...shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” (Becker, 1999) This was easily the most significant turning point in the era of Reconstruction. In today's society all races are integrated, this is what creates the American culture. In 2008, all races came together to shatter more than two hundred years of history by electing Barrack Obama, the first African American President of the United States. President Obama put the sentiments of this history making night in to words by stating “Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans have sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of red states and blue states,” he said. “We have been and always will be the United States of America.” (Johnson, Nove) This is a testament to the end of slavery and the profound impact it has had on our country. President Lincoln was shot April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, he died the following morning. President Lincoln was a stanch supporter of abolishing slavery and issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, this was the first official document that ordered the freeing of slaves. (Proquest, 2010) This was two and a half years before June 19, 1865, also known as...
Words: 792 - Pages: 4
...background or race every expected the election of an African American as President of the United States to occur in their lifetime. Nevertheless, it became a reality and in great part the following events, conditions and situations that took place between 1900 and the year of 2000 created a social political and economic environment that allowed this historical event to take place. First of all, the American people shared the same value system regardless of their race. After the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, the attitudes of the people evolved from privilege being reserved for whites only to a quest for the survival of humankind. There was a marked growth in the black middle class with the inception of the Harlem Renaissance which brought about the perception that African Americans had value in that they could entertain and were skilled at it. Another factor that was conducive to the outcome was the fact that racism began to decline and younger generations were much less racist than their parents and grandparents were. This evolution of attitudes towards African Americans brought about an awareness and testament to the world to what African Americans had to offer largely in part to the post civil war era whereby African Americans were progressive and they were interested in educating themselves after the end of slavery. Another event that moved us closer to the election of an African American President was the initiatives of Reverend Jesse Jackson who saw that opportunity...
Words: 846 - Pages: 4
...The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law on August 6, 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson. This act outlawed the discriminatory voting practices that Southern states implemented after the Civil war. (ourdocuments.gov n.d.) The Act was provisioned to include the requirement of government officials to manage elections and voter registration in areas that previously discriminated against African Americans during elections. Immediately after this act was sign into law, significant impact could be seen, African American voter registration rates soared in most southern states. “By the end of 1965 a quarter of a million new black voters had been registered.” (ourdocuments.gov n.d.) Prior to the Voting Rights Act, less than 7% of eligible African Americans were registered to vote in Mississippi and only 20 % in Alabama. Toward the end of 1966, the percentage of registered African Americans voters was raised to 60% in Mississippi and 50% in Alabama, other southern states showed significant improvement as well. In recent years, the number of African Americans registered to vote have increased by more than 70% since the 1960’s, mainly in southern states. (Grofman 1994) Since Democrats did not welcome African Americans before 1924, African Americans tended to vote the Republican ticket. With increasing political power, the political views were starting to shift in the direction of the Democratic Party. The Presidential Election of 1968 was the first Presidential Election following...
Words: 312 - Pages: 2
...Timeline Part II Major Event/Epoch in American History | Time Period/Date(s) | Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History | 1) The evolution of the institution of slavery from the Colonial Period to the 1860s. | 1860-1865 | To the southern colonist, slavery became profitable after the cotton gin was invented. The cotton gin helped produce a large cash flow along with manual labor jobs. Prior to the cotton gin slave trade was done most by the New England colonies, this was called “Triangle Trade”. (www.civilwarhome.com) | 2) The socio-cultural impact of the abolitionist movement including: a) The effect of Uncle Tom’s Cabin b) The Kansas-Nebraska Act c) The Compromise of 1850 d) The Underground Railroad | 1800-1870 | In the middle colonies the abolitionism began early. Most people in Pennsylvania were against slavery due to a moral stand, while the upper and middle colonies did not contribute to the slave market. While on the other hand in the south the use of slaves continued to thrive for labor plantations as well as creating a group in which the poorest of whites could turn their noses up at. A small group of religious and moral causes began the Abolition Movement. Nevertheless they took to the north as a political group with federal powers. In the 1800’s efforts were curved too avoid the issues of slavery altogether such as Henry Clay’s compromises attempting to delay conflict, which quickly deteriorated after his...
Words: 895 - Pages: 4
...Famous Thinkers PHL/458 14 April 2014 Instructor: Wendy Rusnock Twentieth Century Thinkers Beginning in the early 1900’s at the turn of the century, was a time of change, brilliance, dedication, and new-found technology. From quill pens to ink pens, horse and carriages to the earliest motor vehicles, the segregation of Blacks and Whites to the Civil Rights movement, handwriting important information on tablets to storing important information in a computers; the Twentieth Century saw a tremendous amount of positive contributions to society. Some contributions made in the last century are often over-looked and taken for granted. North Americans in particular have become a bit spoiled with all that is “just there.” What we have forgotten, and often needs reiterated is that without the integrity and dedication found in the creative minds of the Twentieth Century, the United States would be living as if it were still 1901 rather than 2011. This for many today would be considered the dark ages. There are various individuals that are responsible for the growth during this time period. Two of the most influential, though each had separate goals, were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bill Gates. Both individuals contributed a great amount and may have gone down in history as having changed the way the world thinks and worked personally, socially, and politically. Martin Luther King Jr. was arguably one of the most influential civil rights activists and speakers of the century...
