High-Quality Papers Should Include An Introduction

High Quality Papers Should Includean Introductionbe Double Spaced An

High-quality papers should include: an introduction; be double-spaced and written in 12-point, Times New Roman font; a clear thesis statement; supporting evidence with proper MLA in-text (author-page style) or Chicago Style footnote citations; and end with a solid conclusion.

Prompt 2: How did racial and ethnic minorities (i.e., Black Americans, Chinese immigrants, Native Americans, etc.) encounter liberty and civil rights in the United States during the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century? Did they receive the full rights of U.S. citizenship enjoyed by many white Americans at the time? Did minority groups experience unequal treatment, repression, and barriers to full citizenship in American society?

Paper For Above instruction

The period from the late 19th century through the early 20th century was a pivotal epoch in the history of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, characterized by complex struggles for liberty and civil rights amid widespread discrimination, repression, and systemic barriers. Historically, minority groups such as Black Americans, Chinese immigrants, and Native Americans encountered significant obstacles to achieving full citizenship rights and social equality, reflecting deeply entrenched racial hierarchies and institutionalized prejudices.

African Americans and the Post-Reconstruction Era

Following the Reconstruction era, the promise of racial equality for Black Americans was severely undermined by laws and practices aimed at restoring racial segregation and disfranchisement. The enactment of Jim Crow laws in the South institutionalized racial segregation and disenfranchised Black voters through poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation tactics (Foner, 2010). Although the 14th and 15th Amendments theoretically conferred citizenship and voting rights, in practice, Black Americans faced violence, disenfranchisement, and discrimination that barred many from exercising these rights fully (Woodward, 2001). Moreover, the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) upheld the doctrine of “separate but equal,” legitimizing racial segregation and curtailing civil rights (Kluger, 2004). Despite these hurdles, Black Americans organized civil rights activism, such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), advocating for legal reforms and equality (Morris, 1984).

Chinese Immigrants and Exclusionary Policies

Chinese immigrants, primarily arriving in the mid-19th century to work in gold mines and on the transcontinental railroad, faced intense discrimination and legislative exclusion. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 marked the first significant federal legislation restricting immigration based on race and nationality, barring Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. and denying existing Chinese residents citizenship rights (Ngai, 2004). This legislation reflected widespread anti-Chinese sentiment and economic anxieties rooted in racial stereotypes. Chinese immigrants were subjected to violence, social ostracism, and legal discrimination that impeded their full integration and citizenship rights (Lee, 2003). These policies persisted into the early 20th century until they were gradually repealed, but the legacy of exclusion persisted well beyond that period.

Native Americans and the Suppression of Sovereignty

For Native Americans, the late 19th and early 20th centuries were marked by aggressive policies aimed at assimilation and suppression of indigenous sovereignty. The Dawes Act of 1887 sought to erase Native communal landholdings by allotting individual plots, promoting private property, and undermining tribal identities (Prucha, 1984). Native peoples were forcibly removed from ancestral lands, subjected to boarding school regimes that aimed to eradicate their cultures, and denied citizenship until the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born within the country (Perkinson, 2011). Despite this, many Native Americans continued to face discrimination, economic marginalization, and barriers to political participation, illustrating that formal citizenship did not equate to equality or full social acceptance.

Overall Analysis: Persistent Discrimination and Barriers

In conclusion, racial and ethnic minorities during this period encountered formidable barriers to liberty and civil rights; despite the legal frameworks that ostensibly conferred rights and citizenship, systemic discrimination, segregation, and repression frequently denied them full equality. While some groups made crucial advances in civil rights activism and legal protections, in practice, widespread societal and institutional obstacles persisted, illustrating the disparity between legal rights and actual social acceptance. The struggle for true equality continued well beyond the early 20th century, shaping the future trajectory of civil rights in America.

References

• Foner, E. (2010). Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877. Harper & Row.
• Kluger, R. (2004). Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality. Vintage Books.
• Lee, R. (2003). Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture. Temple University Press.
• Morris, A. (1984). The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement. Free Press.
• Ngai, M. M. (2004). The Chinese Question: The Exclusion Movement and the Making of the Chinese America. Princeton University Press.
• Perkinson, R. (2011). Taming the Wild: Native Americans, Capitalism, and the Betrayal of Sovereignty. University of Minnesota Press.
• Prucha, F. P. (1984). The Great Father: The United States Government and the American Indian. University of Nebraska Press.
• Woodward, C. V. (2001). The Strange Career of Jim Crow. Oxford University Press.