Racism has been around ever since the 1600′s. When the Europeans arrived in America, they found that Native Americans had already created a civilization there. But, that did not stop them from taking over their land. The Europeans thought of the Native Americans as an inferior race. Therefore, they did not give them much of a chance to keep living as they had before the Europeans arrived. It became mandatory that the Native Americans leave behind their society to adapt to white society. Even though the Native Americans were settled in American long before the Europeans arrived, they were not respected and had their land, culture, and heritage stripped from them because white culture was supposedly the dominant culture and correct way to live.

Along with the Native Americans, the African Americans suffered many similar inequalities because of the European-Americans. Racism had a great impact on black society because of slavery. The slaves were treated as if they were not even humans at all. They had no basic rights whatsoever. Even after slavery was illegal, the blacks never had the respect and rights from the white people as they deserved. Blacks did not even get the right to vote until between 1865-1870 when the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments were passed. Black women had to wait until the 1920′s to even receive voting rights. Although after 1870 African Americans were theoretically equal under the laws, they were still treated unfairly and beneath the white people. The Native Americans, African Americans, and Asians were all discriminated against.

The Asian population has been growing in the United States ever since 1750 when the Filipinos first immigrated to America. The first large-scale immigration of Asians to America did not happen until 1848. The Asians first came to America to find their fortune. Most of them became workers or miners. The Asians first taste of discrimination was the Foreign Miners Tax which was supposed to be collected from every foreign miners, but in reality was only collect from the Chinese. The Chinese refused to pay the tax and therefore were attacked by the white people. Also, when the Asians tried to bring their attacks to court, they were prevented to testify in white courts. The white population had complete control over the foreign immigrants and discriminated against almost all of them.

Today, all people are equal under the laws, but in society it does not seem that way. For example, at South Philadelphia High School, the black students were harassing the Asian students. One of the Asian Students explained that it took a lot of work to finally get to America, and all he wanted was to be treated equally. This type of thing happens all over America by many different people of different races. Native Americans, African Americans and Asians were all discriminated against in  early America and still today. Racial equality has been, and continues to be, a difficult reality to achieve in American life.

In a speech delivered in 2004, Barack Obama proclaimed, “There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America – there’s the United States of America.” While this statement seems true to many people living in the twenty first century, the concept is relatively new to the US.  Discrimination has affected many different races and has significantly altered the country’s history. Racial conflicts have been present in America since the first settlers arrived in Jamestown. Targeted with stereotypes and violence, the Native Americans were the first to feel the effects of racism. The Native population gradually decreased as they were forced off their land and stripped of their culture. Racism did not only destroy their pride and traditions, but it also nearly eliminated Native tribes.  African Americans fell next to the cruelty inflicted by racism. As more blacks were taken from their native countries, the methods of slavery grew increasingly immoral. The separation of families, the forced labor, the beatings, and the overall treatment of slaves caused African Americans to feel inferior and worthless. The inundation of immigrants beginning in the late 1800′s introduced the country to many new forms of racism. Europeans and Asians fled to America in hopes of pursuing promises of wealth and success. The rapid increase forced the government to create restriction laws that prevented the immigrants from achieving their goals. The government’s actions consequently built societal barriers between races. In many areas, housing and employment were based solely on race and nationality. As time went on, people became gradually more upset with the state of the country. The war with Vietnam during the 1960′s fueled Americans’ anger and put the country in a state of chaos. This prevented the government from listening to the requests for equal rights.  The Civil Rights Movement marked the turning point of racism in America. While African Americans were the most involved in the movement, their hope was for all races to benefit. Activists as well as civilians took matters into their own hands and fought for equal rights. Their methods of violence and nonviolence were contradicting, but forced the government to take action. The movement succeeded in influencing the creation of the Civil Rights Act, which legally put an end to discrimination and segregation. This act marked one of the greatest transitions in the history of America. Although all races were legally equal, it took time for them to be equal in the eyes of society. Progress in America has continued and the long term effects of racism have begun to subside. Barack Obama’s presidency symbolizes the end of historical racial conflicts and represents a final triumph over discrimination and prejudice.

