballot for the black man and not for woman" (315). Many woman, during the war, took the place of their husband's and went to work. "They became rail-road workers, cooks, dockworkers and bricklayers." (394) They also became active in the Women's Peace Party of 1915, which Jane Addams help founded. Next came the 1920's where women embraced a new attitude, as well as new fashions. "Many young woman became more assertive in their bid for equal status with men, some began smoking cigarettes, drinking in public and talking openly about sex--"(441). Marriage was starting to be viewed more equally. But women were still made out to do housework and child-rearing. Later on in the 20's, the double standards came out, which were "a set of principles granting greater sexual freedom to men than to woman"(441). Although women's part in society hasn't made much of an effort to give women equality, things would soon change. When the 1930's came it brought along an important opportunity for woman. This opportunity was called the New Deal. Woman were now able to get government positions. For example, "Frances Perkins became America's first female cabinet member"(504). Another big event that brought in more opportunity was World War 2. Woman had a huge percent in employment gains. "Over 6 million women had entered the work force for the first time, boosting the percentage of woman in the total work force to 35 percent"(591). When the 1950's came along, Betty Friedan, a writer, who asked the question 'why wasn't she happy?' "She has a loving husband, healthy children, and a house in the suburbs...-- that was all a woman needed to be fulfilled"(776). In 1957, she made a survey for her old classmates finding out that she wasn't the only woman who has asked herself that exact same question. Woman were unhappy being just a homemaker. Something had to change. In the 1960's woman took a stand for their position in society. The movement of feminsim came out it was "the belief that woman should have economic, political, and social equality with men"(776). Although 40 percent of woman worked, they were not getting the equal pay as men were. Woman soon joined civil rights and antiwar movements because of the discrimination they felt. In 1966, Betty Fridan founded the National Organization for Woman, or in shorter terms, N.O.W.. "The time has come,"..."to confront with conorete action the conditions which now prevent women from enjoying the equality of opportunity..."(778). In 1972, Congress finally passed the E.R.A, or in other words, Equal Rights Amendment. In 1973 woman were granted the option to have an abortion during the first three months of pregenacy in the case Roe v. Wade. "By 1983 women held 13.5 percent of elected state offices as well as 24 seats in the U.S. Congress"(780). Today we have some of the most successful people that are woman. Some even work in Congress and for the goverment. Woman have obviously came a long way and have progressed a lot in society.

Voting Rights have changed for many groups over the years. In 1789 woman were not allowed to vote and in some states, if you were a man under the age of 21 you were not allowed to vote. In other states you had to be a male taxpayer. During the 1867, the Southeners made now voting restrictions; "denied legal equality to African-Americans"(287.) Poll taxes were also a factor in voting, you had to pay it before voting. The Southeners also added the grandfather clause to their voting rules. "The clause stated that even if a man failed the literacy test or could not afford the poll tax, he was still entitled to vote if he, his father, or his grandfather had been eligible to bote before January 1, 1867"(287). In 1870, African-Americans were allowed to vote when the Fifteen Admendment passed. Although the poll taxes and the literacy test kept some African-Americans from voting those were soon abolished by 1964 and 1965, with the help of the Twenty-fourth Admendment and the Voting Rights Act. In 1920, the woman suffrage act and the Nineteenth Admendment allowed woman to vote. "Four years of, ratification of the Nineteenth Admendment, in 1924, citizenship-- including the right to vote-- was extended to Native American"(105). In 1964 Fannie Lou Hamer told her story, on television, "how she was jailed for registering to vote in 1962, and how police forced other prisoners to beat her"(715). Also, during the year 1964, the Freedom Summer took place. "CORE and SNCC workers in the South began registering as many African-Americans as they could to vote."(715) In 1965 the Selma Campaign conducted a major voting right stand. "On March 21, 3,000 marchers again set out for Montgomery, this time with federal protection. Soon the number grew to an army 25,000"(716). The Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed that summer. The literacy test was abolished and it was a great victory for civil rights. In 1971, the Twenty-sixth Admendment passed the law that allowed eighteen year olds to vote. Which brings us to today, where an legal United States citizen who is at least eighteen years of age can vote. Even if you have a different skin color or a different genes, black or a woman, you may vote. In conclusion, the diversity of Americans has made a huge indent in the change of woman suffrage, racial discrimiantion, and the right to vote. Today things are made much more equal then the older days.