buy custom The Origin of African American Oppression essay

buy custom The Origin of African American Oppression essay Introduction Initially, the African Americans were known as the Negros in America. These were the descendants of Africans captured as slaves or prisoners of war from the African countries by the American and Arab traders. During the early 1660s, most Africans from the West and Central Africa were kidnapped and taken to America to work on the farms and as domestic workers. The captives worked under harsh environments. The Americans mistreated them, and this led to the emergence of African-America Oppression. Origin of African American Oppression Finkelman (2006) observes that the African American oppression started due to the slave trade. It is believed the first Africans arrived in America at around 1619. At this time, only 19 Africans originated from the West African countries. They were taken to America to be servants, but not slaves. After several years of working, Americans discovered the Africans had the potential to give the best output and; thus, led to a high demand for more Africans. Consequentially, more Africans were captured forcefully from mostly the West an Central African countries. Some slaves were also kidnapped from the East African countries and Madagascar. Finkelman (2006) indicates that ten million Africans were transported to the Western countries as slaves. During this time, most slaves were taken to other countries as only 3% were ferried to America. As slaves taken to countries like Trinidad died due to poor climatic conditions, the ones in America survived, as medical services were provided. The Af ricans worked under extremely harsh climatic conditions under their whites masters. They were taken to the plantations of coffee, sugarcane and tobacco. Despite the fact that slaves had their own rights, they were not paid their wages. The rise in output from the Americans farms led to high demand for the slaves. As at 1700, the highest number of slaves was experienced in America. Research asserts that, by 1700, there were 25,000 slaves of the African origin. That was not a small number, as it was roughly 3% of the total American population. These were the descendants of the slaves taken to Trinidad and Tobago. Some were imported from Africa. Considering this high number of the Africans, it was now open that they were in America as slaves. They resided in coffee plantations and the Port cities. They formed their own traditions and cultures as their numbers escalated. By 1750, there were more than 50,000 Africans living under slavery. Civil rights movements against oppression of African Americans Africans were now officially known as slaves in America. They were oppressed and denied various rights. Among the things denied, was access to quality education. An African child could not attend the same school with Americans. They also could not use the same road with Whites. This led to numerous uprisings opposing slavery and oppression of the African Americans. According to West and Glaude (2003), in 1773, a woman of African American descent wrote a book condemning the oppression of the Africans. She was the first African to take the step. This was followed by a revolution, in 1787, when North America banned slavery. West and Glaude (2003) also assert that the Northern American constitution condemned slavery and anyone found could be accused of going against human rights. Later on in Virginia, an African slave against slavery organized a radical revolt. The laws of Virginia could not entertain this and thus led to hanging of the rebels. More other revolts were organized against this act of oppression. At around 1808, the Congress banned the importation of slaves from Africa. Several states followed suit and banned slavery. Some African and America preachers also rose to condemn slavery as an evil act against fellow human. After a long fight, revolution was experienced in America and marked the end of slavery. How Civil Rights movements incorporated oppression However, the emergence of the civil rights movements was meant to abolish the oppression the African Americans, at some point this happened to be ironical. As revolts were organized, many Africans were arrested and punished for that, thus; oppressed. It even went to the extent of them being hanged by the Whites. The formation of the civil movement seemed to be more harm than of help. The civil movement also signed treaties that affected the African America. The treaties led to elongation of the slavery period as there were disagreements between the leaders of the civil society and the Federal government. The civil movement did not want the Federal government to end the slavery, as they preferred the states to do it. This incorporated the oppression of the African Americans because the Federal government could not agree with them. At some point, the Federal government even threatened to use force to against the States. Notably, the civil rights movements also incorporated oppression o f the African American. In conclusion, African American oppression began in 1619 when the first blacks arrived in America, to work as servants of the Whites. This led to importation of more Africans to the West to work in the farms and as domestic workers. Most of them died due to unfavorable climatic conditions. They lived under harsh conditions, and this led to revolutions later by anti-slavery groups and the Africans. Eventually slavery was banned in America after protests, and the meeting of the Congress. Buy custom The Origin of African American Oppression essay