Who records the history of a nation, the official chronicle of the nations past? America has favored the accounts of white males, who have consistently held a majority in the Senate and the House, and have had a more favorable past in this country. It is from their perspective that the officials documents are written, from their perspective that events are kept. During the beginning of the US’s founding, when it was still under British control, they were the only accounts that mattered, and there were very few others. As the Revolutionary war came, and we became one nation, still the ‘facts’ were told by the same groups of people, the people who had the social standings, the right skin color. As the country moved into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigrants began to flood in, and no longer was there a way to identify one as ‘American’, that definition began to change. As new people began to come in, as new jobs appeared, as new issues arose, the forms of documentation began to change too. Journalism started to take off, having people telling the story as it was, not from a factual perspective, but a personal one, getting to know individual stories. As television was invented, news began to be given as a daily picture, shown right into a household at all hours of the day, bringing the latest news. This progression of accounts have slowly shifted, and as of this spring, there was an even greater step in this transformation. As an April 16th blog entitled “Library of Congress Will Save Tweets” (taken from an article on nytimes.com) said, the government will now hold an account of the past written by the everyday people, the people truly living the events. The Library of Congress has begun to store the more than 50 million daily “tweets”, from the popular social network Twitter.  This is by no means a complete version of everything that happens, but it will be the way the public sees it (in 140 characters or less, of course.) This is the evolution of history that is so apparent within the US because of its short history as a country. This is just the beginning, a preview of what the future records of our country will look like. There are many ways to track the changes of a nation, but one way is to see how the history is told, and who tells it.

Several of the history blogs that I have written about have addressed the issues of racism in the 21st century.  Although racism still exsists in the 21st century there has been much improvement throughout the centuries.  It is interesting to see the transition in racism from the 1600′s through the 1900′s.  When blacks first arrived in Jamestown in the 1600′s on boats from Africa, they were traded for food or other commodities and used as laborers.  The slave trade was essential to the economy during the 17th and 18th centuries for the agricultural industry.  As the economy boomed the number of enslaved Africans also grew.  The blacks had no rights, were not educated, and the majority were forced into slavery.  Moving into the 19th century, decades of controversy and division over the issue of slavery began.  By the end of the 19th century slaves were freed, but blacks were still not given equal rights.  During the 20th century the civil rights movement aimed to eliminate the discrimination and racism that blacks in America had been facing for centuries.  The movement ended segregation in schools, workplaces and public places.  This helped close the gap between the races.  The transition from the 17th century to the 2oth century showed much progress in the elimination of racism in America. 

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/119368/Civil-Rights-Movement

http://innercity.org/holt/slavechron.html

DeLay, Brian, Christine Leigh Heyrman, Mark H Lytle, Michael B Stoff, and James West Davidson, Nations of Nations; A Narrative History of the American Republic(New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2008)

Currently one of the most influential countries in the modern world, the US came a long way through history gain reputation as a powerful international leader. Centuries ago, before it even gained independence and became the United States, it was the Thirteen Colonies governed by Great Britain.  Although these colonies at first took pride in having a distinct English culture, they later began feeling threatened by the idea that England had the intent of enslaving the colonies.  Besides restricting the trade of resources from the South to Great Britain, Parliament also enforced a series of unfair taxes and demands on the colonies, such as the Stamp Act and Quartering Act.  The colonists reacted with outrage, boycotting goods and creating resistance groups.  Eventually, the colonies revolted against Great Britain in the American Revolution.   Emerging as the victors, the colonists declared their desire for independence, submitting the Declaration of Independence to Great Britain.  A new nation was soon created –  the United States of America.  This was the first step for the US in reaching its future position as “leader” on the world stage.  In subsequent years, the US continued to develop, both politically and economically.  The new nation based itself on the Constitution, which provided for an independent executive and a balanced government, a system still upheld today.  Through a series of negotiations and battles, the US gained more territory and grew significantly in size.  With the help of slavery, the economy in the South flourished, and international trade grew.  The advent of the Industrial Revolution in the North contributed to the industrialization and modernization of the US, contributing to its reputation as an industrially competitive country.  It soon became a popular destination for immigrants all around the world seeking jobs and better lives.  As more workers arrived and more factories produced goods, international US trade and commerce continued to increase.  However, it was more than just these commercial ties that sparked American interest in overseas countries.  By the late 19^th century, the US had become infused with the concept of imperialism.  It was at this point in history, when the US endeavored to further extend its boundaries that it began emerging a “world leader.”  With the desire to expand trade to China across the Pacific, the US successfully overtook Hawaii.  It also emerged victorious in the Spanish-American War, gaining Puerto Rico and Guam.  Eventually, the Philippines were annexed as well.  With these added territories, the US gained further influence and competence and used this advantage to open markets in Asia for trade as demonstrated in the Open Door Policy in China. 

