...Racism during the Civil War Racism has always been enforced, since the beginning of the world to nowadays. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, racism is defined, as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities. Racism is a specific form of prejudice, which involves prejudicial attitudes towards members of an ethnic group. Racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. Sadly, some individuals believe that another person is less human than them. Some of the most common causes of racism are skin, color, language, customs or place of birth. Racial prejudice deals with terrible and hostile pre-judgments, opinions, and actions towards a race. Moreover, racism has some devastating effects. It can destroy a person's self esteem, community cohesion and even creates divisions in society. Racism has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations and legal codes. In addition, racism has been used as a powerful weapon encouraging fear and hatred of others in times of conflict and war. For this reason, during the Civil War, a huge presence of racism existed. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest shows the different types of racism present during the Civil War. During the Civil War, Africans Americans were treated as slaves, thus people were racist against them. Although slavery was phased out of existence in the North, it was expanding on the South. The majority of the slaves worked on large cotton plantations, but many other...
Words: 1414 - Pages: 6
...In 1865, the Confederates surrendered to the Union and the North had won the Civil War. The North and South had a shaky relationship afterwards and both of them pointed fingers at each other. African Americans were now considered free because of the Emancipation Proclamation (Lincoln 1862). Abolitionists got what they wanted; to free the slaves. Amendments like the 13th AMendment illegalized slavery and non-voluntary acts (Thirteenth Amendment 1865). The years after the Civil War seemed like a time of rejoice and celebration for African Americans. All seemed well for minorities in America, but Congress and the people had a hard time deciding whether they let blacks be one par with their white counterparts, or restrict them to make whites the superior race. African Americans would often live in small makeshift homes since they were all so poor. Some people may have been homeless for years after the Civil War. Racism was also still a relevant topic and it was shown...
Words: 686 - Pages: 3
...Just after the mid 1800’s the newly unified United States was still going through the reconstruction of their nation after the civil war. While the country was coming together, questions were being raised about the revolutionary changes regarding social and constitutional ideas. A better understanding of whether there were any revolutionary changes as a result of the civil war can be gained by looking at the decisions made regarding state's power or federal power, black rights, and the untold racism at the time as a result of blacks gaining rights. On a political level a revolution occurred but because of the radical rise of racism after the civil war and even the amount of racism today, socially there is still a long way to go with the battle against racism. During and after the civil war the federal government realized it had to make a change and rule over the state governments. At the end of the secession from the north the government realized that they can not standby and watch the south become its own sovereign country...
Words: 869 - Pages: 4
...How far do you agree that the impact of the Second World War was the main reason why the position of African Americans improved in the years 1945-55? It is clear that the Second World War played a vital part in improving the lives of African Americans between 1945 and 1955. However, the impact of the war was lessened by other factors that brought about change such as the civil rights groups and President Truman. These factors were able to convert de jure change into de facto change; something the Second World Wars alone was unable to do. World War Two had a dramatic effect on civil rights for Black Americans. Over 1.2 million black men joined the U.S army during the war and the experience radicalised them. Northern blacks were often trained in rural military camps in the Southern states, this was their first experience of formal racial segregation. They were appalled to know they were fighting a racist opponent, yet being treated as a second class citizen and receiving prejudice treatment back home. Consequently, the black soldiers used the ‘Double V’ sign, which meant they were fighting for two victories: victory overseas and victory over racism at home. The war also began to change the racist attitudes of whites. The United States and her allies were fighting a racist opponent, Hitler, who passionately believed in a ‘Master race’. In the past, white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan had presented racism as something that was both natural and noble, however, the...
Words: 1431 - Pages: 6
...English 1301.63505 United States, the Home of Racism Racism is defined as discrimination or prejudice based on race. Racism is one of the main problems in the U.S because of the tragic events such as the Civil War, Holocaust, and 9/11. First was the Civil War. That was the war about slavery, and we all know that slavery is one of the biggest forms of racism known to man. It was fought between the North/Union and the South also known as Confederates. The cause of this war was slavery, which is the base of racism in this country today. The South sent ships over to Africa and brought back people to sell like they were cattle. The south thought this was ok, because they were a lesser race to the white man. The South put the African Americans to work on their farms. Not seeing that this was so wrong to the moral standard of a human being, the African Americans weren't allowed to do anything but be slaves. When the North heard of the news they tried to stop this. The south wanted no part of the North's explanation because they bought the slaves and thought the African Americans were their own property. They were so mad that they broke away from U.S and made their own thing, “The Confederate State of America”. There were many people in the south who thought the same way as the North, so the Underground Railroad was started to help the African Americans. This was a series of hiding spots for African Americans who were trying to get to the North's border so the slaves could become...
