The Union victory in the Civil War officially abolished slavery in the United States. Despite the
termination of slavery, the African Americans fought a battle for equality throughout the next century. The racist Southern
Democrats, led by the Redeemers, implemented Jim Crow Laws to disfranchise the African Americans. The oppressive nature of
segregation which the African Americans endured, developed over the Reconstruction era, and the wartime period, yet slowly
began to diminish through the confident years.
At the closure of the Civil War, harsh congressional debate arose over
the legal status of African Americans. The radical Republicans from the North pushed for extreme civil rights measures, whereas
the Southern Democrats fought all possible advances. The African Americans won a major legal battle in 1870. The ratification
of the 15th amendment to the Constitution gave all males suffrage regardless of race or color. The Jim Crow Laws were enacted
in the South to counter the legal rights of African Americans, and virtually hinder their legal rights. Southern congressmen
ratified the grandfather clause, poll taxes, and literacy tests. These requirements disbarred many African Americans who either
could not pay the poll tax, or who were not literate. The Jim Crow Laws during Reconstruction was the main source of disfranchisement
for the African American race. In correlation with the Jim Crow Laws, black codes were erected in many southern states. The
black codes banned free African Americans from owning property, marriage, or testifying in court. Although many African Americans
were not guaranteed their rights, Reconstruction was a time where the Southern African Americans attempted to overthrow the
south. They were successful in some aspects, as they were able to win elected seats; however the terror of the Ku Klux Klan
and racist southerners quickly instilled fear into black voters, and were able to regain control of the South (Daniels). The
early struggle for equality was met with vigilant resistance. Southern Democrats despised the abolition of slavery, and as
a result were able to find loopholes in the law to legally discriminate against the African American race. Despite the ratification
of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, the Caucasian majority was still able to control the inferior African Americans. All
males were legally able to vote by 1870, however the laws in many southern states contradicted the Constitutional Amendment.
The African Americans were legally able to vote, however due to voting restrictions such as the poll taxes, and increased
terror by the KKK, many black voters were not able to fulfill their obligations as citizens. The period of Reconstruction
was a step forward however in the legal battle for equality among African Americans.
As tensions mounted in Europe, and the Great War was on the brink, American involvement would serve
as an impactful stepping stone for African Americans. In 1917 President Wilson convinced Congress to declare war on Germany,
officially entering American into World War I. The wartime period was crucial for the African Americans to gain ground on
the home front. Many African Americans did contribute to the American cause, with over 380,000 troops, however they were placed
in segregated regiments. The African American leaders entertained different opinions on African American involvement in the
war. W.E.B. Dubois supported his fellow African Americans, because he believed that even though blacks and whites had their
disagreements, in time of war both needed to join together in the fight for democracy. Other black leaders despised the thought
of African American support, because they were essentially fighting for a freedom which they did not themselves enjoy. Both
World War I and World War II were a time of advancement for the African American race. The rate of immigration to America
had slowed dramatically due to the unrest abroad. As a result the need for African American labor expanded throughout the
entire country. Through the Great Migration, thousands of African Americans left behind the Jim Crow Laws of the south, to
seek opportunity in the north. The Great Migration was the largest internal migration in American history. The migration also
gave the African Americans a voice. The Harlem Renaissance was a time where the Jazz Age of African Americans intertwined
with the white culture, which brought the country together (Schur). The wartime period in America was a time of national unity.
The focus abroad allowed for African Americans to promote themselves on the home front. Many served in the armed forces, however
they were racially segregated. The racism of America still prevailed throughout the two world wars, and blacks and whites
remained separate, however through the wars, African Americans were able to define their identity. Through the Jazz Age and
the Harlem Renaissance, African Americans successfully developed a culture that was integrated into mainstream America, long
before the integration of African American citizens.
As tensions calmed in Europe, the United States was able to focus
on domestic issues throughout the confident years. The confident years was the time in which African American leaders such
as Martin Luther King Jr, and Thurgood Marshall emerged to generate true equality for their fellow African Americans. The
influential court case of Brown v. Board of Education was the first step to desegregation. In the case, the Supreme Court
ruled that the Plessy v. Ferguson case of 1896, which set the doctrine of “separate but equal,” was unconstitutional.
Thurgood Marshall led the NAACP in the fight against school segregation. The Brown decision in 1954 effectively ended segregation
in the public school systems (Brown Foundation). The next step of success for the African Americans came in 1964 with the
Civil Rights Act. The Act ended segregation in all public accommodations, which forced integration of races throughout the
United States. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 gave African Americans equal protection under the law, a right which they never
before enjoyed. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was in correlation with the Civil Rights Act. The Voting Act banned unequal
voting requirements that previously prohibited African Americans from voting. The Act did not however bar literacy tests,
which were often used to infringe African American voting rights (Dirksen). Through the confident years, African Americans
were able to perceiver through centuries of wrongdoing by the white Americans. With the Civil Rights laws of the 1960’s,
the African Americans were able to gain the rights delegated to them in the United States Constitution. Throughout America,
African Americans rejoiced, however although they were legally equal, racial unrest still remained among the greater society.
Nonetheless the Brown case, along with the Civil Rights Acts was yet another increment to full equality in America.
The struggle of African Americans to achieve equality in
America was an enduring feat. Immediately after the Civil War African Americans won elections in the south, however the Redeemers
soon retaliated. The institution of Jim Crow Laws during Reconstruction disfranchised the African Americans. Throughout the
wartime era however, African Americans were able to develop their own culture in the Jazz Age and Great Migration, which was
a monumental step forward. African Americans continued to protest the unequal morals of America, and as a result finally achieved
the equal status they deserved with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Works Cited
“Case Summary.”
Brown vs. Board of Education. Apr. 2004. Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research. 25 May 2009 .
Daniels, R. “The African American Ballot as a Weapon of Struggle.” Black Collegian
Winter 1991: 168-170.
“Major Features of the Civil Rights Act.” Congress Link. 2006. The Dirksen Congressional
Center. 24 May 2009 .
Schur, John. The Constitution
Community: Modern America. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 200. p 5-18.
