African Americans Essay Research Paper TERM PAPERLife

African Americans Essay, Research Paper

TERM PAPER

Life of African Americans in the period after the civil war was

stimulatingly hard. Among the host of challenges were the Black codifications

which made their life no better than it was before the civil war. The Congress

promised to liberate African Americans from bondage, but it appeared as if

inkinesss were still deprived of their basic rights. They still did non accomplish the

position equal to that of the Whites. During this clip of political agitation two

outstanding African American interpreters, Booker T. Washington and

W.E.B Du bois arose and set frontward their positions about how this racial

struggle could be ended and the inkinesss and Whites could be united. They both

strived existent difficult to assist inkinesss achieve acknowledgment of the civil and political

promised by the fourteenth and 15th amendments to the Constitution.

They even wanted inkinesss to lift out of poorness. Although their concluding ends

were the same, the path that they took to it differed drastically. Du Bois

could be categorized as a individual who was more broad while Booker T.

Washington chose to take the more conservative way. Knowing the

differences between Washington & # 8217 ; s and W.E.B Du Bois & # 8217 ; s thoughts as an African

American life in the postwar South, I would follow Du Bois as his positions

were more hearty and would turn out to be a more effectual manner to prosecute

the ends of accomplishing acknowledgment of the civil and political rights promised by

the fourteenth and 15th amendments and besides to life the inkinesss out

of poorness.

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois were people with conflicting

personalities. Washington & # 8217 ; s attack was more moderate as he seemed to

be averse to rapid alteration. He believed in order for inkinesss to derive complete

regard from the Whites, they would hold to populate a life rather similar to the

one they led in the period before the civil war. They would hold to execute

the same humble undertakings. He believed that in this mode every bit shortly as the

economic status of the South improved, inkinesss would be given equal

position by everyone.

Booker T. Washington put forward a plan of industrial

instruction, conciliation of the South, and entry and silence as to civil

and political rights ( W.E.B Du Bois, 31. ) He believed that industrial

instruction was highly of import because it was a manner by which pupils

could get cognition every bit good as accomplishment while working and gaining money. It

besides gave pupils assurance and moral independency. Mr. Booker T.

Washington wanted African Americans to compromise by giving up their

civil and political rights. Adjustment and entry of inkinesss was

represented by his plan. ( W.E.B Du Bois, 37. ) Since he was a

conservative, he desired that the African Americans besides give up the thoughts of

political power, civil rights and higher instruction. He tried to deviate their

attending to things such as gaining money to back up their households,

reconcilement of Southern provinces etc.

On the other manus, W.E.B. Du Bois held positions that were in

contradiction to those of Booker T. Washington. Du Bois chose a more broad

way to accomplish his ends. Harmonizing to him African Americans should hold

used any agencies available to decide the equality and cultural jobs. He

had complete assurance in the ability of African Americans and did non

see them inferior to Whites and believed that they could regulate

themselves. Unlike Booker T. Washington whose plan for

emancipation focused more on work and money, W.E.B Du Bois aimed for

more spiritualistic and honorary things. The period of clip before W.E.B Du

Bois came into the spotlight, the inkinesss had suffered a great trade from the

Whites. They had been disfranchised, non been given the right to higher

instruction and were considered inferior to Whites. Du Bois wanted to alter

all T

his wholly and therefore his thoughts appeared to be more extremist and

demanding. as compared to those of Booker T. Washington.

W.E.B Du Bois was an elitist who believed it was the intelligence and

smarting of the African Americans that had aid promote the multitudes and the

exclusive obstructions that had retarded their attempts were slavery and racial

bias. He believed that the black race had been transplanted by the

folly of its sires ( W.E.B Du Bois, 38 ) Higher instruction and difficult

work could elate them from this servitude and he knew that he could help

them through it.

W.E.B Du Bois & # 8217 ; s thoughts and his manner of prosecuting ends was more

convincing and appropriate. Unlike Booker T. Washington, Du Bois was

more direct in his attack of accomplishing civil and political rights promised to

the inkinesss. The environment in the post-emancipation South was non the

same as before the civil war. Before the war, the inkinesss had non yet been

declared emancipated so they did non anticipate themselves to be given the

same position as that of the Whites. But after the civil war, non been given

their basic rights would worsen them even more because now they were

being deprived of something they legitimately possessed. Booker T. Washington

emphasized that African Americans should work under Whites, gain their

trust and therefore bit by bit they would achieve their freedom. This was irrational

because the inkinesss had waited long plenty for the emancipation

announcement. They had suffered a batch of adversities through this period of

clip. And doing them wait even longer through his slow procedure would

worsen them even more would do them to split into rebellion. Booker T.

Washington & # 8217 ; s plan of accomplishing civil and political rights for the inkinesss

besides had its ain defects. His plan was designed to delight the

North and inspire the South. The Northern provinces had invested in

Southern endeavors and so Washington & # 8217 ; s program came as a welcome method

of peaceable cooperation. Du Bois, unlike Washington did non prophesy

give uping to white domination. He insisted on ego trust and self-

regard. He even believed that Booker T. Washington & # 8217 ; s thought of industrial

preparation was pointless as he did non promote higher instruction. Merely if the

black instructors were good educated could they learn in these industrial

preparation schools, and Washington failed to understand that.

Booker T. Washington mentioned in his Atlanta via media, & # 8220 ; The

wisest among my race understand that the agitation of inquiries of societal

equality is the extremist folly & # 8230 ; .. It is of import and right that all privileges

of the jurisprudence be ours, but it is immensely more of import that we be prepared for

the exercisings of these privileges ( Washington, 101. ) It was cowardly of

Booker T. Washington to state that his people were non endeavoring for equality.

He even said & # 8221 ; The chance to gain a dollar in a mill merely now is deserving

boundlessly more than the chance to pass a dollar in the opera house. & # 8221 ;

Washington was merely seeking to demand equality in obscure footings. But alternatively

he should hold been more specific and demanded societal equality. This is

because societal equality was what the inkinesss in the South were endeavoring for

and they would non settle for anything less than it.

Even though it is believed that Washington & # 8217 ; s plan came as a

alleviation to some Southerners but yet it can non be entirely accepted because it

consists of less straightforward honestness and more of indiscriminate

flattery. The black work forces of the station emancipation South were wholly

aware of the importance of vote. It was a manner by which they could take

representatives who would break their conditions of life and work

towards their public assistance. W.E.B Du Bois put this penetration into their heads and

made them realize that they should arise against servitude and battle for

equal rights and position as the Whites.