Treatment toward African Americans

The Treatment of African Americans prior to reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement was incredibly harsh. Slavery was brutal and inhumane, but as time passes life got a little better.

There was a brief time period of Reconstruction from around 1861- 1865 where a series of amendments were issued  in order to create a bit of equalty between African Americans and white people. Now of course they still were not equal to white people, but it treated blacks more as people rather than property.  Also, Lincoln proposed an Emancipation Proclamation which also assisted the african americans.

During the time of Reconstruction the blacks may not have been treated equal but once the Emancipation Proclatmation was out in 1863, it issued that the slaves were free in the southern states at war with the north. But this doesn't mean that white people didnt think that they were greater, so respect-wise toward the slaves, they were lookd down upon as walking property.

In 1865 the 13th amendment was ratified, it outlawed slavery in the United States of America. So no longer did the black people have to participate int he U.S as property/slaves. In 1868, just a short 3 years later the 14th amendment was ratified. The 14th amendment granted the African Americans cizitenship. So now that the black people are not longer property they are treated as humans in the United States, therefore granted citizenship. Then, 2 short years later the 15th amendment was granted. The 15th amendment allows blacks to vote and be elected into state congress. So blacks are now treated as people during reconstruction. These amendments and such are ratified give African Americans freedoms.

The Civil Rights Movement was around Martin Luther King Jr's era. During this time Afraican Americans were Americans like everyone else, but they were not respected like everybody else. There was a lot of segregation. For example black people were no long treated like slaves but more like somthing lower on the food chain. White people were considered greater and better than all blacks.

There were different bathrooms, a bathroom for white people and a bathroom for black people. It was common for people of different races to not interact with eachother. The Afrian Americans always got the lower end of things. It was unfair but atleast they were not slaves.

African Americans could get jobs and do just about anything that white people could do. There were designated places for each type of person. White or black. So in conclusion, the treatment toward blacks was never equal to the white people. The black people deserve respect for having to go through what they did. Even amendments can not hold back peoples attitude towrds black people. Skin color should not determine how much repsect someone gets.


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