Race Relations from Reconstruction through WWI
The reconstruction process beginning in 1865 brought on new race relations in America that would change the lives of every American. After the Civil War, newly freed slaves faced many challenges. Whites, especially in the South regarded blacks as inferior more than ever. While blacks were trying to move on and support their families outside the plantation that they were used to, Whites were engineering new ways to keep blacks as second class citizens. Sharecropping, which emerged as the dominant form of working the land, allowed freedom from white supervision and control but curtailed blacks from becoming wealthy and from owning land. Black Codes were supposed to give “persons of color” their freedom in a constitutional form. The real purpose, however, was to restrict the freedom of the black labor force and keep freed people as close to slave status as possible. These codes stated that although persons of color do have some rights such as the right to own land, make contracts, and to sue and be sued, they are not entitled to social or political equality with white persons. The codes were outrageous, actually stating that if a “person of color” makes a contract for service or labor, they shall be known as servants, and tho
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Some common words found in the essay are:
African Americans, African American, Black Codes, Civil War, Rights Act, Progressive Era, Dawes Act, Du Bois, Exclusion Act, Severalty Act, african americans, civil rights, african american, congress passed, indian peoples, race relations, black codes, persons color, 14th amendment, civil war, african americans congress, african american troops, ku klux klan, congress passed indian, civil rights act,
Approximate Word count = 1964
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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