By John Holenda

America's Civil War

Background InformationEleven Southern slave states seceded from the

United States to form the Confederate States of America

Many of these states seceded due to Lincoln being elected president and the fact that he wanted to stop the spread of slavery to states that did not already use slavery

This secession led to the Civil War which was fought between the aforementioned Confederate States of America and the U.S. federal government (A.K.A. the “Union”)

The Union consisted of all the slavery-free states and five border slave states

Results of the WarDeadliest war in American history accounting for

over 620,000 soldier deaths and an undetermined amount of civilian deaths

Brought an end to slavery in the United States

Strengthened the power of the federal government

The social, political, economic, and racial issues of the war continue to this day to shape the way Americans think

Race Relations Since the Civil War

The North’s victory in the civil war did lead to the freeing of slaves, but it did not end the persecution of African Americans, especially in the South

Some examples of touchy race relations, again especially in the South deal with the Redeemers, Jim Crow laws, the Freedman’s Bureau, the Ku Klux Klan, Plessy v. Ferguson, and the American Civil Rights movement

Barn BurningBarn Burning talks about the racial and

economic inequities in the 1930’s in the Southern agricultural society

Faulkner highlights how the end of the civil war, although freeing black from slavery, did not free blacks from immense racism and inequalities

Barn Burning also talks about how the post civil war South had to deal with huge economic disparities between rich white land owners and the lower class tenant and sharecroppers of the same race.

The Redeemers

The RedeemersSouthern political group that existed during the

Reconstruction Era (years directly following the war)

This group conducted intimidation, terrorism and violence against black voters and their allies to reduce black voting

Worked to strip blacks of their ability to vote by implementing laws, such as the Jim Crow laws, that removed hundreds of thousand of voters (African Americans and poor whites) from registration

The Redeemers cont.Some examples of their “success” can be seen

by looking at registered voters in Black Belt counties in Alabama in the early 1900’s

In 1900 79,311 voters were registered compared to the 1,081 registered voters in 1903

By 1941 in Alabama it was estimated that about 600,000 whites and 500,000 African-Americans lost their voting power due to laws set up by the Redeemers

Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow LawsLocal Laws enforced primarily in the South

and in border states between 1876 and 1965

Created the phrase “separate but equal” which led to substandard treatment and accommodations for African-Americans

Created poll taxes and literacy tests as an attempt to stop African-Americans from voting

The Freedman’s Bureau

The Freedman’s BureauJust as Southern states attempted to make

the ex-slaves transition into society as difficult as possible the Freedman’s Bureau, a federal government agency tried to help this process

Created to aid slaves with health care, education, and employment

Only lasted from June 1865 to December 1868 because newly elected president Andrew Jackson disbanded it

The Freedman’s Bureau cont.Spent $17,000 to help establish homes and

distribute food, and was also involved in the establishment of 4,000 schools and 100 hospitals for former slaves

Helped reunite families

It focused its work on helping the freedmen adjust to their conditions of freedom

The Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux KlanSecret organizations that advocate white

supremecy

The first KKK arose in the turmoil after the Civil War. It utilized terrorism, violence, and lynching to intimidate and oppress African-Americans as well as Jews, Roman Catholics, and other racial and religious minorities

Its purpose was to restore white supremacy in the aftermath of the American Civil War

Plessy v. Ferguson

Plessy v. FergusonLandmark Supreme Court decision in 1896 that

upheld segregation in the United States under the doctrine of “separate but equal”

“Separate but equal” would be upheld until 1954 and the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education

Homer Plessy, the man from the case, was actually only one-eighth black and seven-eighths white and was not allowed to sit on a railroad car designated “whites only”

The American Civil Rights Movement

The American Civil Rights Movement

Lasted from 1955-1968 and focused on ending racial discrimination against African-Americans in the United States and regaining suffrage in the South

This group used many tactics at an attempt to gain respect and equality with whites including sit-ins, bus boycotts, and marches

Arguably the most famous member of this movement was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize before he was assassinated

The American Civil Rights Movement cont.

This movement has done so much for the advancement of African-Americans and for our country as a whole

It is because of this movement that many of the problems mentioned in the previous slides, such as Jim Crow laws, the Redeemers, and “separate but equal” no longer exist

Thanks to this movement race relations have improved drastically in our country and mostly through non-violent methods

Race Relations: Present DayThe U.S. has always had race issues and probably

always will, but this is a side-effect that one must expect when we can be referred to as a “melting-pot” and have also used slavery as a method of labor in our past

From a personal viewpoint I believe almost all of the problems dealing with racial relations since the Civil War have been solved or at least minimized through years of legislation and all races living amongst each other as equals. There still are and always will be groups such as the KKK that look to worsen race relations in our country, but for the most part I think our country is at a healthy stage in its history when considering the topic.

Works Cited"American Civil War." Wikipedia. 1 Aug.

2008. 3 Aug. 2008 <http://www.wikipedia.org>.

Google Images. 3 Aug. 2008 <http://www.images.google.com>.