Words: 966 - Pages: 4
...find out just what equality means and to have the same rights and freedom as the white people in the nation. Whether as slaves or free people, the political and social status of African Americans has always been to obtain the ability to participate in the nation’s economy. While many historians believe that slavery and politics can be attributed to the Civil War, more than 600,000 Americans died and with the help of the Emancipation Proclamation to start the motion to free the slaves, America became even more a divided country in 1865 than the previous earlier years (Bowles, 2011). Although freedom in the post-Civil War years did not guarantee equality, African Americans continued to struggle from racism, segregation and discrimination for many years, but the birth of equality is beginning to grow and show that all men and women are created equal. The effort to integrate African Americans (ex-slaves) in the American society after the war, known as the Reconstruction Period, was a very difficult task and while the country was divided between the North and South, racism was still very much alive. The end of the Civil War was supposed to mean the end of slavery and the beginning of equal rights for all former slaves; however, plantation owners found it difficult...
Words: 3595 - Pages: 15
...Al-min, Nashid ENGLISH 096 4/24/16 If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favour freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.” Frederick Douglas said this in 1857 because of the constant struggle blacks had to face to gain their civil rights. Like many sociological ideas, racism has a familiar use and countless everyday meanings. The sociological viewpoint gives race as basically a social category and examines race relations with reference to societal constructions and development. According to Philomena Eased in her book Understanding Everyday Racism, “The specific forms racism takes are determined by the economic, political, social, and organizational conditions of society.” Many people are unaware of racism; people may ask how racism is incorporated in our lives? Why do blacks even believe that individuals are racist towards them? These are constant questions that maybe aren’t asked but definitely questioned. The answer is control. Control is the factor to racism. The more you can bring a group down and make them feel belittled, the easier it is to control them. Now let’s take a look at the history of slavery with blacks. It all started in Jamestown, Virginia which is where the first slave ships had entered in August of 1619. While blacks became upset because of being enslaved as an indentured servant they started to revolt against...
Words: 2142 - Pages: 9
...period of the Civil War, the flag of the South called the Confederate flag was a representation of a culture that the south was trying to preserve. After the war ended, with the south losing, the flag began to take on a controversial meaning due to the connection it had to slavery. The connection the Confederate flag had towards slavery in the past is why using it today, as a southern heritage symbol is controversial. Due to the nature of the meaning of the confederate flag and it connection to slavery during the civil war, its meaning becomes blurred when when it flies anywhere except a museum dedicated to the civil war. When it is displayed elsewhere, it begins to represent a reminder and celebration...
Words: 1399 - Pages: 6
...Racism in the Past The idea of racism was not really present in the Civil War era. People in the Civil War, in the South, thought slaves, mainly African Americans, were property and not people. Then the Civil Rights Movement emerged. The Civil Rights Movement was all about black equality and ending segregation. The Jim Crow laws barred them from classrooms, juries, bathrooms, theaters and even trains. In 1954, United States Supreme Court made the “separate but equal” clause that made discrimination and segregation legal, but stated that they should be treated equal, notice the word “should” be. The Civil Rights movement was lead by many people such as: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Andrew Goodman. There are many things that white people and even other races have discriminated African Americans over. Such as not having a high...
Words: 937 - Pages: 4
...When the Civil War came to a close on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Courthouse, it was obvious that making amends between the conflicting regions was going to be a difficult task. Reconstruction was a period plagued by conflict because there was no precedent or blueprints on how to deal with secession because the Founding Fathers never thought it would happen. There were several different ideas on how to go about Reconstruction, but they all conflicted with one another. I agree with these different plans by Lincoln, Johnson, and Congress to a certain extent, the Reconstruction policies were mediocre and could have been improved, Southern resistance was provoked but not justified, and lastly the most lasting impact of Reconstruction was the increase...
Words: 1423 - Pages: 6
...abolished in 1865 under the 13th amendment of the United States Constitution, there was still segregation, violent discrimination, and a multitude of other forms of racism present in the country. Due to segregation and other forms of discrimination, it was not uncommon for African Americans to form their own communities, social gatherings, art forms, and other ways of expression. Perhaps among the most important means of expression was music. Music has always been a popular and successful way to spread messages, history,...
