His Essay

Midterm 2

In the American history, women and African-Americans never stop fighting for freedom and equality. Because of the gender and race that not determined by them, they forced to live under discrimination, neglect, and even persecution for African-Americans. Women and African-Americans used the power of solidarity and politics to fight for their constitutional rights and the inequality of the education, jobs, and legal identity although they have counter ideas within the group. However, the African-Americans experienced more brutal and bloody treatment. The wars also provided opportunity for both women and African-Americans to make new progress.

Women and African-Americans experienced the inequality of constitutional rights, both of them united their companions together to fight for their rights. After American revolution, women lose the right to vote. In the same time, women did not have the chance to pursuit higher education, the income by working and the legal identity as men. In 1848, Carrie Chapman lead the National Women Suffrage Association to convince state by state and city by city to give women the right to vote. But women were thought emotional and incapable so it did not work. In 1913, Alice Paul formed National Women’s party, from Elsie Hill ‘s quote in document #2, this party indicates “the removal of all forms of the subjection of women” (Document #2). Because Alice Paul grew in Quaker family that believes in women’s equality and participation, and also she was inspired by England Women Suffrage when she studied in England, she decided to back American and use the same militant strategies that she saw in England. The progressive women focused on Washington DC to put pressure on congress in order to force the national government pass the law of land that women have the right to vote. In 1913, as the picture of document #4 shows, National Women’s Party conduct the largest women protest in Washington DC. They have the parade route, silent play, banners, shows and costumes to send the message that it is a positive thing to give women the right to vote because women are capable and they deserve the liberty and equality. About 80,000 women participants join in front of the constitutional hall. The protest got the public attention successfully. Until the 1920, 19th Amendment finally give women the right to vote. But it is only the beginning for women to pursuit the equality.

Although the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendment were passed to free the African-Americans and give them right to vote and live equality, they still lived with inequality and discrimination. The 13th Amendment abandon the slavery but except the punishment for crime. The southerns used convict leasing to put African-American in jail and rehire them as cheap labor to work for the railroad company and agriculture. So southern landowners created sharecropping that is a system of labor based on debt. African-Americans grow and pick cottons to pay the debt of land, expenses of food to the southern landowners. But the bank system did not give the loan to African-Americans on time so they can’t start without buying the seeds and tools. The late start due to the bank system and the inflated cost, they were easily failed to pay the debt that was legally bound with contract. White people in south also created the unequal law as vagrancy, pig law to criminalize African-American. In 1880s, twenty percent of African-American died in the jail. They were trapped without calling slavery. Moreover, Under the discrimination of segregation and Jim Crow, the 14th Amendment can’t protect African-American. In the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896, the supreme court said that the congress has no power to outlaw racial discrimination by individual or organization so the segregation became the land of law. Lastly, the 15th Amendment did not give African-American the right to vote in reality. The voter suppression through violence, poll tax and complex literacy test in 1875 and the Grandfather Law in 1890s decreased 90 percent of African-American vote.

Different with the struggle of Women, the government barely supported and protected African-Americans so they not only experienced inequality, they were also be terrorized and killed in a brutal way. During 1889-1932, about 3,7050 people were lynched the most of them are African-American. Southerns skipped all the testification and trails to lynch the African-Americans who were accused rape white women. Additionally, Thomas Moss opened a black grocery store with his friends successfully, so the white owner was angry. He lynched Thomas Moss and his friends. White people not only criminalize African-American, they also reinforce white supremacy to prevent the success of African-American. They attracted people come to south by lynching African-American. African-Americans sacrificed their life in the lynching and riots to bear the cruel treatment and fight for civil rights.

War was the crucial chance and the turning point for Women and African-American to get equality of jobs, education and civil rights. During the World War II, 6 millions women reenter the workplace. They even became nurses, soldiers, and trunk drivers to serve in military. After the World War II, more and more men get education so they shift from blue-collar to white- collar. The gap of workplaces gave women chance to fulfil. And also the women were settled down to have children by the encouragement from government. More and more women had a job in manufacturing and school. Women’s self-awareness was growing due to the progress that they already made. In the supreme court case of Roe VS. Wade that shows in the picture of Norma McCorvey and attorney Gloria Allred from Document #1, Roe can’t have abortion in Texas because women only can abort whether was raped or endangers. The success of the establishment of trimester framework of abortion gave women the right to control reproduction and childbearing that represents the right to privacy and reinforce the 14th Amendment of equal protection. The war created opportunities, stimulated economics and promoted the progress of the women’s fighting.

