EOTO #1 Reaction

During the founding era there were many things that advanced slavery and things that helped to end slavery. The groups that presented the EOTO’s presented both of these sides. 

Some things that advanced slavery were the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas Nebraska act, the Fugitive Slave Act, Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott v. Stanford, and the Election of 1860. The Missouri Compromise allowed for popular sovereignty. This was where when new states were admitted into the United States they were able to choose if they would be a free or slave state. The Kansas Nebraska Act increased slavery in the U.S. and its territories. This increased popular sovereignty. The fugitive slave act made the government responsible for returning slaves. It encouraged people to kidnap and catch slaves. This made it less safe for the slaves leaving to the North. Bleeding Kansas Instituted a policy allowing settlers to decide if territory would be admitted as a free or slave state. After this murder mayhem, destruction, and psychological warfare became a code of conduct in Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri. All these events helped to advance slavery in the United States.

The things that helped to end slavery were the Underground Railroad, the Election of 1860, the Anti Slavery Society, and the Fugitive Slave Act. The Underground Railroad was set up to help slaves escape to freedom. The Election of 1860 is when Abraham Lincoln was elected into office. This caused slaveholding states to feel pressure and eventually start seceding. This caused the outbreak of the Civil War which ended in the abolition of slavery. The Anti Slavery Society was an abolitionist society that believed slavery was a sin and slaveholders were sinners. The society had agents that traveled throughout the country producing lectures, distributing anti-slavery journals and organizing local anti-slavery societies. The fugitive Slave Act was a main factor sparking the Civil War. Free states saw the act as unfair and Northerners resisted the act because it made them responsible for enforcing slavery. All of these events helped to end slavery in the United States.

EOTO: Black Codes

Black codes are restrictive laws designed to limit the freedoms of African Americans and ensure their availability as cheap labor after the end of the Civil War. The primary purpose of black codes was to restrict African Americans' labor and activity. Black codes had an extremely negative effect on the African-American population in the United States.

They were first enacted in 1865 in many different Southern states. There was a loophole in the 13th Amendment that allowed for these black codes to be possible. The 13th amendment prohibits slavery and servitude in all circumstances “except as punishment for a crime”. What Southern states would do is criminalize simple activities like ‘loitering’ so that if a group of African Americans were standing in a group and talking it would be considered a crime. This would allow for slavery and servitude as punishment. Debt peonage was another way to institute servitude. Failure to pay fines allowed Southern states to order black people to work off their balances. This was considered debt peonage. This was easy to institute because African Americans were making such little money that any fee presented to them, they would be unlikely to pay. 

Another common form of black codes were ones that restricted voting. The Grandfather Clause was where a man could only vote if he had an ancestor that voted before 1867. This got rid of most black people’s right to vote because they couldn’t vote until the 14th Amendment was put in place. Literacy tests were another way to restrict voting rights. These tests would be presented by a law clerk and had to be passed in order to vote. African-American voters would be given a far harder test than white voters. The white voters would pass and be able to vote, completely outnumbering African Americans. 

Segregation was a way to socially isolate black people from the rest of the population. Separated public schools were particularly bad because they allowed for black children to get an inferior education to white people. Segregation in other places gave black people an inferior lifestyle to white people. Oftentimes the transportation or bathrooms or water fountains wouldn’t be as nice for black people as white people. This also created social isolation. 

Different states had different black codes. For example, Mississippi had a law that required African Americans to have written proof of employment for the following year. They were forced to forfeit earlier wages and subject to arrest if they left before the end of the contract. South Carolina law requires black people to have a job as a farmer or servant or else they have to pay a 50 or 100 dollar fine. 

Overall, the effect of black codes was seen throughout the nation. African Americans were segregated from the rest of the population. Their rights were being infringed on, and they were treated less than everyone else. Black codes trumped African American rights and were not stopped until the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed. African Americans were given the right to rent or own property, and bring cases before courts.

Gone With the Wind Reflection

Gone With the Wind is a 1939 American film set in the American South during civil war times. The movie gives a different portrayal of slavery that isn’t typically shown in film. Gone With the Wind shows the effect that the civil war had on the South. Scarlett O’Hara, the main character in the movie, falls in love with Ashley Wilkes who ends up marrying his cousin. Scarlett instead marries Charles. Charles ended up dying during the war. This is one focus of the movie; the portrayal of people dying in the war, and their families and loved ones finding out. A powerful scene in the movie that I enjoyed was where Scarlett was in mourning of Charles wearing all black, and still danced during the charity event. This violated the rules of mourning that are in place. 

The portrayal of all the characters was cool to look at. The settings and the costumes in the movie made the story be shown through a historical light. These aspects of the movie helped amplify the movie. 

The portrayal of African American slaves was debated on whether it is okay or not. While many aspects of the portrayal are disrespectful and not okay in today’s times, it is important to remember the time in which the movie was made. In today’s context, the disrespectful portrayal of African Americans would not be acceptable, however, in the 1930’s it is seen as okay. It’s also important to remember that it is a movie representing civil war times. African Americans were not treated well in this time period. The movie was more respectful then how slaves were actually treated in the time period. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and I think it was a powerful portrayal on how the civil war affected everyone in America.