EOTO: Sundown Towns

 Sundown Towns were all white communities, neighborhoods, and counties all over the country that kept blacks and other minorities out. 

“The name derives from the posted and verbal warnings issued to Blacks that although they might be allowed to work or travel in a community during the daytime, they must leave by sundown” Sundown Towns •.  

Also, they didn’t just discriminate against one minority. They also prohibited Jews, Native Americans, Chinese, Japanese, and others. 

“Although it is difficult to make an accurate count, historians estimate there were up to 10,000 sundown towns in the United States between 1890 and 1960, mostly in the Mid-West and West. They began to proliferate during the Great Migration, starting in about 1910 when large numbers of African Americans left the South to escape racism and poverty. As Blacks began to migrate to other regions of the country, many predominantly white communities actively discouraged them from settling there.” 

The areas would have signs posted around towns making it clear that only one group was allowed after sunset. 

Some towns would use discriminatory covenants not to allow minority groups to buy or rent a home. 

“Businesses that served Black customers or hired Black employees would be boycotted by the white townspeople, ensuring that Blacks had few, if any, job opportunities in those communities.” 

Many towns also used violence or harassment to chase them away. 

“In some instances, white mobs perpetrated racial cleansings that expelled entire Black communities in a single day.” 

“In other cases, white gangs utilized systematic threats of violence punctuated by lynchings or public acts of racial terror.” 

“In many cases, whites resorted to “whitecapping” or “night riding,” acts of organized, extralegal violence executed under the cover of night, that sought to terrorize Black families and communities” Sundown Towns - New Georgia Encyclopedia. 

“After World War II, sundown towns shifted from being primarily independent smaller towns in rural counties to being suburbs and parts of major metropolitan areas. 

Unlike earlier waves of sundown town creation, when towns with a demographic history that included African Americans purposefully became more white over time, many new suburbs were organized from their inception to be virtually all-white” Sundown town | Meaning & History | Britannica. 

In the present day, there are still Sundown Towns. Although they don’t have that name anymore, they still have the racial history that will forever follow them. All 50 states have at least one, but most have 10+.

Some major states that have Sundown Towns are California, Texas, Florida, New York, and even our state of North Carolina, Sundown Towns by State - History and Social Justice.

EOTO Reaction Post

 The Reconstruction Era had both positives and negatives. 

I am going to start with the negatives. 

Lynching is a public killing of an individual who has not received any due process. 

They were often carried out by lawless mobs. The Ku Klux Klan, founded in 1886 in Tenessee, the main target was the Freedman Bureau, it restored white rule in Tennessee, Georgia, and NC, led to the Force Act of 1870 and the KKK Act of 1871. 

Carpetbaggers intended intention was to become rich and gain political power. Lincoln’s Assassination, soon after the war ended Lincoln gave a speech that argued for Black men and veterans to have the right to vote. 

The end of Military Reconstruction ended with the Compromise of 1877, a compromise was reached between Republicans and Democrats. 

Black Codes, designed as a restrictive law designed to limit the freedoms of African Americans, Grandfather Clause, Literacy test, and segregation of public schools and public places. 

With the negatives, come the positives. 

The Freedmen’s Bureau, a federal agency to help the newly freed, existed in the southern states, fed millions, built schools, and helped reconnect family members. 

Founding Black Colleges in America, were unallowed, in 1837 Cheyenne University was the first Black College established, 1851 the University of the District of Columbia was also established, and they had major controversy. 

The 13th Amendment banned slavery, the 14th Amendment, granted citizenship to all persons and gave and guaranteed equal protection of laws, southern states would be punished for not allowing African Americans to vote. 15th Amendment granted African Americans the right to vote. 

The First African American in Congress, Rhodes Revels- was well educated, and Joseph Hayne Rainey- the first black man and former slave to serve in the U.S. House of Reps.

Overview of Reconstruction Era for Mock Trial

 The Reconstruction Era lasted from 1865 to 1877, and it followed the American Civil War. 

“Attempts were made to redress the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy and to solve the problems arising from the readmission to the Union of the 11 states that had seceded at or before the outbreak of war.” 

