Diversity in America from Reconstruction through the 1920s

America is greatly admired and looked upon by many due to its development, technology, modern infrastructure, political stability and many more. It’s been viewed as “the land of opportunity” because of people’s belief that any dream can be accomplished in the country and everyone is accepted irrespective of who they are, yet, America being a diverse region sheltering people from all races and walks of life, intuition is still faced especially by African Americans. Americans got their slaves from Africa for slave work in their agricultural estate and farms.

The republicans steered by Abraham Lincoln needed captivity to be barred in America but the southern states felt that ban of slavery would violate their constitutional rights and it would be a setback to their economy during the 1850s and 1860s. The civil war broke out in 1861 after President Abraham Lincoln’s appointment, when the Confederate force attacked fort Sumter in South Carolina.

The southerners feared that Lincoln would ban slavery, due to their fear it brought uncertainty and tension thus break out of civil war. In 1863, an unrestraint declaration was hand out by the head of state which ended slavery. Later on the civil war stopped in April 1865, leading to liberty of the remaining slaves and marking the beginning of the Reconstruction era. This paper discusses how the political polices and movements in the period from 1865 to the 1920s generally promoted diversity and “the melting pot” despite the strong prejudices of a few.

When the civil war came to an end, slavery was banned. Racism was discouraged and everyone had equivalent privileges and chances although the position of Negro was a challenge in rebuilding. The southerners were single-minded to keep the blacks in their place, socially, politically and economically. But, the northerners viewed this as a restoration of slavery in disguise and the first body of statutes and perhaps the harshest was passed in Mississippi in November 1865.

All freedmen, free Negroes, and mulattoes less than eighteen years within their respective counties, beats, or districts who were orphans, or whose parents declined to provide or had no resources to do so, it would be the obligation of Probate Court to apprentice said minors to some capable and right person, on such terms as the court would direct, having a precise care to the interest of said minors. It also provided that, if the apprentice had a good reason to quit his said boss the court would release said apprentice from said agreement and also enter verdict against the master or mistress for not more than $100, for the use and benefit of said apprentice, to be collected on execution.

In 1898 the Spanish-America War permitted the South to validate its loyalty and honor under fire. During the conflicts wake, and amid a state resurgence of racism that solidified reconciliation among whites stress-free, most Northerners joined in the celebration of the Confederate combatants. Robert E. Lee became a state hero, and Blue-Gray reunions deep-rooted the norths respect for its former rivals. With northern acknowledgement of southern honor and with regional confidence restored, the confederate celebration lost much of its intensity. In 1930 the Nashville agrarians sought to pledge both new south commercialism and the ills of modern industrial society by promoting an image of agrarian south, even if one that all but ignored the existence of slavery. Novelist William Faulkner, journalist W.J Cash, historian C.Vann Woodward and others viewed slavery as central to the sectional confrontation, stressed the civil wars.

It’s true to say that racism in America has greatly reduced over the years. This is because discrimination is discouraged in the constitution and if one is discriminated he/she has a right to go to court and justice will be served.

For instance, in our work place or place desired profession, the fight over racism in the past has helped all races to work freely in any work place and have the same position as long as they are qualified without fear of being discriminated, for example America had a black president.

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