African American Rights Dbq

How would it be to live in a world in which your freedom and basic unalienable rights were taken away from you based on the color of your skin? Well, sadly this was the case for African Americans during the Colonial period of America throughout Reconstruction. African Americans arrived in North colonial America in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 and were immediately labeled as indentured servants by British colonists. Throughout the years, African Americans were treated with such inequality since they were slaves. Many people were divided on the issue of slavery and it split the nation in half when the South seceded from the North because of their want for slavery.African American slaves weren’t considered citizens until during the Civil War when

Different social groups had different opinions on slavery.Some believed that African Americans should have equal rights like everyone else and others believed that they did not deserve to be considered citizens because of their background and their impact on helping the economy. In document A it tells the story of two sisters who were kidnapped and put into slavery and were not given the chance to fend for themselves because they were not considered as American citizens, “without giving us time to cry out or make resistance… ran off with us…After many days of traveling during which I had often changed masters…”(Document A). By this excerpt from the document it gives an example of how African Americans were forced into slavery and were taken from their families often. Meanwhile, as slaves were being put into slavery against their will, there was a division in the country based on the topic of slavery, this included Abolitionists and Anti-Abolitionists. People who did not believe in slavery and fought for the freedom of African American slaves were called Abolitionists, which were mostly Northerners and people against this were called Anti-Abolitionists, which were Southerners. With this disputation came much hostility between whites and African Americans. In document D it shows the conflict which was something that happened often. In the picture it shows white and African American men trying to

African Americans are still unfairly treated in our society today which is sad to know. Today, there are still people who believe that certain race groups don’t deserve the equal rights like of the white race. During slavery, African Americans were considered as property and not a person as they should be and were forced into unpaid labor and faced much hatred from white people. But, thankfully to the Constitution, African Americans were granted with rights that many never could have ever believed was possible based on the background of the United States. So therefore, politically slaves were most impacted because they were lawfully considered citizens and were given the chance to live their lives freely as a human being should be able to. Although they were impacted socially and economically, they would have never been legible to legally be there own person without being punished and being put to unjust trials. When we look back on history, we can see how far we have came and how much we have developed as a nation as a whole, but there is still a long road we have to face. We have to look back and forgive, but not forget and learn from the mistakes to make us stronger for the future, and it all begins with us coming together as