A Timeline of Racial Discrimination in the United States Essay Example
A Timeline of Racial Discrimination in the United States Essay Example

A Timeline of Racial Discrimination in the United States Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (769 words)
  • Published: May 13, 2022
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There has been a lot that has changed in the past 150 years issues concentrated around the issue of racial discrimination even though it is still a relevant topic today in the world, it has still come a very far way from 1865. Focusing on the 30 year timespan from 1865-1896 there were many laws and acts created during that time to stop the discrimination of African American people. Things that contributed to the changes that occurred during this 30 year time span are the Black codes, the civil rights act, the reconstruction act of 1867, the 14th amendment, the 15th amendment, and the Supreme Court case of Plessy vs Ferguson. These help progress the establishment of rights for African American people during the time span of 1865-1896. Starting in 1865 the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery but it never

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gave African American people any rights after they were freed so shortly after in the following years of 1866 and 1867 they were forced to sign a yearly labor contract which would keep them from running the risk of being detained or fined or even being forced to work unpaid labor. Following the abolishment of slavery in 1865 from the 13th amendment the years following the government responded with a set of laws that limited the activity of the newly freed African American people calling these laws the black codes.

The black codes were from 1865-1866 they prohibited social/racial integration and political suffrage while binding blacks to land and work. The civil rights act of 1866 granted citizenship and the same rights as white people to all males despite one's race, color, or culture. But the fourteent

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amendment ratified on July 9, 1868, and granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, which included former slaves recently freed. In addition, it forbids states from denying any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." By directly mentioning the role of the states, the 14th Amendment greatly expanded the protection of civil rights to all Americans and is cited in more litigation than any other amendment. This finally gave some rights to the recently released slaves and protection from the racial discrimination they had already faced. In the short 3 years after slavery had been abolished there were now right given to the newly freed African American people but they were still very limited in the eyes of the government until nearly 5 years after the thirteenth amendment.

In 1870 the first movement toward African Americans finally being able to vote began with the 15th amendment despite the south's attempt to make it increasingly harder for them to vote. The 15th amendment made it so that all males could vote including African American, it mentions that they could vote and not be denied because of their race, color, or previous servitude. This shows how race has affected domestic policy because the African were being denied their right to vote previously and even after the 15th amendment was passed the south still tried to stop them from being able to exercise their new right to vote. Racial discrimination was still a very big thing in public places and in society during the 1860s-1890s

the civil rights act of 1875 made it so that racial discrimination was unlawful it pushed for the equal treatment of African American in public places like hotels, movie theaters, and many other public accommodations. Stopping the racial discrimination of the blacks showed how race affect the domestic policy during the span of 1865-1896 because racial discrimination was a huge issue that was faced during this time period.

The compromise of 1876 brought an end to the radical republican era in which shortly after the federal government was quick to start making sure that blacks had basic rights. During the year of 1896 with the Supreme Court case of Plessy vs. Ferguson it established that segregation was legal but that if the blacks were to be segregated from the whites they had to have "separate but equal” public accommodations. Many of these attributed to how race was prevalent to the decisions being made in the government between the years of 1865-1896. Many of these resulted due to racial discrimination of the African American people but it also showed how race had a lot to do with the laws and acts passed by congress. This showed how race played a party in the domestic policy during the time frame of 1865-1896 even though racial discrimination is still around today even after 150 years of the abolishment of slavery in 1865 from the 13th amendment.

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