Americas Historical Development during Gilded Age Essay Example

should look at the historical origins of these ideologies or frameworks. Many of our American or Western thoughts and ideas regarding race and ethnicity originate from particular moments in history set apart by immigration, colonialism and different other tides that shifted demographics and populations. With such intermixing and changes of various ethnicities and races, dominant groups rose to control and applied influence over others by controlling and occupying the language, rituals, landscape and rituals. In these historical illustrations that are varied, the white group accomplished predominance, while the subordinate groups (e.g. ethnic minorities) were relegated to the political, social, and economical margins.

Racial and ethnic identity is basic parts of the general system of individual and general character. For some particularly visible and legitimately defined minority populations in the United States, ethnic and racial identity is revealed in extremely conscious ways. This manifestation is activated most regularly by two conflicting cultural influences and social (Betancourt 627). To start with, profound conscious submersion into cultural customs and values through neighborhood, familial, religious, and educational groups imparts a positive sense of ethnic identity and certainty or confidence. Second, and interestingly, people frequently should channel ethnic personality through negative treatment and media messages that is received from others due to their race and ethnicity.

In 1860’s African Americans faced challenges to preserving their dignity and freedom. The overwhelming blacks lived in the south where post-reconstruction government of south tried to adopt different techniques in order to keep blacks from exercising their voting rights. In the 1890s, white southerners additionally forced lawfully sanctioned racial segregation/isolation on the area's black people. The African Americans through these new statutes commonly referred to as

Jim Crow laws were denied to enjoy equal access to facilities that were public and also ensured that blacks lived separated from whites.

The political landscape was outstanding in that regardless of some corruption, turnout was high and elections saw two equally coordinated parties. The predominant issues were cultural (particularly with respect to restriction, ethnic or social groups and education), and economic (money supply and tariffs and cash supply)

Individuals from subordinate groups generally and historically have been victims of racism, segregation, mistreatment, and oppression. Racism can exist on two levels—interpersonal (between individuals) or institutional (inserted in institutions, for example, the law enforcement, government, religion, education, and also media industries). A long history of segregation in the United States, affected access to public services including transportation, education, and also water fountains and businesses of private sector, for example, entertainment venues, restaurants. Such unfair perspectives additionally have affected the voting rights, job opportunities, and wages of other non-white individuals.

Racial and cultural groups contributed to American historical development as it contributed to segregation that gave several African Americans chances or opportunities and enabled them to build their own particular churches, control their own businesses, build up their own particular schools staffed by teachers who were black, and frame their own particular civic associations and friendly organizations. Though segregation was harsh/cruel and unequal, fostered a sense of black community, advanced a rising middle class, as well as contributed towards creating social networks that upgraded racial pride. Established in 1898, the North Carolina Life Insurance Company, which is one of the main and leading black operated and black owned businesses, had employed very many African Americans in sales and managerial positions.

Proper funeral was ensured to the members by the burial societies.

In the South Black Disfranchisement, 1889-1908 After Reconstruction, the voters who were black decided to pose a threat to the ruling democrats through infrequently joining with outsider insurgents (Gordon 960). In order to repel these difficulties or challenges, Democratic Party pioneers tried to make racial appeals geared towards dividing the blacks and the poor whites. Mostly in the 1890s and mid twentieth century, white pioneers/leaders tried to succeed in disfranchising the black voters (and several poor whites), basically by adopting literacy requirements and poll tax (Trachtenberg 287). A certain percentage of blacks from the South did not accept Jim Crow and migrated to the North, where the blacks could exercise their voting rights, segregation was not very strictly enforced and more job opportunities were open to them. Additionally, ethnic case studies have shown the increasing diversity within the Blacks (the broadly defined and categorized census) and the whites.

Attacks on racial value and traditional culture were contested. Amid this era when traditional economic values were overturned by technological innovations, when social behavior modes were in a condition of flux, and when racial domination or white supremacy went under assault, it is not shocking that several segments of the population opposed these progressions. They rallied around racial and ethnic purity, family values, and Protestant fundamentalism, older and established America defenders attempted to move back the tide of innovation and modernity.

Racial, cultural, ethnic and social groups contributed towards the Americas historical development during this era. At the end of the era, blacks had been recognized and were allowed to exercise their voting rights, segregation on basis of race,

culture or ethnicity reduced.

Work Cited

1. Wonham, Henry B. Playing the Races: Ethnic Caricature and American Literary Realism. Oxford University Press, 2004.
2. Trachtenberg, Alan. The incorporation of America: Culture and society in the gilded age. Macmillan, 2007.
3. Betancourt, Hector, and Steven R. López. "The study of culture, ethnicity, and race in American psychology." American Psychologist 48.6 (1993): 629.
4. Gordon, Milton Myron. Assimilation in American life: The role of race, religion, and national origins. Oxford University Press on Demand, 1964.