Reconstruction period
Reconstruction period is the period that followed the American Civil War. During this period, efforts were towards the ending of slavery, secession, and the inclusion of segregated races into the American community. Reconstruction was geared towards the achievement of equity and interracial democracy that was lacking at the time. These efforts followed the civil war in an attempt to address the economic, social, and political inequities perpetrated by slavery and white supremacy. It is, however, evident that although the reconstruction was successful in ending slavery and spearheading the inclusion of segregated communities, the racial mentality remained and has been carried on through the generations. Racial bias still exists in both subtle and open forms, which brings to question the actual success of the reconstruction effort.
Achievements
At the very beginning of the reconstruction period, the 13th Amendment of the constitution saw the abolishment of slavery. The southern states, some of which were still rejoining America after secession, were still undergoing servitude, especially in cotton farms. After the assassination of President Lincoln, who saw to the Amendment, his Vice President continued his work by requiring the southern states to vow loyalty and abolish slavery before being readmitted into America. The move successfully ended both the secession of the southern states and the age of slavery. The freed slaves were allowed a limited number of civil rights that enabled them to work, earn a living, own property, amongst others.. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The 14th Amendment soon followed that allowed more liberties, including citizenship, to the freed slaves. They were allowed equal treatment to any other American, under law, which included the right to vote and vie for political positions. This saw African-Americans, as they came to be known, participate in activities on different levels of government. They were allowed to attend school after the government-funded the building of education centers that were open to them. Soon after, African-Americans were able to have social gatherings, including a church, family communities, and other related functions. By the beginning of the 20th century, African-Americans were able to fully take advantage of the 13th and 14th amendments to become a legally recognized and independent society.
Failures
While the reconstruction, the end of secession, and the constitutional amendments brought certain levels of civil liberties to the African-American community, a lot of ground remained uncovered. There still existed a mindset of the supremacy of white people over the former slave community. So, even though the law demanded equal treatment of all Americans, radical Republican governments were reluctant to enact the legislation. The move brought about unprecedented oppression to the community that already had to fight so many wars to be seen and treated as equals. The former slaves had to fight in courts to be allowed to practice their rights, most of which were gazette but still denied to them by the very authorities that should have been enforcing them.
The resulting racial bias was a national phenomenon, evidenced by the low concern of the welfare of the newly freed slaves. While the Northerners went ahead to seek development channels that led to economic and industrial expansion, few people paid notice to the plight of the south. The bias with which the blacks were treated resulted in a situation where they felt still enslaved even though they were free. Every right provided for by the law had to be yet contended for, even though it was theirs. It was not unheard of for the same people who are tasked to uphold the law used it to infringe upon the rights accorded to the new citizens.
Jim Crow Laws
Many laws were enacted that encouraged racial segregation of people, mostly targeting the black community but also including other races that together were termed as ‘colored’. Jim Crow Laws described such laws and included small derogatory gestures such as having different waiting bays for whites and people of color in public transport stations. The precedence set by such laws instilled a mentality in the people and successive generations of the time that being of white skin color made one superior to any other person of color. Automatic bias was assigned to services from the government to restaurants against people of color and for the benefit of white people. The blatant bias would carry down to successive generations, creating an inescapable situation where racial segregation becomes a subconscious setting in an incredibly multicultural country.
Racial Legacies
Although the written law protected people of color from such oppression and allowed them equal rights to all opportunities presented to them for being American, people of color were still being treated as subordinate to the white people. The bias was evident in the choices of employment opportunities that were made available to people of color. A black person, for example, would rarely be considered for leadership positions. People of color were dismissed into menial jobs, manual labor, none of which was permanent or offered a sustainable wage. Some employers were empathetic. Most, however, still worked people of color with a distinct ‘slavery mentality’. Protests were met with penalties, both legal and otherwise, that ensured that people of color did not voice their objections if they wished to maintain an income.
Over the generations, the term ‘American’ became a default adjective to refer to white Americans. Any other American not of white descent earned themselves a prefix before their American identity. The prefixes, which are still in use today, are a testament of a legacy of segregation that still carries to date, to a level of being acceptable. It is not common, probably even unheard of, to hear people referred to as ‘White-Americans’. But, African-Americans, Native-Americans, Mexican-Americans are terms that have acceptably been used in day to day language. The bias against color is still subtly present, hidden under the guise of paying homage to one’s heritage. This is even though most people described as so have generations of their families living in America.
The master narrative is a legacy born out of racial discrimination that is still in action today. The master narrative displays a single perspective that of the white community, through which all other people in America are expected to view themselves. For this reason, history taught in class is biased against the many cultures represented in the American people and only seems to focus on the origins of the white people. While there is nothing wrong with studying white history, America is made up of more than white people, which makes a conglomeration of multicultural history studies a better lens through which students should view their history. The master narrative has contributed to mindsets that people are only now becoming aware of after experiencing the effects of such limiting views.
A Different Mirror
In his book titled ‘A Different Mirror’, Ronald Takaki brings to focus the subconscious bias that some Americans are subjected to. While riding in a cab, Takaki, an American citizen by birth, experiences firsthand the fact that since he does not ‘look like an American’, he probably is a guest. The notion that there is a certain way that Americans should look, and that those who do not conform to this standard are somehow substandard, is a testament of the master narrative that has carried forward through generations from the reconstruction era. The US history studied in schools had failed to embrace the multicultural society that America is, and has instead brought forth the bias the default setting for Americanness is white.
From a Native Daughter
Haunani – Kay Trask describes the sad distinction between the two lenses she viewed her culture through. On one end, her parents described the richness of her roots and the virtues that were important to them. On the other end, the view she got from the education system painted her culture in a very negative light. Seeing as she spent most of her time in school than at home as she grew up, the dire view presented at school took precedence. It was only in later years of her school life that she saw how biased the American education system was against any other culture that wasn’t white. She extends her argument to show how much erosion of culture results from an education system that does not embrace multiculturalism.
Conclusion
Racism is a present problem that has deep roots in history. Studying American history in view of other cultures sheds light on the richness of American culture and history. It equally shows the denial in the past that gave birth to a bias against color that is sadly still in existence today. The reconstruction period had undeniable successes that laid the foundation for the liberties experienced by all Americans today. However, a sense of denial carried forth by some of the nation’s founding fathers still has its effect today. Many Americans can attest to experiencing one form of bias or another, most of which are deeply rooted to the extent of being ‘normal’. However, to truly embrace the beauty of cultural diversity that makes up the American people today, many changes still have to be effected.
References
Takaki, R. (2012). A Different Mirror. La Vergne: EBookIt.com.
Trask, H.-K. (2005). From a native daughter: Colonialism and sovereignty in Hawai’i. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
Lecture Notes
Thompson, L. (2002). The Imperial Republic: A Comparison of the Insular Territories under US Dominion after 1898. Pacific Historical Review, 71(4), 535–574. doi: 10.1525/phr.2002.71.4.535
America’s Forgotten History Of Mexican-American ‘Repatriation’. (2015, September 10). Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2015/09/10/439114563/americas-forgotten-history-of-mexican-american-repatriation