            The US further gained distinction among nations through its roles as an Allied country in World War I and World War II.  During World War I, the President Wilson’s presentation of audacious proposals served to prove the power of the US over other countries.  Through the Five-Power Naval Treaty, for example, the tonnage of ships allotted to certain countries was limited.  The Kellog-Briand Pact involved six other nations in an agreement to outlaw war.   After the war, the US the main contributor to the Treaty of Versailles, which ultimately punished Germany.  These all show the influence the US held over other countries.  Within these wars, the US also advanced technologically and developed a military with improved armaments.  It developed the first atomic bomb and unleashed it on Hiroshima.  These actions would place the US as leader in technological and scientific advancement, influencing other nations to begin developing various warfare materials and nuclear weapons of their own.  Today, the US still has one of the best militaries as well as one of the largest stockpiles of nuclear weaponry.  In recent years, the US has demonstrated its continuation as a dominating nation.  Under the Obama administration, for example, President Obama has succeeded in gaining the pledges of 47 countries in an effort to eliminate nuclear materials worldwide.  This is just one example of the US’ role in protecting the world and leading countries towards positive efforts.  Although it started out as a weak country, unsure of how to proceed without the guidance of Britain, its determination to gain independence in the first place has been carried throughout history, propelling to gain the reputed position of leadership it continues to hold today.

       The Wal-Mart gender case portrayed a standstill in women’s rights when it officially entered the courtroom on April 26th, 2010. The case contradicted rights that women started to fight for more than one hundred years ago.Several events spurred the expansion of women’s rights, beginning before the Civil War era. In the late 1840′s Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott began the Women’s Rights Movement. The spread of abolition in 1848 drew women’s attention as they realized that they could easily identify with African Americans because they were both fighting for equal rights. Stanton and Mott organized the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 in hopes to gain more rights in education, and divorce, suffrage rights, their professional lives, and the rights to own their own property. Although they celebrated few victories from the convention, it propelled women to pursue their rights for the next 160 years.

       The Post-War I era triggered more fights and protests for women’s rights. World War I pulled more than a million women into the workforce. With most men overseas at war, guidelines for female labor changed. They received higher wages, proper break and meal times, as well as a shorter work day. Unfortunately, their upgrades disappeared with the return of men after the war. Even more women were brought into the workforce during World War II. When men returned from this war, the same thing happened: women’s rights were stripped. This  repetition resulted in a  more intense and strong wave of feminism than ever before. Many women distanced themselves from the stereotypical housewife image and lifestyle and began a sense of individualism. Between 1940 and 1960 the amount of women in the workforce doubled from 15% to 30% as women found that they preferred working rather than being confined to their homes. Although women improved their economic statuses while fighting for their rights in the workforce, gender roles resisted transformation until the 1960′s and ’70′s.

       In the 1960′s feminism began to take its shape as women sought out to fight a more in depth battle of gender roles and inequalities. Movement women made it a priority to destroy the glorified housewife stereotype. The National Organization for women transpired as they began to explore more equal rights, in particular abortion rights. Always having more to fight more, women never officially stopped their attempts to gain more equal rights, but each time their rights were challenged, their accomplishments were questioned. The Wal-Mart gender case challenged the rights women had already gained in the workforce, mainly the right to attain the same level of professional of any man. The gender case confronted and contradicted the accomplishments of feminists thus far, and has already begun to drive them to expand their rights furthermore. The plaintiffs in the case simply wanted their chance in court to make a difference, significant or not. Although the case triggered concerns that women did not have the rights they thought they did, it gave women an opportunity to continue publically fighting for their rights.

       This past Monday, a rather controversial case divided federal appeals to a 6-5 ruling that a gender discrimination lawsuit towards Wal-Mart could proceed as a class action. Beginning in 2001, several female employees of Wal-Mart believed that company retailers were paying women smaller salaries than men and presenting them with fewer opportunities for raises and promotions. “Plaintiffs stressed that while 65% of Wal-Mart’s hourly employees were women, only 33% of the company’s managers were.” Wal-Mart strongly disagreed with Monday’s ruling and decided to appeal to the United States Supreme Court. Jeff Gearhart, the general counsel for Wal-Mart, said that the six individual women who brought this case to court were not accurate representations of the general Wal-Mart female workforce. Part of the case’s controversy is the vast number of plaintiffs involved, and how the case could affect other large companies. However, Betty Dukes, a lead plaintiff, expressed her happiness in finally having a chance in court.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/business/27suit.html?scp=2&sq=wal%20mart&st=cse

       Just as women’s roles in the workforce continue to grow stronger today, they expanded exponentially in the 1940′s during World War II. With millions of men in uniform, there were several jobs that needed to be filled. Women expanded their skills and labor by taking over many of the jobs that were typically done by men. As women expanded their labor, their economic status improved, but traditional gender roles stayed the same. Women did not fight gender issues at this point, but they would later on. Gender roles of women have transformed drastically since the 1940′s but some original stereotypes lingered in society. For example, professions in government such as the president or a state senator were merely out of the question for women in the 1940′s. In 2009, Hillary Clinton showed the world that women did, in fact, have a place in politics. Although she was not elected as the president, she proved a point for all women. Similar to Hillary Clinton, the six female plaintiffs of the Wal-Mart gender case wanted a chance to prove their point: Although women have made progress in gaining equality in the workforce, the equality of men and women has yet to be equal.