Words: 1208 - Pages: 5
...The Role of the American Government in creating Race Wars and Racial Tension There has been a long standing history of cultural divide in this country. The United States of America was built upon this premise. Race has always been a defining factor of what position you have been placed in society. America was founded upon a revolutionary approach, and once America was conquered by Europe, they set their government up to only include Europeans. The system was developed by Anglo-Saxons as a self-serving mechanism that excluded all other races. The Native Americans experienced this first hand when their country was occupied by British, French, and Spanish crusaders. This, amongst other invasions, led to the first examples of racial wars and tension in American history. We have seen this play out throughout the generations of our ancestors, who have experienced this state of racial tension, segregation, and slave ownership on both sides of the equation. America has always had racial tension from its inception. Several Civil Wars have occurred on American soil, and race has been an issue in most of them. We have been taught in society that being a certain race can define your future and potential for success. This has been proven in every aspect of American life. The infrastructure of the United States was built by several different races, some by choice, and some through slavery, and this is the driving force behind the deep seeded tension experienced by current Americans today...
Words: 1975 - Pages: 8
...Race in the Turn of the Century America After the Civil War, America had entered the Reconstruction phase, and there were many issues within the nation that continued and further developed due simply to race. During this time, “the color line was firmly established in American culture, and there was infrequent crossing of the divide” (Bowles, 2011, section 2.3, para 17). There was unquestionable detriment to the growth of the African American community, as well as increased timidity for basic African American rights. The issues of segregation and racism that were so prominent during this era in America were one of the ways that Black Americans remained almost invisible in a white society. Despite the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves, race continued to be a problem in early twentieth century America. One of the most critical issues surrounding the further entrenchment of racial segregation within the early twentieth century was the development of policies and laws that did not follow the emancipation guidelines for ex-slaves, but instead made segregation and discrimination of African Americans more prominent. These laws were at first called the Black Codes, allowing for differences in the way that African Americans were treated both privately and publically. Even Supreme Court cases, like Plessy vs. Ferguson, further allowed for racism to be a compelling factor within the nation. This case allowed for the expansion of the Black Codes instead of abolishing...
Words: 947 - Pages: 4
...11, 2010 African Americans and Their Service African Americans have contributed to the security of this nation by serving this country in spite of the racism they faced. From the Civil War to the present war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the African American soldiers have served and broke down racial barriers in the face of adversity. This is a look at the contribution of service to this country as soldiers from 1865 to present day. During the years of the Civil War, 1861-1865, the African Americans were participating in the war whether they were freemen or slaves. In the southern states many slaves were forced to aid in the war effort by the Confederate army. On the other hand, the Northern states turn away black men at the beginning of the Civil War, but towards the end of the war the Northern army (the union) began accepting Negro soldiers into the army. “For the black soldier in the Union Army, the reason for the war was to free the slaves”, although President Lincolns effort was to save the Union. Emancipation or freedom of the slaves became a major part of the Civil War and it provided additional resources to the Union Army in the way of black soldiers (Simmonds & Carter, 2010). According to Simmonds and Carter (2010), the “Negro Soldiers” fought bravely and won praise in over 200 battles during the Civil War (Para. 4). One of the most recognized or famous black regiment was the fifty-fourth Massachusetts regiment. The fifty-fourth was established in 1863 and was...
Words: 3303 - Pages: 14
...The American way Indeed, racism has been a nuisance to American society since the formation of the nation With the exception of a few reforming nations, very few countries experience the discrepancies of a multiracial society. As a result, race in America is still an obstacle and the true definition of racism becomes increasingly difficult to fathom. In most situations, the majority view racism as negative and demeaning in societies. Today, society struggles to differentiate between discrimination and prejudice, which ultimately hinders the exact meaning of racism. In reality, social inequality still exists throughout the world and more prominently in the United States. Both systematic and individualized segregation and discrimination are aspects that suffocate our nation. These two aspects prevent our nation from moving forward as a powerful, and a prestigious nation. Americans need to grasp the definition of racism and its origin fully. Essentially, racism discrimination in America sanctions privileges and rights for White Americans not given to immigrants and non-Protestants since the 17th century to the 1960s (Blau, 2002). Additionally, the dark-skinned Africans slaves are considered different from the white land owners in America. Americans regarded them as the inferior group based on their different skin color and lack of education among other significant needs. In the 20th century, formal racism was abolished and since, racism became socially and morally...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