Words: 1081 - Pages: 5
...through the Civil Rights era. This paper will focus on a couple of examples of the government expansion and the affects that these particular examples had in influencing the political, social and economic structures. The Civil War Reconstruction era necessitated an extraordinary expansion of the roles and responsibilities of the central government. The civil War resulted in the implementation of amendments Thirteenth, Fourteen, and Fifteen of the Constitution. These amendments created a new federal aspect of citizenship for all, and sought to guarantee universal male suffrage. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery for the entire nation (which, until then had been a state issue). The Fourteenth Amendment reversed the decision that black people could not be citizens, by declaring that any person born in the United States was a citizen. The Fifteenth Amendment carries on from the Fourteenth by saying that states can't deny citizens voting rights on the grounds of race or having once been a slave. Once the constitution had been amended, the United States had to make sure that the new laws were protected and enforced, supporting the new powers of the national government. Which was a daunting task because these amendments changed our nation’s entire social structure which in turn changed the political and economic structures. By abolishing slavery and granting citizenship to all freed men meant that the crop producing southern states of the now had no one to work their fields...
Words: 649 - Pages: 3
...Introduction In any nation state, internal and external policies are closely related to the country’s own traditional social culture and reflect the country’s own cultural values. The United States is a society of religions, a vast field of religious identities and conceptions, a sea of swirling religious currents. Religions legitimate the existing social system, institutions and values to a certain extent. They also provide a means to contend with and change the system; they are at once conservative and liberal. They motivate people to do things, to change the world in many ways. It might be said that the ultimate purpose and effect of religion is to take humans and their cultures to the “Ultimate”. (Eller, p 330) Owing to the importance of religion in America’s national identity, which is largely shaped by American core cultural values and "mainstream religions", these attitudes and traditions have played an important role in American social life, thus religious power naturally has penetrated into politics and foreign policy decisions more regularly in America than in other countries. Religious values are the sources of American “exceptionalism” and “messianism”. (Xie, p 39) After the Cold War¹, it became evident that religion was a key factor in many conflicts, including Bosnia, Rwanda, and Afghanistan. However, the ¹ “Cold War”: the state of hostility that existed between the Soviet bloc countries and the Western powers from 1945 to...
Words: 1177 - Pages: 5
...regarded as the start of civil rights movements. It has been argued that during this period, civil rights movements had made progress, having an enormous impact, bringing tangible changes to the African-American community. To assess how far the progress had been made, it is important to take into consideration how it affected the Black community in America between 1945-1955. First of all, it is undeniable that during the 1945-155 period, there was a degree of support from the Federal Government. One of the most significant government supports was from Predisent Truman, who made several attempts to call for changes and racial equality to African-American community since he was horrified by attacks on black servicemen from Second World War. In September 1946, he created a civil rights committee with liberal members, whose reports would draw attention to unacceptable situations, to investigate on the racial problems. In October 1947, the committee gave Truman their report, which was entitled as “To Secure These Rights”, saying that the USA could not claim to lead the free world while black were not equal. It advocated eliminating segregation from US life by using federal power, recommending immediate action to remedy existing racial matters. The report was revolutionary in a country where relationship between Whites and Blacks was still tense. To make these recommendations more widespread, Truman continued calling for changes in his “State of the Union addresses” in 1947 and 1948...
Words: 1389 - Pages: 6
...Era was very crucial in the transformation of civil liberties that are enforced today. The New Deal (1933-1939), known for its lasting program of the Social Security Act of 1935, is still taking care of the elder and the disabled. Grand Expectations (1945-1974) was a period of optimism. African Americans finally began to realize many of the deferred dreams left over from decades of Reconstruction from the Civil War, the country was economically prosperous and social reforms promised an even better future. The Reagan Era (1981-1989) known for a restored and regenerated confidence in the nation; brought a positive economic outlook for some, but economic despair for others. And lastly the 21st Century, which along with an African American President, women have made huge gains in politics and in equalities. Now we will proceed to explore these events and discover some of the developments that helped create history throughout the years. United...
Words: 1981 - Pages: 8
...This essay will compare and contrast the thoughts of two great activists for women’s rights, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Their perspectives on women, class, and race were in opposition to one another, yet they both share some common views on white male dominance of 19th century America. Status of Women in the 19th Century The industrialization of the 19th century brought change to the world of women. One significant impact during this time was the formation of socioeconomic classes. The distinction was made between the middle class, the working class and much poorer classes. Regardless of social class, women's focus on spousal relationships, childrearing, personal fulfillment, and relationships with other women was affected by 19th century change. Industrialization left women in control of the domestic domain, thus affecting her role as a woman (Woloch, (2002) p72). The power and responsibility that came along with this new status would be dictated by the middle-class lifestyle. Unfortunately this new focus was not easily attained by working class women. "Most women, moreover, were only remote beneficiaries of or untouched by the social changes being affected by the Industrial Revolution. “ In rural areas, on farms North and South, and on the frontier, traditional ways of life persisted (Woloch, (2002) p72)." Generally, women and children continued to be part of the "family labor force" under the authority of the male head of household. The new sphere...
