Introduction
After slavery was abolished in 1865, African Americans were supposed to be seen as equals and have the same rights as white Americans. However African Americans were continued to be seen as inferior to white people and faced discrimination daily. They were denied their civil rights due to many factors. The purpose of this essay is to determine what the most important factor was in stopping black Americans from gaining their civil rights before 1941. This essay will examine the role of the Ku Klux Klan, the Jim Crow laws, the Lack of Federal support and the voting restrictions that were placed upon blacks.
The role of the Ku Klux Klan
The fist factor that was important in stopping black Americans from gaining their civil rights before 1941 …show more content…
By 1870 the KKK extended into almost every southern state. Black Americans in the southern states constantly lived in fear of being lynched. Lynching was when a black person was tortured, mutilated and murdered by a white mob. The KKK would lynch any black American trying to better themselves or improve their situation because they didn’t want any black to become more powerful than a white person in any way. This led to many black Americans continuing to work on farms or other low paid jobs in fear of being lynched. They didn’t want to draw attention to themselves and become a victim of the KKK. This is important because this resulted in many black Americans not fighting for their rights. They did not try to fight the Jim Crow Laws or voting restrictions as a result of fear of the KKK. This is reflected in the quote “Blacks who tried to vote or gain an education were subjected to name calling, bullying and beatings from white people who supported the aims of the Ku Klux Klan.” (www.historyonthenet.com). Many members of the KKK were policemen, judges, lawyers or other important figures. This meant it was very rare that a member