The Legislations of the State - Essay Example

Legacies James McPherson was an active and outspoken American activist on current issues. He was a civil war historian who researched and wrote widely about the American civil war. The American civil war took place from 1861 to 1865 in the United States of America. The war was also known as the “War between the States”. Eleven slave states from the south disassociated themselves from the United States. They formed a union called the ‘Confederacy’ which was headed by Jefferson Davis. The Confederacy struggled to remain independent. It wanted to free itself from the United States. This led to a bloody war between these two parties for four years. The Confederacy was disadvantaged in this war. This is because the U.S. government had support from twenty five free states from the north and the borders. They had a tremendously strong population base that helped them to defeat the Confederacy. Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Party was against the promotion of slavery into other states that it never existed. The Republicans were victorious in their campaigns. This led seven states to declare secession from the U.S. federal government. These states united and formed the Confederacy States of America in 1860. The war began in 1861 after a U.S. military base was attacked by Confederate forces. The U.S. federal government called on other states to volunteer their armies to fight back. Both parties formed strong armies that fought against each other. There was a bloody war for four years (the American civil war). After the war, slavery was brought to an end. Slaves from the border and other Confederate slaves were freed by the state. There were numerous and tireless efforts to reconstruct the U.S. All in all, many historians today are of the opinion that the reconstruction was never a success. It was a complete failure because many issues still remain unresolved. One key issue is that the slavery reoccurred. The slaves who had been freed had their brief moment of freedom but, they were later taken back to slavery. Slave trade began to make its way back to the nation. Another issue is that there was the lack of a permanent and strong government agency which was supposed to enforce civil rights. Such an agency was never created by the government. The decisions made by the Supreme Court under Morris R. Waite dismantled civil rights legislations that previously existed. Racial discrimination was also not adequately addressed. According to Washington Booker, the Black leader, the state failed to ensure racial democracy. The issue of building economic infrastructures of the black community was never addressed. The resistance of the whites towards the Northern and the black people still existed. A group of scholars from Columbia University termed the reconstruction of America as a war between two extreme parties. These two parties were the Democrats and the Republicans. Majority of the Democrats were white. They supported racial supremacy and the formation of a decent government. The republicans were mostly Negroes who believed in alien ideals and a dishonest government. The reconstruction process was viewed as a selfish attempt by certain individuals to enrich and benefit themselves. The rights of African-Americans were still being suppressed and violated. The blacks were not accorded leadership opportunities. They were viewed as not being capable of governing. The whites still fought to restore their supremacy. Legislations that favored the white elites were passed. They barred most blacks and poor whites from voting. For decades, millions of people were affected by these actions even into the 20th century. The poor whites and African-Americans were locked out of the political process. African-Americans were underrepresented and considered to be second-class citizens. Their schools and services were grossly underfunded and segregated. There were also social services specifically for the whites and others for the blacks. The legislations of the state were also biased as they favored the whites. The power of whites from the south was taken away from them. The political rights of blacks were still being violated. The freed slaves were not given land to resettle them. They lacked the power to be economically stable and independent. The state was unable to suppress the violence towards the southern white. It was unable to fully eliminate racial discrimination. After the civil war in America, we have noted that there have been many attempts to reconstruct the continent. Despite all these, we still see that many issues were not adequately dealt with. The state and people still have a lot to do to ensure that there is complete healing and restoration. Today, I still feel that there are numerous issues that have not been adequately addressed and resolved. There is still a lot to be desired in regard to reconstructing America. One key issue is that racial discrimination is still rife in America. There is a silent tension between blacks and whites. People prefer not to be vocal about this issue but it still exists. There are serious racial divisions between races. There exists a silent hatred in the hearts of people towards different races from theirs. This is evident in people’s utterances and statements in regard to race. Some whites publicly condemn and talk ill of blacks and vice versa. Both races are still in a silent battle for supremacy. Each race wants to dominate the other. This issue has never been adequately resolved. I also feel that slavery still exists to a certain extent. The only difference from the slavery that existed then and the one that exists now is that contemporary slavery has taken a different form. The slavery that exists today is not as open and wide spread as the ancient slavery but it still exists. It has taken the form of discrimination in employment and other life opportunities. Certain races are being discriminated against when considering persons for employment and promotion. Certain people are associated with doing certain derogatory jobs while prestigious jobs are left to a certain class of people. Residential areas are also a brilliant example in relation to modern slavery. Certain races live in posh areas while others live in the projects. It was a historical moment in America a few years ago when Americans elected their first black president, Barrack Obama. Such positions have only been a preserve of a few. Over the years, America has only had whites for presidents. The controversies and mixed feelings that were sparked by Obama vying for presidency go a long way in proving that there are still some unresolved issues up to date. He had to convince the majority that they should vote for him. Despite his efforts, many whites still voted for other candidates. The African Americans voted overwhelmingly for him because they considered him one of their own. Since the war, the incensed passions and pains were not dealt with. They were just reduced and merely addressed to encourage people to live and coexist peacefully. Issues such as slavery are thorny very many generations later. Repatriated slaves feel that more can be done for them as payment for the painful experiences that they went through. Work cited McPherson, J.M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Read More