Essay on civil rights
Why did a mass Civil Rights movement emerge in the late 1950's? The importance of civil rights for Black Americans was at an all time high within in the late 1950s.Black Americans having been oppressed not only within in their rights of freedom yet also in terms of education and employment felt that it was time for a major change. Thus various civil right movements had to be implemented. However, it is key to understand the reasons why a civil rights movement did not occur earlier on for it allows us to gain an insight into the levels of segregation and lack of opportunities that Black Americans faced. During the inter-war year period of 1920 to 1941, Black Americans amongst other minorities suffered from the racial segregation that had deemed to govern the way in which they would live their lives. During the year known as the 'Roaring Twenties' America was enjoying unprecedented prosperity having become the worlds leading industrial nation. However, this affluence was only shared mainly by the white Americans, whilst conditions for Black individuals only seemed to get worse; arguably discrimination, prejudice and racism reaching a peak during these years. Moreover, the latter was upheld by a radical groups known as the Ku Klux Klan made up of different individuals some possessing a great deal of power such as governors and police officers. They felt that segregation of
How effective was the early civil rights movement in advancing Black Civil Rights in the period 1880-1945?
"How effective was the early civil rights movement in advancing Black Civil Rights in the period 1880-1945?" The 13th Amendment was passed by the Senate in 1884 and put into practice on December 6th 1865. The amendment abolished slavery in the United States, making President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation part on the US constitution as it was previously based on was powers and therefore, did not abolish slavery in Border States, these being; Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri and West Virginia. This new ruling meant that anti-abolitionists had to accept the end of slavery. However, this did not mean that freed slaves had the same opportunities and rights as whites, in the South "black codes" were quickly implemented. These laws limited the human rights and civil liberties of African Americas thus keeping them inferior. They continued to emphasise the superior position held by whites it society, this was highlighted particularly in the state of Texas as Texans feared that without the codes blacks would not work. In reaction to the Black Codes the 14th amendment was passed in 1868. This stated that all free men shall be protected and enjoy equal treatment under the law. The idea was to protect the African American population, making them citizens thus forcing the federal Government to be responsible for them. If rights were denied by any States, the State in question
Why did Parliament win the English Civil War?
Why did Parliament win the English Civil War? There is no simple explanation that explains why Parliament won the English Civil War; there were many factors that culminated in the reformation of England into a republic. These factors consist of fundamental advantages that Parliament had before the commencement of battle (tax revenues for example) and specific events during the war (such as victorious battles). At the commencement of the Civil War in 1642, both the Parliamentarians and the Royalists had certain advantages over eachother, although it is popularly perceived that Parliament's advantages outweighed those of the Royalists. One of Parliament's advantages was that they controlled some of the more economically advanced areas of the country (most significantly the Southeast), this was an important factor as it allowed a more efficient production of weapons and other wartime essentials. Parliament also occupied areas with lots of armouries and troops, a prime example being Hull, which was a rich source of arms and also supplied an army of some 16,000 troops. Parliament also controlled London- the traditional centre of government, a big source of arms and very significantly a city with trained bands (trained armies). Parliament's other main geographical advantage was their control of most of the major ports including London and Hull, but also Plymouth, Bristol and
Do you agree that Martin Luther King was the most important factor in helping blacks gain more civil rights in the 1960s?
Do you agree that Martin Luther King was the most important factor in helping blacks gain more civil rights in the 1960s? In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed by Lyndon B Johnson, giving black people civil rights for the first time. This was followed by the Voting Bill in 1965, an act which scrapped the literacy tests given to blacks, and gave all black people the right to vote. Many things led up to these acts, such as the work of Martin Luther King, various protest groups and the experiences of many black Americans during the Second World War. Martin Luther King was born on 15th January 1929, the son of a preacher man and a teacher, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a passionate, charismatic man, and was no doubt influenced by the Baptist Church that he grew up with. Whilst a college, Martin Luther King was introduced to the work and ideas of Mahatma Ghandi, another influence on his ideas for peaceful protest. Throughout much of the world outside America, Martin Luther King was seen as a hero and a figurehead for change, however in the eyes of many racist Americans from the southern states, he was nothing more than a trouble maker and someone to be put down. One of the first civil rights groups Martin Luther King was involved with was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). By the time he became involved, he was a preacher, and was named president of the
To what extent did the US president hinder rather than help the development of African American civil rights in the period from 1865-1992?
To what extent did the US president hinder rather than help the development of African American civil rights in the period from 1865-1992? 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
Who was the most influential figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s? What impact did he/she have?
