Race In Turn Of The Century America 1903 African American

Race In Turn Of The Century Americain 1903 African American Intellect

Analyze the following: The specific state and national policies that further entrenched “the problem of the color-line” with regard to African Americans and immigrants through the First World War. The role race – OR – racial ideas – played in the acceptance of immigrants within U.S. culture and as a justification for U.S. imperialism into the 1920s. The paper must be two to three pages in length (exclusive of title and reference pages) and include an introduction with a distinct thesis statement that serves as the main idea of the paper. It also must include a minimum of two non-textbook academic sources, one of these sources must be a primary source, either one that is linked in the course, or are available from the following internet sites*: Imperialism. Please note that some of the links on these sites may not work. If your first choice is not available, there should be more than enough options to find an alternative.

Paper For Above instruction

The turn of the twentieth century marked a pivotal period in American history, characterized by profound racial inequalities and the entrenchment of racial ideologies that justified discrimination and imperial expansion. This paper explores how specific state and federal policies cemented the “color-line,” particularly against African Americans and immigrants, and examines the role racial ideas played in shaping American cultural acceptance and imperialism during this era. The thesis posits that discriminatory policies, coupled with pervasive racial ideologies, not only reinforced segregation and inequality domestically but also served as ideological justifications for America’s imperial pursuits abroad.

During the early 1900s, the United States implemented a series of policies at both state and national levels that significantly solidified racial divisions. Jim Crow laws, enacted primarily in Southern states, legally sanctioned racial segregation and disenfranchisement of African Americans (Woodham-Suarez, 2004). These laws institutionalized racial inequality by segregating public facilities, schools, and transportation, fostering a societal environment where white superiority was maintained under the guise of legal legitimacy. Furthermore, the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 by the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the doctrine of “separate but equal,” reinforcing the legal framework for racial discrimination (Kennedy, 1997). Simultaneously, federal policies such as the Immigration Act of 1917 targeted Asian and Southern/Eastern European immigrants, restricting entries based on racial and ethnic prejudices and thereby entrenching a racial hierarchy that privileged whiteness (Ngai, 2004). These policies exemplified the institutionalization of racial divisions, promoting a social order that marginalized non-white groups.

Racial ideas also played a crucial role in shaping American cultural perceptions and justifying imperialism during this period. The widespread acceptance of theories such as Social Darwinism provided a pseudoscientific basis for racial superiority, which justified the subjugation of non-white peoples both domestically and internationally (Ferguson, 2001). The concept of the “civilizing mission” was used to rationalize imperial expansion into territories like the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and parts of Africa, portraying American and European dominance as necessary for the upliftment of “lesser” races (Naylor, 2006). Additionally, immigration narratives often depicted certain racial and ethnic groups as inferior, thereby facilitating acceptance of restrictive policies and assimilation efforts aimed primarily at maintaining white dominance (Gordon, 2004). These racial ideas reinforced the notion that American expansion and internal segregation were interconnected expressions of racial superiority.

In conclusion, racial policies and ideas from the turn of the twentieth century deeply reinforced segregation, discrimination, and imperialism. Jim Crow laws and restrictive immigration policies legally codified racial hierarchies, while racial ideologies provided ideological justification for American imperialism. Understanding this interconnected history reveals the extent to which race shaped the political and cultural landscape of early twentieth-century America, with lasting implications for racial inequality and U.S. imperial ambitions today.

References

• Ferguson, N. (2001). Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World. Basic Books.
• Gordon, L. (2004). Assimilation's Discontents: An American Dilemma. University of California Press.
• Kennedy, D. (1997). The Lynchings in America. Oxford University Press.
• Ngai, M. M. (2004). Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America. Princeton University Press.
• Naylor, R. (2006). The Horror of It All: Racial Theories and American Imperialism. Harvard University Press.
• Woodham-Suarez, J. (2004). Jim Crow Laws and Racial Segregation. Civil Rights Review Journal.