The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 - Assignment Example

The American Experience from 1865 to 1945 The American Civil War, despite its havoc it caused to the transportation system in the South during the war, it had led to the freedom of slaves. Slavery was legal in the Union of States of Delaware, Kentucky and Maryland to mention a few states in the South, who mostly worked in the plantations, as agriculture was the main economical activity unlike North with industries. Civil War saw most of slaves being freed from their oppression from white farmers. Slave abolition came into effect after President Abraham Lincoln issued Emancipation Proclamation, which forbade all confederate states to carry out slavery activities. Lincoln's emancipation went along with the union reconstruction after the civil war, which was the main causative Northern intervention to the South. In the reconstruction some ex-slave had opportunity of purchasing land, negotiate with landlords of working terms, have freedom of moving here and there, but despite this gained freedom, the post-war period had its problem too. With the deprived agriculture in the South, the industrial North became powerful and dominant both politically and economically. Although the North played vital role in slave freedom, the problem came in the readjustment of vanquished South and victorious North politically and economically. Reconstruction process which focused in states retuned in full status passed in four stages such as appointment of Andrew Johnson as president, Freedmen Bureau which was active in helping refugees, setting employment contract of freedmen. Thirdly, came Radical or Black Reconstruction whereby Republic coalition governed the states under President Ulysses Grant and in fourth stage Redeemer won political control in most states which made all federal troops to withdraw, hence the collapse of Republican state governments. The challenges were still there as most of black despite the grant of full citizenship were subjected into racism and segregation which led to denial to political participation. "Congressional Radicals strongly disagreed with Andrew Johnson over securing the place of African-Americans in American society." (J.W. Davidson, W.E. Gienapp, C.L. Heyrman, M.H. Lytle and M. B. Stoff, Nation of Nations, Vol I, Chapter 17, 2001). Moderate Republicans who fought for black rights were overpowered by Presidential vote in alliance with radicals. Reconstruction came to an end in 1868 after Rutherford B. Hayes elected as President who withdrew all federal troops which led to redemption of Southern states. Black Americans struggle did not end with the collapse of reconstruction, racism and white resistance took charge which led to the loss of land for some of Black American to white farmers. The vivid example is in 1878 when Benjamin Montgomery the first ex-slave to purchase land lost it to Jefferson Davis. White Southerners designed laws to keep blacks uneducated, propertyless but agricultural labouring class. Racism became rampant whereas in Jim Crow's legal codes segregate blacks from whites. The code forbade blacks from mingling with whites; furthermore, due to racism blacks could not compete and secure most jobs. The problem was aggravated by the lack of education and skills for most of black Americans and no rights to legal system. The black American struggle had undergone several obstacles and with the collapse of reconstruction, the philosophy of protecting black rights, subjected them into more racial segregations. Racial segregation did not recede, and despite the fact that male blacks were granted voting freedom, women were not allowed to do so. Blacks now were not permitted to board third class in the trains which was the main transportation after the war. Despite the good documentation of black struggle history in Nation and Nations book such events were not mentioned. Supreme Courts passed laws that made blacks to have separate accommodations and not mingle with whites accommodations and public schools for blacks and whites. Economically, some Southerners saw industrialization as a way to prosperity but the southern economy concentrated in cotton. "The shortage of credit and cash gave rise to tenantry and sharecropping. That system left most poor black and white farmers hopelessly in debt." (J.W. Davidson, W.E. Gienapp, C.L. Heyrman, M.H. Lytle and M. B. Stoff, Nation of Nations, Vol I, Chapter 17, 2001). Poverty and lack of cash also made it difficult for skilled labour to migrate to South as most of people working in agriculture lacked expertise. The documentation of black Southerners in Nation of Nations also focused on the migration of blacks to new lands in the West due to the escalated violence in the South. Writers continue to portray black Southerners struggle for the betterment in the West. Railroads which connected the region to the East and Europe made a turning point to the American urbanization; West was not left behind in the process. Blacks continue to experience racism when mingled with Hispanics, Indians and new wave of immigration from Mexico. The booming of new industrial order was largely contributed by the railroads. "The rail transportation network was just one example of the emergence of interlocking industrial systems. Improving communication, harnessing natural resources, systematizing invention, organizing large corporations, raising capital, and recruiting labor -- these systems undergirded the new industrial order." (J.W. Davidson, W.E. Gienapp, C.L. Heyrman, M.H. Lytle and M. B. Stoff, Nation of Nations, Vol I, Chapter 17, 2001). Competition took charge with the growing businesses; some of industries took horizontal approach of joining with other competitors while others took vertical ones which included consumers and all outlets of raw materials. All in all these industries needed labourers and with the freed slaves some of them who were driven by the violence, poverty or could not secure jobs were employed in these industries. The rhythm of work was set by new industrial order with focus on the high productivity. According to the Nation of Nations, working condition required people to work for 10-hours per day for 6 days per week. That became the common scenario. Strikes evoked here and there due to workers' struggle in maintaining control of their lives and their work believing in American dream of success. Blacks also found few opportunities. Here comes the negative side of blacks attitude in their working environment documented in Nation of Nations as strike breakers in their struggle for rights. In conclusion, the documentation of American history especially for the struggle of Southern blacks, not all happened has been documented. It is common knowledge about the blacks struggle for their rights but in this event in Nation of Nations, though well written, blacks have been portrayed as trouble makers. More emphasis was put in the representations of white society, their struggle in suppressing blacks and their economical development while blacks remaining as labourers. According to Nation of Nations, reconstruction of union, the philosophy that aimed at protecting black Southerners rights was documented mostly covering the white events while the whole idea was to give out the struggle of blacks. Its documentation should have covered both white and black populations, their economical and political achievements together with their downfalls but not blacks mostly. It is common phenomenon that Civil War in America succeeded in abolishing slavery in South, but the original documentation of blacks struggle for their rights was not compared to the whites achievements. While Northern were given much for their victory in the war, Southern part was portrayed much in the ethnic and racial conflicts which led to caste system took over to justify the segregation of African, Hispanic and Indians. People were portrayed with adjustment with their lives after war, the struggle which led to formation of black civil rights organisations. References: J.W. Davidson, W.E. Gienapp, C.L. Heyrman, M.H. Lytle and M. B. Stoff, Nation of Nations, Vol I, Chapter 17, 2001. History of the Southern United States, Wikipedia online encyclopedia Plessy v Fergusson (1896), Wikipedia online encyclopedia Women Suffrage, PHMC Doc Heritage www.docheritage.state.pa.us Read More