Who was the most influential figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s? What impact did he/she have? Until the 1950s, African American faced discrimination in every aspect of their lives. In practice, many US lawmakers and law enforcers approved systematic segregation according to race. This resulted in African Americans becoming victims of mob rule and lynching, being forced to use separate entrances to buildings, being separated in theatres and on buses, denied access to "whites only" swimming pools, hospitals, school and even cemeteries. During the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans, along with other people of other racial groups within the United States, embarked on a campaign to change this situation. This campaign, the Civil Rights Movement, challenged the discrimination and fought to achieve the equality that the American constitution promised for its entire people One of the principle leader and the most influential figure in the civil rights movement was Martin Luther King Jr. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929, the eldest son of Martin Luther King, Sr., he entered Morehouse College at the age of 15 and was ordained a Baptist minister at the age of 18. Graduating from Crozer Theological Seminary as class president in 1951, he then did postgraduate work at Boston University. King's studies at Crozer and Boston led him to
Assess the view that the Supreme Court was the most important branch of federal government in assisting African Americans to achieve their civil rights in the period 1865-1992.
Assess the view that the Supreme Court was the most important branch of federal government in assisting African Americans to achieve their civil rights in the period 1865-1992. The three main branches of America federal government often show great divergence of opinion - something that has a huge impact on the way laws and attitudes in the US change over time - and this is blindingly obvious in terms of the Civil Rights movement and the fight for African American civil rights - for example, even at times when Congress was highly conservative, the Supreme Court was able to make rulings, based on previous legislation, that dramatically improved the rights of African Americans, and even at times when the Supreme Court and Congress were both heavily opposed to further movement on the issue, the President was able to step in and issue Executive Orders. One of the first steps, of course, on the journey toward equal rights for African Americans was the 13th Amendment. Ultimately, unless the slaves had been freed, there could never have been equality for them with the rest of society. Followed by the 14th and 15th Amendments, which further extended the de jure rights of African Americans - indeed, the Amendments gave African Americans equal rights, in a de jure capacity. All three of these amendments were passed by Congress, and are indicative of the positive attitude towards the
To what extent were Malcolm X and the subsequent Black Power Movement the 'Evil Twin' of the Civil Rights Movement in the late twentieth century in the United States of America?
To what extent were Malcolm X and the subsequent Black Power Movement the 'Evil Twin'1 of the Civil Rights Movement in the late twentieth century in the United States of America? Malcolm X2 and the subsequent Black Power3 Movement (BPM) stemmed from the nationalist African American population and so took a different stance in their fight for Civil Rights than other leaders such as Martin Luther King4 (King). With this distinction, has come a historical debate into whether Malcolm X and the BPM aided or hindered the Civil Rights Movement (CRM); something that has been debated between historians such as Sitkoff and Cook. The purpose of this study is to decide whether Malcolm X and the BPM are indeed the 'evil twin' of the CRM or whether this title is unjust. Malcolm X was a black nationalist5 and a member of the Nation of Islam6. Malcolm X, through his father, garnered the beliefs of Marcus Garvey7 and his 'Back to Africa' campaign. He also believed in militancy as a method to attain black independence through the notion; 'fight violence with violence'. He believed that rather than allowing the continual persecution of African Americans by whites, it was rational for African Americans to defend themselves with as much force as was necessary as advocated in his 'by any means necessary'8 speech. This caused much tension between the two distinct civil rights movements because it
Does Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights achieve the correct balance between allowing States to tackling situations involving a national emergency and ensuring continued protection of human rights?
ECHR Essay - December 2002 Alexander Korff 000378523 Article 15 - Derogation in time of emergency Does Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights achieve the correct balance between allowing States to tackling situations involving a national emergency and ensuring continued protection of human rights? . Introduction The international guarantees for the protection of human rights are of special importance in times of war or national emergencies, as it is precisely then that States will be most likely to deviate from the standards of human rights that would be accepted in times of peace. There are clear reasons why, to give an example, States may require that the period of time for which a person is detained is extended. The interpretation of whether the measures taken were justified at the time and whether the steps taken were 'strictly' necessary and whether a national emergency even exists need to be scrutinised closely by the Courts when overseeing States who have derogated from certain Convention rights. To answer the above question it is necessary to look both at the precise wording of Article 15 and at the way in which that Article is applied by the European Court of Human Rights. In this essay, I will therefore first examine the limitations which Article 15 itself imposes on States - with reference to certain other
Discuss how effectively rights are protected in the UK.
Discuss how effectively rights are protected in the UK In Britain, we have a negative approach to rights which means people can do what they like as long as there is no law in place that is able to stop them. Unlike in the USA and many other states, however the rights and liberties of British citizens are not set out in a single constitutional document with the USA being able to appeal to the Supreme Court if they feel rights are being infringed. In the UK civil rights have come under threat due to what many commentators have accused Labour of introducing creeping authoritarianism into British society, for example Labour introduced Detention without trial, (habeas corpus) which included the indefinite detention without trial of foreign national suspects for example the Belmarsh case where foreign terrorist suspects where held in Belmarsh prison without trial. Labour also introduced control orders (curfews, tagging, bans on telephone and internet use and ultimately house arrest) on suspects without trial which stops civil liberties with people being stuck in on place unable to live their life. Therefore due to detention without trial civil liberties are under threat as they stop people living their life without them ever coming under trial. Also due to Labour introducing ID cards civil liberties are not well protected, ID cards are viewed as an invasion of privacy and a
