Racism in American History Post 1865

American History Post 1865: Race
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American History Post 1865: Race
Before coming to this class, I had the perception that after the world war, the civil rights movement gained their freedom, and it was easier to end racial discrimination, considering past events. However, after attending the class, I learned that racial discrimination is deeply rooted in our History, and no matter the efforts in place to end racial discrimination, structural and institutional racism still exist. I will apply what I have learned in class to create more awareness of racism, women's rights, and equality in society. In this paper, I will discuss how I view racism in American history post-1865.
Race is the physical characteristics of an individual that are interpreted or read by other people culturally to represent a particular meaning. The meaning can be good or bad, depending on the user's intention. For instance, individuals can be caucasian, Hispanic, black, or Asian-American, depending on their originality. Essentially, race played a significant role in the making of the American dream and as a country. Historically, race presented power and dynamics of economics, social situations, and politics. Further, before the civil war, power was divided among the powerful elite and the government. The powerful and the elite, mostly white supremacists, used African-Americans as commodities which were traded to provide labor in their plantations and households. Men and strong women performed the hard labor while weaker women took care of the white royalists' households.
Additionally, before the world war, Asian Americans and Black Americans were viewed as commodities by the whites and were traded freely among the elite white Americans to work on their plantations.. They provided cheap labor and faced harsh working conditions and discrimination against white Americans. Further, the family was considered to be a source of strength, which angered the slave masters. They worked hard to separate the families, which gave birth to resistance and rebellion. Further, they were subjected to hard labor and considered possessions rather than humans with rights which aggravated the rebellion.[Matthew Frye Jacobson, “Becoming Caucasian: Vicissitudes of Whiteness in American Politics and Culture,” Identities 8, no. 1 (2001): pp. 83-104, https://doi.org/10.1080/1070289x.2001.9962685.]
Importantly, decades after the civil rights war movement in 1865, racism took another direction and mode. Women played a significant role in the ending of slavery and exploitation. Women provided an industrial labor force and worked under harsh conditions, which were compensated with higher wages. However, the mistreatment in their workplace made them organize protests and strikes. In addition, women did not have the right to own properties and possessions in the 1800s. Having money gave them power within themselves, which resulted in a first-ever strike in the United States. The mill girls and male employees refused to go to work and demanded better treatment in the workplace. The process continued until their voices were heard and they were granted their freedom. However, very few scholars studied or exam...