“Reconstruction witnessed far-reaching changes in America’s political life.” “Nationally, new laws and amendments altered the federal system and definition of American citizenship.” These amendments blazed the trail for more freedom for African Americans. 

“In the South, a politically mobilized Black community joined with white allies to bring the Republican Party to power, and with it a redefinition of the responsibilities of government.” 

Reconstruction as a whole had many ups and downs. There are also different pieces and groups that made reconstruction what it is known as today. 

Following President Lincoln’s assassination, Andrew Johnson became president, and “inaugurated the period of Presidential Reconstruction (1865–67).” 

“Johnson offered a pardon to all Southern whites except Confederate leaders and wealthy planters, restoring their political rights and all property except slaves.” 

With this pardon, there were also other requirements. They had to abolish slavery, refuse to accept secession, and annul the Confederate debt. Apart from these requirements, they were “granted a free hand in managing their affairs.” They used this and created the Black codes. 

The Black Codes were “laws that required African Americans to sign yearly labor contracts and in other ways sought to limit the freedmen’s economic options and reestablish plantation discipline.” African Americans strongly resisted the implementation of these rules. 

“When Congress assembled in December 1865, Radical Republicans called for the establishment of new Southern governments based on equality before the law and universal male suffrage.” 

“Congress refused to seat the representatives and senators elected from the Southern states and in early 1866 passed the Freedmen’s Bureau and Civil Rights Bills.” These bills helped shape what African Americans were working towards. 

Some personal reasons and biases led President Andrew Johnson to reject the bills. This left a big rift between Johnson and Congress. 

“The Civil Rights Act became the first significant legislation in American history to become law over a president’s veto.” This was one of the biggest leaps for African Americans at the time. 

Radical Reconstruction was Congress’s way of starting anew. “The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 divided the South into five military districts and outlined how new governments, based on manhood suffrage without regard to race, were to be established.” 

By 1870, nearly all Confederate states were a part of the Union again, and most were controlled by the Republican Party. 

Different groups made up the Republicans,“ Carpetbaggers, or recent arrivals from the North, were former Union soldiers, teachers, Freedmen’s Bureau agents, and businessmen. 

The second large group, scalawags, or native-born white Republicans, included some businessmen and planters, but most were nonslaveholding small farmers from the Southern up-country.” 

African Americans held the majority in every state, for Southern Republican voters. “Sixteen African Americans served in Congress during Reconstruction, more than 600 in state legislatures, and hundreds more in local offices from sheriff to justice of the peace scattered across the South.” These men helped change many Black family's lives. 

Even though by the end of Reconstruction a new racial system was put into place in the South; all of the amendments made were kept in the Constitution. 

It was “not until the 1960s, in the civil rights movement, sometimes called the ‘second reconstruction,’ would the country again attempt to fulfill the political and social agenda of Reconstruction.”

Links:

https://www.britannica.com/event/Reconstruction-United-States-history

Reconstruction Video Reaction

During Reconstruction, America could finally become what it always wanted to be. It left a legacy of hope and violence. To this day we are still haunted by Reconstruction. 

Abraham Lincoln freeing the slaves was not the end of the story, but it was just the beginning. During the Civil War, many slaves fled the South and joined the Union Army. 

The slaves changed what a military victory would be. It was obvious that the North and South saw Reconstruction differently. After they were free, slaves would put an information wanted paragraph in newspapers. They were trying to find their loved ones. 

Some of them would walk to where they last saw a loved one to try and find them again. 

During Reconstruction, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and Vice President, Andrew Johnson became president.

Johnson grew up a poor man in the South. He hated the rich white plantation owners in the South. Johnson enacted The Freedman Bearu. This was supposed to protect former slaves and keep the peace between white southern men and African Americans. 

The Freedman’s Bearu was given 850,000 acres of land. This was meant for the freedmen to have. Many thought this was the blueprint for Reconstruction. 

Johnson said that if they wanted to be pardoned, they would have to call the White House and come talk to Johnson in person. Many Southerners who Andrew Johnson hated, came and begged him for forgiveness and to be pardoned. 

