Essay Example on Civil Rights Movement: The Revolution of Equality in America

Colonialism and imperialism was a period marked by high levels of discrimination and segregation. In the history of America, this era was symbolized by unequal treatment of the African Americans and the minority groups in the society. Nevertheless, there arose a wave of change aimed at advocating for equal human rights under the various civil rights movements that were formed, composing of workers and other prominent activists. By the end of the revolution era, a significant change had been witnessed in America. For this study, a descriptive and explorative analysis will be carried out to establish how the American life changed as well as the life of the minority groups as early as the 1920s.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Humans have resided in America for more than ten thousand years now. Diverse and dynamic, they communicated through thousands of different languages and formed different cultures. With time, the Native Americans settled themselves as new communities in America following different seasonal migration trends. They promoted peace via alliance formations and battled with their neighbors, worked on self-sufficient economies, and observed huge trade networks. These Native communities cultivated distinct forms of art as well as spiritual values. Looking at a glance, their lives were different from those of born Americans. However, the onset of Europeans as well as the following international trade of people, plants, microbes, and animals resulted into over a decade of geographic parting; inaugurated centuries marked with violence commissioned the greatest dreaded biological terror that the world had never made contact with, and changed the world history. It started one of the highest significant progress within all human beings' history as well as the opening chapter within the lengthy American yawp. For example, the European influence trade led to the demand for more produced goods in other outside markets. Those states that could not create their products thus had to find a way to compensate the producing countries for acquiring what they needed. This triggered the birth of transatlantic trade from the western regions of Africa to the European areas. African Americans were captured and taken as slaves, subjected to hard labor in the plantations, and segregated from the rest of Americans. (Example #1)

The transatlantic trade, commonly known as the triangular trade, enriched Britain but also created improved living standards within the North American colonists. The two-way relationship was aimed at creating and reinforcing a feeling of belonging and commonality with British culture. All was well until the trade relations were disrupted by political alterations and warfare demands that the colonists started questioning their ties. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, advancements in transportation, manufacturing, and credit distribution increased the chances by the colonists to trade for consumer goods. This meant that more slaves would be needed to work in the plantations to cater to the rising demands for farm produce. On the other side, instead of the colonists making their products such as clothes, utensils and other tools, they continued to purchase from the specialized manufacturers and artisans. The result of this was a change in the categorization of goods. For example, the continued trade that had been initiated by the Europeans led to the rise of Americans income while the prices of the commodities fell. What followed was that the items had shifted from being luxuries for the Europeans into being basic goods. The averaged ability of every individual in spending their money in the purchase of consumer goods was taken as the tool for measuring their respectability in society. However, the African Americans could not afford this; thus, continued to suffer in the plantations and the gap of separation continued to widen. Immediate actions were then needed to close the gap and lift the yoke of oppression that bestowed upon the Natives and African slaves. (Example #2)

The reason as for the change of the minority and the American life at large is what majority would remain seeking to answer. Following global recognition of human rights, a lot of things had to change to fit in the requirements. The constant segregation, discrimination, and poor working conditions crowned with hard labor in the plantations led to the birth of revolutionary movements. At this time, the colonists had worked hard to cultivate powerful emotional ties between the British constitution and the British monarchy. Everything to them was seen as done constitutionally and as per the will of their sovereignty. Nevertheless, in the eyes of the revolutionists, this was different from what they had promised. The revolution aimed at building institutions as well as confiding the ideas and language that still would define the image of Americans. The period was marked with radical fresh ideas that twisted the history course, causing the sparking for global revolution age. However, the revolutionary process is said to have been paradoxical as it could hardly be predicted. For example, the type of revolution that was fought along the line of liberty contributed to the persisting of slavery. Centralized authority resistance triggered by the revolution gathered different colonies together under a single government (Example #3). This meant that the government could now control the people in a much easier way as compared to when they were scattered all over the colonies. By the time revolutionists realized this, slavery had taken back to its roots, and a more advanced way to fight for the African Americans rights was needed. The revolution led to the creation of politicians who were eager in fostering republican selflessness as well as protecting public goods but also promoted personal self-interest and gain. The founding revolutionists fought intending to deliver the nations from Britain colonialism but not for promoting democracy. This shows the significant loopholes that were left behind by the revolutionary movement. As a result, the oppression in the plantation farms reduced, but the African Americans were still not treated at the same level as other citizens.

Conclusion

In summary, the liberation process of the blacks and other colonies from the powers of forced administration can be traced back to the birth of activists and civil rights movements. Following constant demonstrations and go-slows organized by the civil rights movement leaders, the United Nations Charter initiated the Stamp Act Congress that later issued the Declaration of Human Rights and Grievances. This formed a solid base on which the revolutionists and activists could fight for the rights of their people. With time, the activities of these groups left American a transformed state with equality and fairness in all its system. Its history had changed as well as the lives of those with minimal say or minority in society. The slave trade was, and paid labor started being practiced in the farm plantations. The living standards of the African Americans and the entire nation were advanced as a whole.

Bibliography

L. D. Burnett, "The New World," in the American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018).