Slavery to Freedom

Slavery to Freedom

Deborah Pool

HIS 204 American History from 1865 to Present, End of Isolation

March 19, 2012

Professor Joshua Ozymy

Slavery to Freedom

The desire for freedom did not come without a price. Protest, violence, and death were among this desire. From the enslavement of black people in the United States through the fight for freedom, and achieving equal rights among all men led the people through many historical events. Wars were fought for reunification amongst the states, protests, marches, legislation was needed, and prominent leaders were born to end the isolation of blacks through equality.

Such laws existed in the mid 1600 hundreds in Virginia declaring that a child born of a slave is a slave themselves, the death of a slave due to resisting his master could not be charged with his death, and a Negro who carried a weapon would receive the end of a whip. In mid-1700 in South Carolina any person not of the white race was considered a slave; slaves needed written permission to travel. (Encyclopedia.com, 1997). Slaves did not have any freedom and their lives were dictated at all times. These laws and many others in this country isolated the Negros. From1775 through 1865 a series of events began the path to end their isolation.

The beginning of freedom came in 1775 when Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, a governor from Virginia, gave freedom to slaves under the condition they would join the rebels in his army. (Mintz, 2003). After the Independence War in 1783 black loyalists along with thousands of slaves fled to British forces where they were employed as laborers and gave them a sense of freedom. (Land, 2005). In 1808 President Jefferson signed a bill that prohibited additional slaves from entering the United States. This did not stop slavery in the U.S. In 1830 the first Negro convention was held in Philadelphia PA. These conventions would continue over the next several decades branching out into several others. Their plight was "the hopelessness of contending against oppression in the United States". (PBS Online, nd). The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, President Lincoln did not grant freedom to the slaves instead it created an avenue to make this a reality. The loyal slave states did not adhere to this proclamation leading to a war for final resolution. This is known as the Civil War and was fought between 1861 through 1865. (Bowles, 2010). When the war ended the Confederates surrendered, slaves were freed, and the reconstruction began.

The 13th Amendment passed in 1865 banned slavery across the United States. This new found freedom did not come with citizenship or voting rights, demonstrating they were still repressed although freed. This lead to the 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all the Negros born in the U.S. allowing them Due Process and equal protection under the law. Although now considered citizens of the United States the 14th Amendment did not grant the right to vote. The 15th amendment gave all Negros the right to vote, including former slaves. In some states they were not granted their legal right so a Right to Vote Act was passed in 1965 abolishing requirements of literacy and poll taxes in the South, liberating the Negros further. The amendments to the Constitution and voting privileges were essential in the reunification of the United States. Richard Curry (1968) wrote "During the reconstruction the U.S. did not allow for an economic basis for Negro freedom or guarantee legal or political rights." There was still much needed to completely liberate the Negros and the Civil Rights Act in 1875 was brought to congress.

The Negros still did not have the right to enter white establishments, use the same fountain, bathroom, and transportation keeping them isolated. In response to this discrimination the third Civil Rights Act that was presented to congress. Congress passed this act in 1875 granting Negros the right to public conveyances, ability to enter establishments such as theater, hotels, public schools, and cemeteries without discrimination. (Murphy, 1927). In the course of WW I and WW II progress was made towards equal rights.

During WWI the Negro soldiers that were segregated and mistreated during the war gathered in protest against racial inequality. After the war it sparked the black community into sudden activity in achieving a true democratic society in the U.S. Many Negros moved to the north hoping to find a better social and employment opportunities. The NAACP supported their efforts demanding that military segregation be abolished. During WWII some progress was made for equality even though segregation was still an issue. The progress that was made was the first black pilots trained for the army Air Force. (Bowles, 2010). Another success they accomplished it when Philip Randolph prepaid a march on Washington. Before the march accrued an agreement was made and Roosevelt enacted executive order 8002 mandating that equal opportunities in working for the defense industry or the government itself. (Harris, 1979). The Progressive movement during The Civil Rights Act and the Right Act spawned a new Organization called NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Colored People).

The NAACP stood for equal right between the races and was able to change their approach to encompass social, political, and economic need spawning many great leaders and successes. As during the Great Depression and the New Deal they successfully altered their practice of finances without straying from their goal. (Meier, & Bracey, Jr, 1993). Important successes that they have had were the Civil Rights Act, Fair Housing Act, and Voting Rights Act. One well known association of the NAACP is Martin Luther King Jr. He was President of the Southern Christian Leadership conference (SCLC). The members of the SCLC wanted to gather as many black as they could in the south to increase the numbers of voting blacks. Martin Luther King Jr. was also a part of the sit-in movements, freedom riders, the famous rally in Washington, and his position with Vietnam War. The NAACP, SCLC, and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) had the same goal of equal rights for their people and they demonstrated this with the march on Washington. Each group in their own rite had a significant part in achieving this.

In 1963 the march on Washington was an historic event lead by three national organizations. The NAACP, CORE, and SCLS gathered 250,000 black Americans and joined together at the Lincoln Monument. This protest was because of the slow pace of