freedom or restriction
Freedom or Restriction
Imagine living in the 1860’s as an African-American. You are beginning to get your rights to vote and your gaining your freedom. In1860, the census revealed that the national population was 31,000,000. Out of the 31 million, only 4.5 million of them were black (14percent) Only 221,000 free blacks lived in the north which is 20 percent of the black population. By the end of the 1800’s, most Northern Blacks were free. But did Northern blacks really free or did they have more restrictions? Blacks living in the North had many freedoms but they also had restrictions placed on them involving politics, economics, social, and religious freedoms and restriction.
The Constitution states that everybody has the right to vote, which is a political freedom. Most African-Americans that lived in the North did have the right to vote but many couldn’t vote. Northern blacks in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin didn’t or couldn’t vote (Doc A). Almost every black in the North couldn’t attend jury duty expect blacks in Massachusetts, which means that all black are free in the political aspect.
Not to mention, blacks also had trouble getting good-paying jobs, which made it difficult to support their families. In Document C, a young African-American man worked hard in school and went to college, and got the same education as the white man. But nobody would hire him or work with him because of his skin color. He states that the only job for him was to be a slave or something or a lower class. Regarding the restrictions, Blacks in the North could at least go to school. Most kids in South never went to school, even whites. So blacks in the North got better education than most people in the South.
Blacks also had horrible social troubles. Blacks could thrive and had the freedom to live, but they really couldn’t live a normal life. Blacks weren’t allowed to dine, go to school with, marry, or go to the theater with any white
Imagine living in the 1860’s as an African-American. You are beginning to get your rights to vote and your gaining your freedom. In1860, the census revealed that the national population was 31,000,000. Out of the 31 million, only 4.5 million of them were black (14percent) Only 221,000 free blacks lived in the north which is 20 percent of the black population. By the end of the 1800’s, most Northern Blacks were free. But did Northern blacks really free or did they have more restrictions? Blacks living in the North had many freedoms but they also had restrictions placed on them involving politics, economics, social, and religious freedoms and restriction.
The Constitution states that everybody has the right to vote, which is a political freedom. Most African-Americans that lived in the North did have the right to vote but many couldn’t vote. Northern blacks in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin didn’t or couldn’t vote (Doc A). Almost every black in the North couldn’t attend jury duty expect blacks in Massachusetts, which means that all black are free in the political aspect.
Not to mention, blacks also had trouble getting good-paying jobs, which made it difficult to support their families. In Document C, a young African-American man worked hard in school and went to college, and got the same education as the white man. But nobody would hire him or work with him because of his skin color. He states that the only job for him was to be a slave or something or a lower class. Regarding the restrictions, Blacks in the North could at least go to school. Most kids in South never went to school, even whites. So blacks in the North got better education than most people in the South.
Blacks also had horrible social troubles. Blacks could thrive and had the freedom to live, but they really couldn’t live a normal life. Blacks weren’t allowed to dine, go to school with, marry, or go to the theater with any white