Minority Groups During 1880-1914
Minority Groups During 1880-1914
African Americans
The political and legal standing of African Americans drastically changed over the eighteenth century. It wasn't until after the Civil War that slavery was abolished and blacks were granted more rights as citizens that they were fully recognized. African Americans' economic and demographic circumstances remained remarkably stable throughout the nineteenth century, in spite of these significant shifts. Between 1880 and 1914, the African American population served as a vital conduit for the advancement of the industrial revolution. In the vast production of cotton for the textile industries, the majority of African Americans were enslaved. The growth of the African Americans in the industries and the ongoing battle for independence resulted in the American government making efforts to better the life of the black population. During this time period, African-Americans gained the right to vote, participate in politics, purchase previously owned property, look for job, and use public restrooms. While Union forces were occupying huge swaths of the South, President Lincoln proposed reconstruction plan in 1863, which called for the new state constitutions to ban slavery by default, thus seeking to quickly reunite the nation.
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Child Workers
The Industrial Revolution necessitated the demand for labor during the Industrial Revolution. Family farms and indentured slaves provided labor for children. Between the ages of 10 and fourteen, boys started their apprenticeships in order to study a particular skill. It was advantageous for employers to hire children since they could be paid less, were smaller in size, and were less inclined to organize and strike. Instead of going to school, the youngsters were working. Social reformers began to speak out against child work as early as the first decades of the nineteenth century. They were not alone. Several other states followed suit after Connecticut established one of the first child labor laws mandating factory owners to provide basic education for their young workers. A new ideal in the United States that glorified childhood as a time to study and develop as an individual contributed to the decline of child labor at the beginning of the 20th century. Public opinion was swayed in favor of changes during the Progressive Era by the publication of shocking images showing the plight of child workers throughout the country. There were many regulations put in place to restrict the working age of children, as well as to enhance their working circumstances.
