A Brief History of Racism in America

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It is unknown how long North America has been occupied. There were certainly people on the land far before Christopher Columbus alighted in 1492. However, the United States’ history shows a lucid feeling of dominance emanating from Europeans as they moved in to the New World. As time passed and the people who resided in North America change, it becomes evident that white Americans were exceedingly racist and not very accepting towards those who were not like them. Three groups in particular, Native Americans, African Americans, and the Chinese, faced hardships as the United States issued policies against these groups and changed their lives. Native Americans in particular were abused by white people in the States. From the 16th century and on, European nations rushed into the “New World,” claiming terrain that Native Americans had lived on for hundreds of years. Treaties were repeatedly made with the United States government and Native American ethnic groups. These treaties generally brutally kicked the “Indians” out of their land and pushed them farther and farther west. The Indian Removal act of 1830 encompassed more than five tribes and pressing all of them out of the southern United States. While some Natives fought back, many were forced to comply in order to save themselves from the Americans’ wrath. Eventually the white people themselves went so far west that there was no longer anywhere to put the Native Americans. In order to deal with this conundrum, the American army forced most tribes to abide on reservations in hopes that they would gradually become civilized and assimilate to the American culture. These reservations were often iniquitous and atrocious places. It was almost unfeasible for the Indians to hunt the w... ... middle of paper ... ...ican citizens were disturbed and dismayed that the Chinese seemed to be “taking over” their land, profiting and gaining from it. During this time, the immigrants faced extreme racial prejudice until finally in 1885 the Chinese Exclusion Act was put into effect. This stated that no more Chinese immigrants were to be authorized in America. This act was implemented for more than fifty years and even after it was repealed there was still much racism towards Asians in America. The history of the United States is not a necessarily cheerful one. While it is now the Land of the Free, it was not always that way. Even today, racism can be prevalent in certain areas of the States. It’s not something to be proud of but is nevertheless a part of American history that cannot be ignored. All that can be done now is to work towards a better future and learn from past mistakes.

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