During World War I, about 37,0000 African-Americans join the military and fight for democracy as segregated army. They served bravely and were viewed as liberator and allies in Europe. They also attended in World War II to fight against Nazi for racism. The wars empowered African-Americans to fight democracy and racism also for themselves. Moreover, the wars provide the opportunity for African-Americans to leave south. During 1914-1970, about 7 millions African-Americans migrate outside south since the start of WWI. To against the segregation and unfair treatment from government, more than a quarter of a million of people participate the protest in Washington DC. They wanted to put pressure on congress to pass the civil rights bill that stop the segregation and inequality of the access to job as the Slogan that shows from the document #6. Different groups of young active people, older folks who believe in the legal strategy and some people between all showed up for The March on Washington in August 28, 1963. The March on Washington represents the apex of civil rights movement that fight for the “constitutional and God given rights” that “waited for more than 340 years” as Martin Luther King wrote (document #7). They gathered together to fight for the equal access of business, jobs, educations, housing and freedom.

Both of the women and African-Americans, there are counter argument and ideology within the groups. For instance, the biggest opposed voice from Anti-Suffragists is the white women who is rich and privileged. In 1911, Josephine Dodge establish the National Association Opposed to Women Suffrage and spread the idea that it is dangerous to give women the right to vote is dangerous through the public campaign. The pamphlet and postcards show that women don’t want the right to vote; they are too busy to have the time to vote; and they don’t have the capacity to vote. Because Anti-Suffragists had the rising of momentum, the National American Women Suffrage Association lose the support. Another pair of counter argument is between Betty Friedan and Phyllis Schlafly. Betty Friedan is an educated and talented women. She is a good writer but she chose to settle sown as the government and cultural told. But she felt unsatisfied so she conducted surveys and found that she was not the only one. In 1963, she published her work of Feminine Mystique to argue that society has inequality which prevent women feel fulfillment. She led social movement and created NOW to advocate legislation for laws to ensure equal right and opportunity for women as the privilege that men had. So they revised ERA and try to pressure congress to pass it. On the contrary, Phillis Schlaflly disagree with Betty Friedan strongly. She believes that “women’s libbers are radicals who are waging a total assault on the family, on marriage, and on children” (Document #3). All the social movements were unpatriotic because they don’t accept the traditional American cultural and gender roles. She advocates the true purpose of life for women is caring children. ERA will take the privilege that women had before and eliminate the sex distance. Because she shifted the ERA to a gender issue and moral issue, the ERA became the national debate in 1972-1982. Phillis Schlaflly won the debate so ERA did not pass. The counter argument became the setback for women fighting to equality and freedom.

There are different ideologies between Booker T Washington, WED Bios and Philip Randolph. Booker T Washington is the most influential leader for African-Americans in the late 1900s. He opened the biggest university in Alabama to teach the African-Americans skills trade that can support them live in new industrialize society. He was invited to the White House and have dinner with president. It is a sign of respect. For his reputation in front of the whites, he secretly hire people to do the things that oppose whites. He believes that African-Americans should be responsible to everything, hard work, get education and live in moral life. These good qualities will earned respect and equality from whites so they can get the freedom. However, W.E. B Du Bois disagree with Booker T Washington. He is the first African-Americans finish the PhD, so he is educated. He is the middle class from north. He thinks hard work and responsibility are not enough to achieve the equality. When they have the economy success, the white resentment can lead to violence and terror. So he believes that African-Americans should use 14th and 15th Amendment and the law to protect themselves and fight for the citizen rights. Differently, Philip Randolph was the leader of the largest black labor union. He believes that these are not race problem because white people also have labors struggle. The structural flaw with the capitalist system cause the poverty and lack access of education. The solution is integration. The different ideologies and solutions show that African-Americans are active to fight for themselves. Also the progress had conflicts between themselves.

The gender problem and racism are important in the American history because they are two groups of people who fight for their civil rights and equality in the land of freedom bravely. Their existing achievements are the progress of American’s democracy and justice. Both of them didn’t get the absolute fairness yet, so they are still on the way.