African American History: 1865 to the Present
This paper surveys the major developments in African American history from the end of the Civil War in 1865 through the early twenty-first century. Organized chronologically, it examines Reconstruction and its broken promises, the nadir period of Jim Crow laws and Black intellectual growth, the Harlem Renaissance and World War II era, the landmark Civil Rights legislation of the 1950s and 1960s, and the continuing struggles and achievements of African Americans from 1977 to the present. The paper draws on primary timelines, historical scholarship, and cultural commentary to trace how African Americans transformed from an enslaved population into a powerful force for social and political change, while acknowledging that racial inequality and economic disparity persist today.
- Introduction: From Slavery to Freedom: Post-Civil War freedom and Reconstruction's broken promises
- 1877–1920: The Nadir and the Rise of Black Institutions: Jim Crow, Great Migration, and founding of the NAACP
- 1921–1945: The Harlem Renaissance, the Depression, and World War II: Cultural flourishing amid economic hardship and wartime service
- 1945–1976: Civil Rights and the Fight for Equality: Landmark legislation, boycotts, and Civil Rights leaders
- 1977 to the Present: Progress, Persistence, and Ongoing Challenges: Affirmative action, Black History Month, and continued inequality
- Conclusion: Progress made and persistent social and economic challenges
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What makes this paper effective
- The chronological structure is clearly signposted with date-range headings, making a complex, multi-century narrative easy to follow.
- The paper balances political and legislative milestones with cultural developments — the Harlem Renaissance, Motown, and Black literature — giving a fuller picture of African American life than a purely political account would.
- It acknowledges both progress and continuing hardship in each period, avoiding an oversimplified triumphalist or victim narrative.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper uses periodization effectively, dividing history into discrete eras and identifying the dominant forces — legal, economic, cultural — shaping each one. By naming specific legislation (the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965), landmark court cases (Brown v. Board of Education), and key figures (W.E.B. Du Bois, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X), the author grounds broad generalizations in concrete historical evidence.
Structure breakdown
The essay opens with a brief introduction establishing the scope (1865 to the present), then moves through five chronological sections. Each section identifies major challenges of the era, notable achievements or turning points, and a transitional observation linking that period to the next. The conclusion returns to the thesis — that progress has been real but inequality persists — synthesizing the essay's main argument without introducing new material.
Introduction: From Slavery to Freedom
This paper examines the changes that have occurred in African American history over time, from 1865 to the present. African Americans initially came to this country against their will. They were imported to work as slaves, primarily in the Southern United States, and they have evolved to become a force of change and growth in this country. African Americans have faced numerous challenges throughout their history here, and they still face challenges today.
After the Civil War ended in 1865, African Americans were freed from slavery. However, that did not end their struggle for freedom. In fact, in many ways, it only made their situation worse. Many slaves who had been in fairly stable situations were thrust out to fend for themselves, or they became sharecroppers for their former masters, barely making enough money to stay alive. This was the era of Reconstruction in the South, a period of political and economic recovery from the effects of a war that had devastated much of the region. Blacks were free, but they were still the subject of prejudice and hatred. Life for African Americans was supposed to be better, but in reality, they simply exchanged one form of subjugation for another. They were still dependent on their former owners for their livelihoods, and they were still poor and subjugated.
Congress passed laws that allowed them access to schools and voting (Parker, 2010); however, many of the so-called "Black Codes" passed in Southern states kept them away from the polls and schools. In response, African Americans settled largely in Black communities and remained separate and unequal from white communities. The outcome was to keep them segregated — which most Southerners wanted — and to prevent them from truly experiencing the rights they had supposedly won after the war. While families were reunited when they gained their freedom, they still faced exceptional challenges in becoming free citizens with the same rights as whites in the United States.
References
Adeboyejo, B. (2005, May/June). Q & A: Curating African-American history for the nation. The Crisis, 112, 7.
Dagbovie, P.G. (2006). Strategies for teaching African-American history: Musings from the past, ruminations for the future. The Journal of Negro Education, 75(4), 635+.
Editors. (2010). African-American history timeline. Retrieved 15 Nov. 2010 from the Peterson Education Web site: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmtimeline.html.
Editors. (2008). African-American odyssey. Retrieved 15 Nov. 2010 from the Library of Congress Web site: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart7.html.
Parker, M.D. (2010). Reconstruction. Retrieved 15 Nov. 2010 from the Thomas' Legion Web site:
Smethurst, J.E. (2005). The Black arts movement: Literary nationalism in the 1960s and 1970s. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.
Stevens, M.E. (2003). Troubling beginnings: Trans(per)forming African-American history and identity. New York: Routledge.
Stiler, G., & Allen, L. (2006, Summer). Making connections with the past: (Un)masking African-American history at a neighborhood community center. Multicultural Education, 13, 24+.
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