To what extent did the US president hinder rather than help the development of African American civil rights in the period from 1865-1992?

by misskiran (student)

Nisha sharma

It can be argued that over the period 1865-1992 the majority of the presidents hindered the development rather than help as the presidents Johnson to Cleveland actively slowed down the civil rights. However, it can also be said that some of presidents did help the African Americans to a large extent, for example in the 1960s Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson actively help the African American’s through their policies. Presidents at the start of the time period might have hindered the development because of their white supremacist views, prioritising reconstruction and the need to maintain white Democrat support in the South. Presidents between Cleveland and Kennedy and after Ford can be categorised as passive relating to the issue of Civil Rights. They were distracted many events such as the Great Depression, Vietnam and the Cold War which lead to hinder the development of African American. Although most hindered the development and were passive, by 1992 presidents had created Civil Rights for African Americans. In this essay I will be discussing the both side of the argument in which I will include the Presidents who helped the development of African American and those who hinder the development.

Presidents hindered the development of African Americans Civil Rights because at the start of the time period they frequently held White Supremacist views. For example, Johnson at the start of the period can be seen as actively hindering the development of African American Civil Rights. Johnson clearly opposed civil right legislation as the civil war was his priority. Although he insisted on the south ratifying the 13th Amendment, he then allowed them to develop their own ‘Black Codes’. This discriminated against African Americans and prevented them from voting with clauses as the ‘Grandfather Clause’. These clauses allowed only Black people with literate skills to vote, knowing full well that as slaves they would not have been able to read. Therefore it can clearly be said that Johnson was hindering the development of Civil Rights for African Americans and continued to facilitate institutional racism within the USA as the society and Johnson held white supremacist view.

Another example of a president hindering the development of civil rights is Hayes as the Jim Crow laws were developed during his presidency. These laws segregated the black community, hindering the development of their civil rights. These laws very influential as they as reflected the social attitude at that time for example in Plessy v Ferguson case the supreme court ruled the racial segregation of railway carriages as constitutional and this acted as a legal precedent for segregation in all form of public life. These laws damaged the civil right development as public saw segregation legal.

From 1885 till 1916 ...

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From 1885 till 1916 there was a long period of continuity in presidents hindering the development of African American civil rights. Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson both help white supremacist views, the former boasted he had never shared a table with an African American; the latter dismissed all black advisors to the White House. However, it can be argued that this continuity of hindering happened due to the social attitudes as new change wouldn’t be accepted by many America. Furthermore, world war one was Woodrow Wilson priority not civil right. Therefore, it can be said the ww1 also lead to slowing down the process of civil right development.

Those presidents who were passive, I believe hindered the development of Civil Rights as they were not part of the solution. I believe they were indeed part of the problem. Theodore Roosevelt through to Hoover achieved very little as they were unsympathetic, useless or preoccupied. These presidents stood by as African Americans were segregated, discriminated and oppressed. For example, Theodore Roosevelt was criticised by white supremacist for holding official meeting with booker. Therefore it can be said that he was scared to take any favour for African Americans. Furthermore, president like Woodrow Wilson held racist view therefore; he was unlikely to help civil right development. They did nothing to change this and so hindered the development of Civil Rights for African Americans. FDR would have helped but couldn’t because of the good of the whole of America. FDR I believe was an exception in his passivity. He needed white southern democratic support to pass his New Deal; he was unable to act on the civil rights issue, prioritising the good of the rest of America. Therefore, it can be argued that the presidents who tried to help couldn’t help much due to certain reasons.

One of the Presidents who helped the development of African Americans Civil Rights was Grant. He ratified the 15th Amendment. He developed the 1st and 2nd enforcement acts. This was clear progress in the development of Civil Rights for African Americans. The Civil Rights Act of 1883 desegregating public transport, accommodation and outlawing discrimination, would have been significant in granting African American Civil Rights had it not been declared unconstitutional in 1883.it can be said that grant helped because he was president during a period of terrible discrimination against African Americans. He might have also introduced these changes due to social attitudes changing and gain the popular support from the Americans.

Truman also helped the development of African Americans civil right as he desegregated the army, which viewed black and white people in the army equally. Furthermore it can also be argued that he step up the stepping up stone for future desegregation. However, his actions towards Civil Rights were limited due to the need of white southern democratic support. Eisenhower’s actions at Little Rock, sending in troops to allow a group of African Americans to attend school can be seen as an act of helping. However, you can argue that this hand was forced due to the media coverage of the events and that he did not see African American civil rights as a priority. Also, Kennedy and Lyndon were crucial for helping African Americans gain civil rights. Kennedy efforts to attain civil rights can be argued was a means to gain votes. It can also be put forward that Kennedy was somewhat forced due to media coverage of protests such as those in Birmingham and the police brutality. Regardless, his actions and those of Lyndon carried forward after his untimely death helped develop Civil Right. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 granted Civil Rights for African Americans. It can be said that these president were only able to help to due to change in the social attitudes for example, at the start of the period emancipation proclamation introduced by Lincoln were rejected due to white Supremacist views. Whereas, the acts such as voting were accepted in 1965, suggesting that change in social attitudes lead to civil right act.

In conclusion, the action of those presidents who did help was significant, without which no progress would have been made. The presidents who hindered facilitated and sustained institutional racism, those who were passive did nothing. Furthermore, it can be argued that Presidents helped only when social attitudes had changed enough for the majority of Americans to want civil rights for African Americans. Presidents reflected attitudes of the time.

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Natalya Luck

10th of Apr 2013

This uses many useful examples to discuss the question and retains its focus but the structure is too simplistic and so it can be difficult to follow the thread of the essay. Proof reading would have been useful.

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