Johnson ordered that all The Freedmans Bearus land be the confederates again. This meant that all the Freedmen who owned land in these areas would have to sign a labor contract with white owners, possibly their old owners.

The South was devastated by the Civil War. Their land was destroyed, along with their economy. Many former confederates would cling to their ideas that they were right and just in their actions.

In 1865, Mississippi created The Black Codes. These rules only affected African Americans. These rules forced African Americans to sign labor contracts.

If they didn’t sign a contract, they could be arrested or their kids could be taken from them.

Slave owners would take kids and teach boys how to work in the field, and girls how to do housework. This gave them an excuse to get around calling them slaves. 

Following this, the Union army was shrinking while it should have been growing. 

Confederates were brought into Congress. The clerk skipped every rebel person in Congress. If the clerk didn’t call your name, you were not a part of Congress. 

The democrats in Congress erupted and said that this was a revolution. 

Many freedmen who lost their land moved to cities. Memphis was a very populated and racially aggressive area. 

The riots in Memphis were an awful time. White men shot any black man they saw in the city. They would board up black people's homes and trap kids, women, and men inside. They would then set the house on fire. 

As people would run out and try to escape, they would shoot them. By the third day of the riots, the Union army could finally control the Confederates. 

In the end, all-black schools, and churches were burned to the ground, and 48 African Americans were killed. 

The survivors went to the White House and gave a testimony to the Congressmen. Congress finally realized that they had to write the rules for African Americans into the Constitution so they could be treated equally.

It’s said that if Reconstruction went smoother, there might not have been the 14th Amendment. 

In the Election of 1868, Republican Ulysses S. Grant ran against Democrat Horatio Seymour. 

Grant was loved by a lot of people. Freedmen loved him because he treated them like human beings. Half a million black men voted in that election.

Grant won the election. With this, a ton of Freedmen entered Congress. Some of these men were enslaved a few years before this.

State vs. Mann Mock Trial Reaction

 The State vs. Mann trial was between the state of North Carolina and John Mann.

John Mann was a slave owner. He shot Lydia who was one of his slaves. Lydia was trying to escape. As she was leaving, he shot her in the back.

The state of North Carolina tried John and found him guilty. He was charged $10. Mann did not like this, so now he is trying to be refunded the money.

According to the state's lawyers, John was guilty. They had many reasons for this.

They asked why are slaves beaten and hurt. Why are they not treated like humans? Slavery helps the economy. So why are they treated poorly? 

Another piece of information was brought up. Lydia did not actually belong to John. John was renting her services from another woman. 

Slavery crushed the ideas of the United States. This is supposed to be the place where people come to for freedom. If the country is treating outsiders like this, why would anyone want to migrate here?

There was an obvious presence of poor conditions for slaves. Most children born into slavery did not make it to adulthood. Slaves started to boycott work. This made the value of their land less. 

The state argued that what Mann did was assault and battery. Since Mann did not legally own Lydia, he could not treat her as badly as he did. 

On the side of John Mann, his lawyers argued that he deserved his money back. 

According to the bible, Mann was right in what he did. He was justified in his actions, and Lydia was the sinner. They argued that if Lydia just stayed put and put up with the abuse she would not have been shot. 

In the end, the state lost, and Mann was refunded his $10.

After hearing both arguments, I agree with the State. What John did was not fair. Slaves should have been treated more equally since they were the reasons that the South was bringing in money.

Town Hall Reaction

 The town hall had many different people represented. There were people who were pro-slavery and anti-slavery. 

I’m going to talk about people for were anti-slavery. 

The Grimke sisters were very influential. They fought against slavery from a very young age. Abolitionists focused on the moral side of slavery to try and help change people's views. 

John Brown was sentenced to death. He and 21 of his men raided a military area and tried to steal guns in order to kill slave owners. 

In Delaware, African Americans were not allowed to attend school.

Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address. Slaveholders justified their rights to owning slaves, by baptizing them into their religion. 

The Liberator Article was controversial the moment it was released to the public. The Democratic party was deeply divided on the issue of slavery.

In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, he wrote about the horrors of slavery.