Venustiano Carranza, Revolutionary President of Mexico

Venustiano Carranza, Revolutionary President of Mexico Venustiano Carranza Garza (December 29, 1859–May 21, 1920) was a Mexican politician, warlord, and general. Before the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920) he served as mayor of Cuatro Cià ©negas and as a congressman and senator. When the Revolution broke out, he initially allied himself with Francisco Maderos faction and independently raised his own army when Madero was assassinated. Carranza was president of Mexico from 1917–1920 but was unable to keep a lid on the chaos that had plagued his country since 1910. He was assassinated in Tlaxcalantongo in 1920 by troops led by General Rodolfo Herrero. Fast Facts: Venustiano Carranza Known For: Revolutionary leader and president of MexicoBorn: December 29, 1859 in Cuatro Cià ©negas, MexicoParents: Jesà ºs Carranza, mother unknownDied: May 21, 1920 in Tlaxcalantongo, Puebla, MexicoEducation: Ateneo Fuente, Escuela Nacional PreparatoriaSpouse(s): Virginia Salinas, Ernestina HernndezChildren: Rafael Carranza Hernndez, Leopoldo Carranza Salinas, Virginia Carranza, Jesà ºs Carranza Hernndez, Venustiano Carranza Hernndez Early Life Carranza was born into an upper-middle-class family in Cuatro Cià ©negas in the state of Coahuila on December 29, 1859. His father had been an officer in the army of Benito Jurez in the turbulent 1860s. This connection to Jurez would have a profound influence on Carranza, who idolized him. The Carranza family had money, and Venustiano was sent to excellent schools in Saltillo and Mexico City. He returned to Coahuila and dedicated himself to the family ranching business. Entry Into Politics The Carranzas had high ambitions, and with the backing of family money, Venustiano was elected mayor of his hometown. In 1893, he and his brothers rebelled against the rule of Coahuila Governor Josà © Marà ­a Garza, a crooked crony of President Porfirio Dà ­az. They were powerful enough to secure the nomination of a different governor. Carranza made some friends in high places in the process, including Bernardo Reyes, an important friend of Dà ­az. Carranza rose politically, becoming a congressman and senator. By 1908, it was widely assumed he would be the next governor of Coahuila. Personality Carranza was a tall man, standing a full 6-foot-4, and he looked very impressive with his long white beard and glasses. He was intelligent and stubborn but had very little charisma. A dour man, his lack of sense of humor was legendary. He was not the sort to inspire great loyalty, and his success in the revolution was mainly due to his ability to portray himself as a wise, stern patriarch who was the nations best hope for peace. His inability to compromise led to several severe setbacks. Although he was personally honest, he seemed indifferent to corruption in those who surrounded him. Carranza, Dà ­az, and Madero Carranza was not confirmed as governor by Dà ­az and he joined the movement of Francisco Madero, who had called for rebellion after the fraudulent 1910 election. Carranza did not contribute much to Maderos rebellion but was rewarded with the post of minister of war in Maderos cabinet, which infuriated revolutionaries such as Pancho Villa and Pascual Orozco. Carranzas union with Madero was always tenuous, as Carranza was not a true believer in reform and he felt that a firmer hand (preferably his) was needed to rule Mexico. Madero and Huerta In 1913, Madero was betrayed and assassinated by one of his generals, a relic from the Dà ­az years named Victoriano Huerta. Huerta made himself president and Carranza rebelled. He drafted a Constitution that he named the Plan of Guadalupe and took to the field with a growing army. Carranzas small force largely sat out the early part of the revolt against Huerta. He formed an uneasy alliance with Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, and Alvaro Obregà ³n, an engineer and farmer who raised an army in Sonora. United only by their hatred of Huerta, they turned on one another when their combined forces deposed him in 1914. Carranza Takes Charge Carranza had set up a government with himself as the head. This government printed money, passed laws, etc. When Huerta fell, Carranza (supported by Obregà ³n) was the strongest candidate to fill the power vacuum. Hostilities with Villa and Zapata broke out almost immediately. Although Villa had a more formidable army, Obregà ³n was the better tactician and Carranza was able to portray Villa as a sociopathic bandit in the press. Carranza also held Mexicos two main ports and, therefore, was collecting more revenue than Villa. By the end of 1915, Villa was on the run and the United States government recognized Carranza as Mexicos leader. Carranza vs. Obregà ³n With Villa and Zapata out of the picture, Carranza was officially elected president in 1917. He brought very little change, however, and those who truly wanted to see a new, more liberal Mexico after the revolution were disappointed. Obregà ³n retired to his ranch, although the fighting continued- particularly against Zapata in the south. In 1919, Obregà ³n decided to run for president. Carranza attempted to crush his former ally, as he already had his handpicked successor in Ignacio Bonillas. Obregà ³ns supporters were repressed and killed and Obregà ³n himself decided that Carranza would never leave office peacefully. Death Obregà ³n brought his army to Mexico City, driving Carranza and his supporters out. Carranza headed to Veracruz to regroup, but the trains were attacked and he was forced to abandon them and go overland. He was received in the mountains by local chieftain Rodolfo Herrera, whose men opened fire on a sleeping Carranza late at night on May 21, 1920, killing him and his top advisors and supporters. Herrera was put on trial by Obregà ³n, but it was clear that no one missed Carranza: Herrera was acquitted. Legacy The ambitious Carranza made himself one of the most important figures in the Mexican Revolution because he truly believed that he knew what was best for the country. He was a planner and organizer and succeeded through clever politicking, whereas others relied on strength of arms. His defenders point out that he brought some stability to the country and provided a focus for the movement to remove the usurper Huerta. He made many mistakes, however. During the fight against Huerta, he was the first to declare that those who opposed him would be executed, as he considered his to be the only legitimate government in the land after the death of Madero. Other commanders followed suit, and the result was the death of thousands who might have been spared. His unfriendly, rigid nature made it difficult for him to retain his hold on power, especially when some of the alternative leaders, such as Villa and Obregà ³n, were much more charismatic. Today, Carranza is remembered as one of the â€Å"Big Four† of the Mexican Revolution, along with Zapata, Villa, and Obregà ³n. Although for most of the time between 1915 and 1920 he was more powerful than any of them, he is today probably the least remembered of the four. Historians point out Obregà ³ns tactical brilliance and rise to power in the 1920s, Villas legendary bravery, flair, style and leadership, and Zapatas unwavering idealism and vision. Carranza had none of these. Still, it was during his watch that the Mexican Constitution still used today was ratified and he was by far the lesser of two evils when compared to the man he replaced, Victoriano Huerta. He is remembered in the songs and legends of the north (although primarily as the butt of Villas jokes and pranks) and his place in the history of Mexico is secure. Sources Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. â€Å"Venustiano Carranza.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 8 Feb. 2019.McLynn, Frank. Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2000.