To what extent had the lives of African Americans in the USA changed by 1945?
From the late 1800’s to early 1945, the lives of African Americans both in the Northern and Southern states had improved but only to a minor extent. America in the 1800’s, was a country riddled with hypocrisy when it came to the treatment of black people, particularly in the South. The notion of the founding principals of America were that “all [people are] born with the same unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” however, this was far from reality.
There were some significant political improvements from 1863-1870 following the the Emancipation Proclamation declared by President Lincoln in 1863. Also, African Americans were granted citizenship and the right to vote as a result of the 14th and 15th amendments. However, with a society inundated by Jim Crow Laws – which enforced segregation – ex-slaves were far from liberated.
Within the Southern States such as Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina, white supremacy had been entrenched and southern racists were able to devise ways of oppressing black people, irrespective of the Federal law. A specific example of this is the Plessy v. Ferguson case (1896) which stated that segregation was constitutional according to the principal of 'separate but equal'. As justifiable as it may have seemed, segregation resulted in inferior educational and public facilities for black Americans which inevitably, caused an increase in discrimination from white Americans.
Despite the overwhelming political opposition demonstrated towards African Americans, there were organisations that assisted African Americans. The growth of the National association for the advancement of coloured people (N.A.A.C.P) was an organisation that greatly improved African American lives in the 1940's. However, it took a long time for the effects of