When Were Blacks Truly Freed From Slavery
The end of the Civil War, and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation should have meant that African Americans, who had long toiled under the rule of slave owners, would finally be treated as equals. The renowned words of our founding fathers- “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”- would finally become a reality. This nevertheless, was far from the case. Paradoxically, after the Civil War, and the supposed end of slavery, African Americans and other people of color were not truly free.
After the abolishment of slavery, African Americans were not compensated for …show more content…
What was the point of freeing the slaves, if they were only to be forced back into the life they had just fought so hard to escape? Those who used to be enslaved deserved every ounce of freedom, yet they continued to be used for work, as if they had not been free at all. In the article, “When Were Blacks Truly Freed From Slavery”, the text states, “But for some, their cheers were short-lived. Thanks to the South's lucrative prison labor system and a deceptive practice called debt peonage, a kind of neo-slavery continued for some blacks long into the 1940s.” (Hillary Crosley 2012)Why was nothing done about this? Why were these African Americans never truly given their freedom that had long been fought for? Although the Civil War ended, slaves were still not free. They could not use their freedom, for they were always being taken advantage of. In addition to this, slaves were also blackmailed into debt and more work. “Elsewhere, whites fabricated debt owed by blacks, forcing them into peonage and trading years of free work for their freedom, a practice that spread across the Bible Belt.”(Hillary Crosley 2012) Even after many were freed, they were still treated as slaves. This second piece of evidence shows that they were manipulated to be forced back into a life of slavery and endless work for no pay. African Americans were undeniably not free after the end of
After the abolishment of slavery, African Americans were not compensated for …show more content…
What was the point of freeing the slaves, if they were only to be forced back into the life they had just fought so hard to escape? Those who used to be enslaved deserved every ounce of freedom, yet they continued to be used for work, as if they had not been free at all. In the article, “When Were Blacks Truly Freed From Slavery”, the text states, “But for some, their cheers were short-lived. Thanks to the South's lucrative prison labor system and a deceptive practice called debt peonage, a kind of neo-slavery continued for some blacks long into the 1940s.” (Hillary Crosley 2012)Why was nothing done about this? Why were these African Americans never truly given their freedom that had long been fought for? Although the Civil War ended, slaves were still not free. They could not use their freedom, for they were always being taken advantage of. In addition to this, slaves were also blackmailed into debt and more work. “Elsewhere, whites fabricated debt owed by blacks, forcing them into peonage and trading years of free work for their freedom, a practice that spread across the Bible Belt.”(Hillary Crosley 2012) Even after many were freed, they were still treated as slaves. This second piece of evidence shows that they were manipulated to be forced back into a life of slavery and endless work for no pay. African Americans were undeniably not free after the end of