Words: 1962 - Pages: 8
...means that people are tired of the old way of doing governing countries like in the case of 1984. Winston experiences difficult time in dealing with government that exercises total control. Although he is not happy with the government, he has no choice. This form of government exercises total authority over her citizens. This is evident when the author says, “Party’s parading of political enemies through public squares is a demonstration of psychological manipulation” (Orwell 25). This shows the mindset of people who are supposed to act the way government demands. In today’s world the case is different. Democracy has taken over in many countries. Countries that have enjoyed political stability can appreciate the importance of democracy. Electing leaders by using ballot papers is to guarantee rule of law and democracy in these countries. This is done by simply marking against the name of the preferred candidate. In addition, the election process should be conducted without fear of victimization or intimidation and...
Words: 1809 - Pages: 8
...● 01. 6 generalizations about institutions 1. People use institutions to serve specific ends. 2. They divide labor .3. Institutions save everyone's time and energy; in technical language, they reduce transaction costs. 4. Institutions exist independently of the particular people participating in them. 5. Institutions distribute authority. More power inheres in some roles than in others. 6. Participants will attempt to adapt it to their own purposes; but they are difficult to change. ● 02.How do institutions check tyranny? - checks and balances:Social pluralism, we divide government up between three institutions with all the same amount of power, ● 03.Why are institutions difficult to change? Path dependency: reliance on experience, constrained by status quo; solutions based on familiar institutions. Some participants are content with current arrangements and not willing to change. ● 04.Framers consciously designed a set of institutions for making it possible to do politics of this kind. The point is to design a set of institutions that control the effects of factions--by setting them against one another, but dividing authority among institutions ● Problems with the Articles of confederation No ability to tax , No central currency, No way to negotiate treaties ,No executive capacity, difficult to maintain public order, nation security. ● 06.Deals addressed by the constitution Path dependency: reliance on experience, constrained by status quo; solutions based on familiar...
Words: 7682 - Pages: 31
...are currently in domicile and assuring voting contributions on the ability to speak on the issues and distresses. Observing at other countries for potential solutions to the problem can be one riposte for the United States voting delinquent. Using tads and shards can support with altering he existing classification that does not work. Without transformation, the voting contribution will endure to diminish. The history behind the voting in America helps wonder why this pass civil liberty has fallen to many Americans waist side in today’s world. As America was still an assortment of British colonies, voting was extremely restricted. the only properly owning white men were able to vote which left out women, poor white men, slaves and free black, native Americans and in some cities, Jews and even Catholics. It stewed depressed to white protestant men choosing supplementary wealthy white protestant men to office. As the congress of that time...
Words: 5750 - Pages: 23
...Last name 1 First name Last name Instructor's Name Course Number 15 February 2016 SECTION 1 Describe the economic, social and political importance of water in the historical narrative from 1500 through the 1790's. Introduction The use of water in the history of the United States impacted the everyday life of the various inhabitants presents during the vast period from early 16 century to the 1790's. Before the colonist and settlers ever migrated to this region, the natives who were the Indians were able to grow a few crops and conduct regular fishing as part of their diet. Upon the arrival of the white people, they were able to trade with them in exchange for their products like kitchenware and clothes. They were able to live sustainably because they understood the climate and the weather pattern having lived here for longer. Without their help, the immigrants would found the land very tough to inhabit and possibly they might have turn back away discouraged. Water is essential in every part of the human life, for example, cooking, cleaning, growth of crops and animal rearing. As it shapes individual livelihood, so does it shape families and communities. The white people who had experienced civilization centuries earlier were able to expel forcefully the natives and begin massively controlling the land all the way from the coast to the inland. The presence of good harbors and ports contributed to the influx of foreigners while the good productive land and adequate rainfall provided...
Words: 4483 - Pages: 18
...English legal charter, the Magna Carta of 1215. 2. How are civil liberties different from civil rights? 73 - Civil liberties may be distinguished from civil rights (sometimes called equal rights), which refer to rights that members of various groups (racial, ethnic, sexual, and so on) have to equal treatment by government under the law and equal access to society’s opportunities. 3. What were the Alien and Sedition Acts and were editors if newspapers actually jailed? 74 - Alien Act, which authorized the president to deport from the United States all aliens suspected of “treasonable or secret” inclinations; the Alien Enemies Act, which allowed the president during wartime to arrest aliens subject to an enemy power; and the Sedition Act, which criminalized the publication of materials that brought the U.S. government into “disrepute.” Yes 4. What is the Patriot Act and what is “Gitmo”? How did Obama alter US policy? 75 - USA Patriot Act, authorizing President Bush to take numerous steps to prosecute the war, including giving the federal government broad new powers to detain suspects without hearings at the Guantanamo Military Base in Cuba and elsewhere. Guantanamo Military Base. Obama did halt the...
Words: 10537 - Pages: 43