Race in the 20th Century

Paper Summary:

In 1903 W. E. B. DuBois said that race would be the most important issue of the 20th century. Some have suggested that this was prescient, but viewing how the 20th century unfolded, it may have been optimistic of him. This paper examines how the 'race problem' has unfolded in 20th century America, from the the Jim Crow Laws, the segregated South and the Ku Klux Klan. The paper looks at segregation in education, sport and other areas and questions why it took so long for America to pass the Civil Rights Act. Finally, the paper looks at the progress made in America in the latter part of the century.

From the Paper:

"It would be easy to despair over what has and has not happened in the last century. To us, as Americans, it seems like a very long time since the Emancipation Proclamation. It seems that in over 200 years we should have accomplished more. But the sad truth is that laws and the citizens who are supposed to follow those laws don't always run in tandem. In fact our country has a long and honored tradition of defying laws if we feel them to be unjust, starting before the Revolutionary war when Colonists climbed onto a ship in Boston Harbor and dumped tea in the salty water rather than be denied the freedom to import their tea from whomever they chose. While it seems irrational now, in the early 1950's, many Southerners thought that their way of handling race relations was appropriate, and they resented what they viewed as federal intrusion. The governor standing on the steps of the university, with an axe handle in his hands suggesting that he would fight armed federal soldiers for what he believed in, felt as justified in his action as the Colonists did when they tossed tea into the harbor."

More papers on Race in the 20th Century:

• Comparison Essay # 115196 : "Growing Up Female in the 20th Century"
• Research Paper # 106986 : "Race and Immigration in Early 20th Century America"
• Analytical Essay # 111780 : "Totalitarianism in the 20th Century"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: