Prompt  In 1863 Abraham Lincoln closed his Gettysburg Address envisioning a "new birth of freedom" at war's  end

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Prompt 
In 1863 Abraham Lincoln closed his Gettysburg Address envisioning a "new birth of freedom" at war's 
end. What did it mean to be "free" for Americans between the years 1865-1914? How should we 
understand the term "freedom" in American culture during this time period? 
These broad questions should guide your inquiry into the 1865-1914 period. You have three weeks to 
explore these questions and design a compelling narrative addressing the meaning of freedom in 
American history during this time. 

 

 In order to provide an appropriate response to this inquiry, it is necessary for us to take into account the concept of freedom within the framework of its own culture, as well as to investigate primary sources, secondary sources, and historical archives. Within the context of American society throughout this time period, the idea of freedom will be investigated in this article. Particular attention will be paid to the civil rights movements of African Americans, the struggles for women's suffrage, and the restrictions on immigration.The civil rights campaigns of African Americans, the women's suffrage movement, and the limitation of immigration all had a significant role in the development of the notion of freedom in the United States between the years 1865 and 1914. These movements had the dual goals of extending the rights of the disenfranchised and establishing new kinds of oppression.

Movements of African Americans Concerning Civil Rights

The American Civil War was not only a watershed event in the history of the United States but also ushered in a fresh start for African Americans. African Americans in the years after the war enjoyed a type of freedom from slavery; nonetheless, newly liberated slaves continued to confront prejudice and injustice in the years that followed the war.

Frederick Douglass made a notable statement on the importance of voting rights before the National Colored Convention in 1876. In that address, he said, "The right to vote is the right to be free." Through the fight for voting rights and civil rights, he and other African American leaders of the period attempted to broaden the scope of the rights and liberties enjoyed by African Americans. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave African Americans citizenship and the ability to vote, was ratified in the year 1868. However, despite the fact that the amendment was passed, African Americans continued to be the target of prejudice and violence, and they were often prevented from exercising their right to vote.

African American civil rights activists including W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, and Booker T. Washington coordinated rallies and boycotts as a means of combating this issue and demanding equal rights and safeguards for African Americans. These attempts were received with opposition and bloodshed during the time era, as illustrated by the Wilmington Race Riot of 1898, in which a white mob overthrew the city's African American administration. These efforts were greeted with opposition and violence during the time period.

In the end, the civil rights movements that were led by African Americans during this time period aimed to reimagine what it meant to be free in the United States. They did this by combating the preexisting structures of oppression and discrimination and by fighting for an expansion of the rights of African Americans.

Women's Suffrage Movement

During this time period in American history, the campaign for women's suffrage worked toward the goal of redefining the meaning of freedom. Women's rights activists organized themselves and battled for the right to vote, in addition to other political and civic rights, throughout the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. Suffragists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Alice Paul, along with a number of other activists, staged demonstrations, marches, and rallies to call for equal rights for women.

A significant step forward for the women's suffrage campaign was the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote. On the other hand, it is essential to keep in mind that the amendment did not provide women with complete civil rights. They continued to be vulnerable to prejudice and were not treated equally. Furthermore, they were not permitted the same economic liberties as men. In addition, several women of color were still denied the right to vote as a result of racial prejudice.

The goal of the campaign to gain women the right to vote and to increase the rights and freedoms available to them was to rethink what it meant to be free in the context of the American political system.

Restriction of People Coming to the Country

Additionally, the limitation of immigration during this time period had an effect on the idea of freedom in the United States. The United States had a considerable inflow of immigrants throughout the latter part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. As a result, certain citizens of the United States began to express rising worry over this phenomenon. In response, the United States government started passing laws that restricted immigration, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Immigration Act of 1917. Both of these laws were enacted about a century ago.

These rules not only limited the amount of people who could enter the United States, but they also denied some immigrant groups the opportunity to become citizens of the country. This was considered as a method to defend the American way of life, but at the same time, it denied those immigrants the freedom to try to make a better life for themselves in the United States.

Because it denied some groups of people the opportunity to seek a better life in the United States, the limitation of immigration during this time period had a formative effect on the notion of freedom in the United States.

Conclusion

The civil rights campaigns of African Americans, the women's suffrage movement, and the limitation of immigration all had a significant role in the development of the notion of freedom in the United States between the years 1865 and 1914. These movements had the dual goals of extending the rights of the disenfranchised and establishing new kinds of oppression. Both the women's suffrage movement and the civil rights movement of African Americans attempted to secure voting rights and civil rights for African Americans, while the women's suffrage movement also sought to secure voting rights for women. In conclusion, the limitation of immigration denied some groups of individuals the right to seek a better life in the United States in order to pursue greater economic opportunities. It is crucial to explore how the movements that took place during this time in American history continue to impact our conception of freedom to this day. This era in American history saw a reframing of the notion of freedom.
 

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