Black and White

In modern American society, black people and white people already have equal rights and opportunity, but this was totally different than how the black people were treated in the 1900s. Segregation was common in America, especially in the South. There were segregations in public places and public schools. At first, they couldn’t even take the bus with white people. Even though they got to take the bus with white people later, they still had to sit in the back and give up their seats to white people when they need them. In their schools, books and supplies often lacked, and teachers got lower salaries and had to work under more difficult conditions. There were also many more schools for white people.  Some restaurants refused to serve African Americans and some restrooms were only for whites. Furthermore, voting rights for blacks were severely restricted. They had to past many requirements that they could hardy meet according to the education they were given. Finally, restrictive covenants often forced blacks into poor neighborhoods that were farther from jobs, public transport, or good schools. There were two activists that tried to speak up for the black people, Martin Luther King Jr. Malcolm X. Martin Luther King preferred the strategy of nonviolence and believed that the blacks should gain social status peacefully with justice. Malcolm X had an opposite view than Martin Luther King. He believed that they should fight back and show white people the black power. Their suggles for inequality didn't show effects soon but the government did slowly accept them. The fourteenth Amendment was adopted in the 1868 as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. It overruled the Dred Scott Decision formed in 1857 by the Supreme court, which stated that African descent who was bought into America as slaves were not protected by the U.S. constitution and were not U.S. citizens. It gave all people who were born in the United States citizenships and protected civil rights.

Immigrants

During the 1800s, Millions of Irish, British, Germans, and Scandinavians crossed the ocean to become Americans. The immigrants usually went to the United States with very little money and education so most of them were not welcomed and were treated unfairly in American society. Nativism, which refers to the policy of favoring the interests of native-born Americans over immigrants, appeared. At first, the Americans only disliked the immigrants’ religious and cultural differences. Later on, they started to fear that the immigrants would take away their jobs since they were willing to work more and get lower wages.

Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan was an organization against African Americans, immigrants, Catholics, and Jews. They thought that the immigrants were trying to destroy the traditional Americanism. They restricted membership to native-born white Protestants. The first Ku Klux Klan was formed in the late 1860s and ended in the 1807s. The second one was reborn in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1915. They started by breaking Leo Frank, who was a Jewish-American, out of the jail and hanged him. In the early 1920s, the Klan grew to between 3 and 4 million members. They even gained considerable political power throughout the country. To show their power, they held massive marches in major cities and used a lot of violence secretly.

Role of women

Women were considered as second-class citizens in America. They were portrayed as being weak and had less rights than men did, including the right to vote and the right to control their own money or property. Most women were expected to be overly kind, dress nicely, and be a typical housewife. They also had less opportunity in workplace and education. In the mid-1800s, women started to fight for equality.

In the 1848, supporters of women's rights gathered and formed the Seneca Falls Convention. They listed out many acts of tyranny that shows how men and women were treated unequally and proved that men and women are created equal. One of the women called Sojourner Truth proved it by showing people her strong arms and telling them how she could farm like men. In the years after the Seneca Falls Convention, states began to change their laws even though the progress was slow. For example, New York gave women the control over their own property and wages. Other states passed more liberal divorce laws. The demand for right to vote was accepted later but was also met in the 1920.

Laborers

In the 1900s, laborers faced inequality in workplace. Workers worked longs hours under difficult condition. They faced danger such as sharp blades or toxic cotton dust everyday. They would also lose their jobs if they got injured. And still, they got very low wages.

Uprising of 20,000

This event was led by Rose Schneiderman, who was one of the key figures in the American labor movement. In this event, thousands of women that worked in clothing factories in New York walked off their jobs and protested. They stood on picket lines outside the factories. They demanded higher wages and better working conditions. The protest lasted for 14 weeks. Many of them were arrested or beaten, but they did gain some benefit from it. Some companies made settlements with the workers. However, their demands for unlocked factory doors and working fire escapes were never approved. Fortunately, the factory workers soon got another good opportunity to show their anger. In the 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory caught fire. Many women couldn’t escape because the factory doors were locked. One hundred forty-six workers died in the fire. In response, Rose Schneiderman said that the only way the workers can save themselves is by strong working-class movement.

Industrial Workers of the World 

Industrial Workers of the World was an organization that believed socialism would make workers’ life better. It welcomed all working people including the immigrants, African American, and women. It was mostly supported by unskilled workers who had low wages. Its goals are the elimination of private property and the fair treatment of workers. They would negotiate with the employers or strike when they didn’t succeed. The IWW grew to 100,000 members and increases in its power. However, this didn’t last long. The strength of IWW declined dramatically due to the government repression such as the Red Scare.