African Americans in the Gilded Age | BRI’s Homework Help Series
The first in our new Institute of History Series of Homework Help videos provides a general overview of the experience of African Americans during the pivotal years of the Gilded Age, from the 1860s to the early 1900s. Despite the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution after the Civil War, which abolished slavery and granted citizenship and voting rights to African American men, millions of African Americans across the nation still faced an uphill struggle for equality and civil rights. Political disenfranchisement was widespread and segregation in the form of "Jim Crow" laws affected nearly every facet of public and private life in the South. Many African Americans migrated from the South to the North and West during this period. This era also saw the rise of dozens of notable African American civil rights leaders including Ida B. Wells, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Groups like the N.A.AC.P. were also established during this period to fight for the expansion of liberty and equality for African Americans.
0:11 Imagine being enslaved and not having your freedom. Scary thought, isn’t it? Now imagine being granted your freedom and still being grossly mistreated by society. This was the harsh reality for African Americans during the era known as the Gilded Age. On December 18, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery,
0:35 a monumental end to a shameful institution in American history. The 13th amendment was the first of three ratified during America’s reconstruction era. And boy, did we sure need them. The 14th amendment in 1868 granted citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws for African Americans.
0:55 The 15th amendment came next in 1870 and gave them the right to vote. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 would soon follow. Okay, America, we’re finally getting somewhere, right? Granting equality to citizens, making up for all that gross unspeakable horror. Well, not really. In the aftermath of the Civil War, let’s just say a lot of white people
1:17 weren’t too happy to see former slaves have their freedom. In fact, many problems arose due to segregation. This applied virtually to every aspect of life, from schools to jobs to living spaces. Pretty rough. It gets more frustrating when you realize that segregation’s goal was to bring harmony among society.
1:39 Excuse me. That’s not how this works. Just imagine all your friends you’ve made in class who look different than you. Gone. Neighbors who look different than you. You would have never known them. Teachers coworkers? Don’t think so. There were racist hiring practices galore from owners of farms to labor unions.
2:01 How are you supposed to make money if they won’t even let you work? Now tell me that isn’t one giant bowl of wrong. Speaking of wrong, there’s the Jim Crow laws. These disgusting laws extended to public facilities, schools, and even the armed services. Yes, you could serve your country,
2:22 just not alongside those with a different skin color than your own. But it didn’t end there. Voting taxes and literacy tests were created, and many African Americans weren’t even able to vote. This is worse than rigging a class election. This was for public office. If they didn’t follow Jim Crow laws, there were grave consequences.
2:43 Lynchings were a horrifyingly common occurrence. Race riots were sprouting in both the south and the north. Is this really what freedom looks like? Even when things are bleak, never give up. African Americans showed tremendous heart and fought back. There was Ida B. Wells. Wells caused a stir after she
3:03 refused to change her seat on a train because it was reserved for a white woman. She was like Rosa Parks even before Rosa Parks did her thing. Can you imagine the looks on those people’s faces? There was also the great Frederick Douglads. After escaping slavery in Maryland, Douglass became one of America’s finest writers and orators.
3:24 His work is still read in school to this day. Another major leader during this time was Booker T. Washington. Washington promoted racial equality since patience and accommodation and valued the character virtues of hard work, thrift and self respect. Another leader was W. E. B. Du Bois. Dubois believed African Americans should fight for political and civil equality
3:49 and use education to lift up other members of the race. These two men had different methods as to how to help their people. But one striking similarity was their passion. Eventually, in 1909, Du Bois came together with others to form the NAACP, which stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
4:10 Many African Americans and realized that maybe the south wasn’t the right place for them. Can you blame them? If you were taking this sort of treatment at school day after day, would you want to stay? I know. I sure wouldn’t. A few million up and move from the south to the Northeast, Midwest and west. This came to be known as the Great Migration.
4:32 Got to give them major props. They resisted segregation and continued to fight for liberty and equality. Even if you aren’t an African American, their spirit and determination can serve as an inspiration. So remember how lucky we are for these brave Americans and that those in the past weren’t so fortunate. And even though they’re still an uphill
4:53 battle when it comes to civil rights, stay strong and be kind to one another.