Congressional Acts that Helps Uplift African Americans

The Search For

Throughout history, there has been a struggle for equality and justice. The oppression that African Americans have received throughout the generational period in which they first arrived in America has continued to be a raging war. Article I, Section 8 of the American Constitution enabled Congress to have certain rights and authorities over the laws. In the evaluation of the 1700s, 1800s, 1950s, and 1990s, the prolific effects can be seen through specific Congressional Acts.

Between 1775 and 1783, the American Revolutionary war was won and America was able to declare their freedom from the British rule. Although, freedom was given to whites, the same could not be said for black people within the society. In examining the third President, Thomas Jefferson in 1776, although declaring “all men are equal”, himself owned slaves on a plantation. Slavery was both profitable and provided economic security and thus many white slave owners wanted to maintain their power, to remain making a profit. In 1787 during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Founding Fathers discussed the national census for the American people. This was important in figuring out how many House Representatives could be sent from each state, thus having more political power in terms of decisions. This was key in because if black people were counted as citizens then the Southern states would have more power, yet if blacks were not counted the Northern States would be at an advantage. After several days of deliberation, the Three-Fifths Compromise was agreed upon. The Three-Fifths Compromise in Article 1, Section 2 determined that black Americans were not seen as a person, instead viewed as three fifth of a person. The Northern repre...

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... for emotional distress. The effect of this Congressional Act, continues to be a pivotal force within the workplace and to give fare reparations for those black people who have been treated. In examining the various Congressional Acts that the African American community has faced spanning from the 1700s to the late 1990s, helps display the ways in which there has been some progression for change. The time span from the 1700s to the 1990s shows the progress for Congressional Acts that helps to uplift black people. In this way there has been a breakthrough in sense of unity and connection between the black community and society as a whole.

Works Cited

A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. Shades of Freedom: Racial Politics and Presumptions of the American Legal Process Race and the American Legal Process, Volume II . New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.