From Slavery to Segregation

In early American History slavery oppressed black people.

After the American Revolution, all citizens were given the enjoyment of legally protected rights. All apart from slaves as they were not classed as citizens.

The North had abolished slavery and disliked the idea, however, the South believed it was a good thing for the rich people as the slaves were doing the difficult or undesirable jobs.

Slavery was one of the main reasons as to why the civil war started the North didn't agree with the South. The North won and declared the Emancipation act in 1962, this made slavery illegal throughout America.

Over the next 25 years they attempted to make the Southern side more fairer to everyone living there. They made two more constitutuional amendments:

- 14th Amendment; Citizenship rights to those that were born in the US.

- 15th Amendment; Gave all Citizens voting rights.

However, the southern states found a way of supressing the black community legally.

'Jim Crow' Laws.

A legal way of segregation, which denied access to public facilities, such as; restaurants, education, transport etc.

'Segregated Heart.'

This was the attitude of the mind, the unspoken rules of how different races treated each other; in public, in mind, passing one another, opinions etc.

Voting Rights.

Literacy tests and the Grandfather clause, (if your grandfather could vote, you can,) were put in place to make it much harder for black people to vote in the Southern States. This was not illegal in the constitution.

'Good, old-time *****.'

This was a stereotype of how the white people believed to see the black people. This was that rich people depended on the black people to do domestic work in the homes and towards the children. Some, on the other hand, still saw them as the inferior race.

Ku Klux Klan.

This Klan believed that they served and defended the white race. Many of those who were part of the klan were of priority occupation; police, politicians, judges etc. Their job was to target the black people who disrespected white people, their main punishment was lynching.