American History since 1865 - Admission/Application Essay Example

American history since 1865 The last half of the 1800s was in deed characterized by intense conflict among the various races and ethnic groups in the country. Each of the groups fought over meanings of citizenship and races. Key among the basic courses of the conflict was slavery. Slavery defined the position of the African Americans among other minority groups in the country. Low pay jobs and low status jobs were left for the African American among other minority groups because the immigrants were typically unskilled, illiterate and very poor (Viault 67).

White Americans could not accept the immigrants as they saw them as violent, non- white and doomed to poverty and could therefore not belong to their social class. The White Americans considered the natives as nonwhites and of another race due to some of the physical features that they possessed. Half of the 1800 Americans were already considering the story of evolution therefore branded the natives according to physical features that they possessed calling them apelike. Only the white Americans were citizens and could take part in constitutional and democratic processes.

Blacks and other minority groups had to abide by the laws. The Black American women and other native women were only to do household chores and take care of the white Americans families as the native men worked in farms undergoing hard labor and harsh working conditions.The African American and other immigrants had to secure their place in the society by forming civil society groups and holding demonstrations, they made the white Americans know that they were tired of the oppression and unequal treatment.

The civil society groups and demonstrations that they held helped them secure their place in the society and soon enough they could take part in political activities, be leaders and even conduct businesses with the White Americans.Work citedViault, Birdsall S. American History Since 1865. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993. Print.