Honors history writing (final draft)

A “Modern” America
By Osamah Elhams

“A house divided against itself cannot stand”, argued the 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, pointing out that when a state secedes from the Union then the Union cannot stand. I certainly must take a stand. If it hadn’t been for the Civil War; a reflection of past governmental conflicts, a new “modern” America would not exist. The United States was once torn asunder, like a cataclysmic event, by the Union and Confederacy in 1861 before the Civil War. Slavery in the South was vigorously supported because southern society was mainly agricultural. The north was fighting not to save the old Union but to create a new nation. As many as half a million slaves fled to the union side from the south. Equality was meaningless before “modern” America. Political leaders had to rise up and advocate the principles of equality for all.

Historical people like Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, and President Barrack Obama have enormously strengthened the African American society. Martin Luther King stressed the importance of equality and Americans had a new vision of America through his writings. Obama, half white and half black, was elected by America to become its first black President and that has brought down many racial barriers. His inauguration brightened the minds of many Americans by allowing a diverse President into office. If it hadn’t been for the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves wouldn’t be free men and women. If this proclamation had never been implemented, then someone like Barack Obama would never been elected. If the supporters of the Confederate states could have seen future events unfold as they have, they would have been angry. Obama’s inspirational story has made people believe in equality for all in America. This is proof that the Civil War created revolutionary changes for slaves in the South. Just as early American colonists were trying to overthrow British rule during the Revolutionary War, so too were Southern slaves trying to overthrow the tyranny of the white man.

The country remained whole in spite of the attempt by the Confederate states to tear the Union in half and secede from the United States of America. After the war, the states of the Confederacy were restored to the Union. A shattered country was rebuilt. Together, both black and white men remade America even better than before. President Lincoln pardoned many elite Confederate leaders in the hopes of unifying the nation. After Lincoln’s death, President Johnson demanded that the Confederate States ratify the proposed Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery. Black men who were once considered slaves were now able to own land and prosper. Eventually, these new freedoms lead the way for many to get an education and be given the right to vote. In the beginning some states imposed “Black Codes”. These “Black Codes” were meant to put a limit on the individual rights of black men. After the Civil War many black men who had been freed wanted legal names and their marriages to be legalized. Newly freed, some black families became sharecroppers and shared profits of their crops with white land owners.

“Modern America” is now a product of what happened as the result of the Civil War that brought about enormous changes for its citizens. The idea of slavery in “modern America” is not acceptable. America still has conflicts erupting. There are still some advocates of slavery living in the South, individuals who are proud to wave the Confederate flag and challenge the freedoms of African Americans. “Modern America” is completely diverse. African Americans are able to achieve more than ever before. Now, they are no limitations to what they can do. Achieving the pivotal role of the President of the United States just shows how far African Americans have come since the days of the Civil War. Now all United States citizens are able to enjoy the same inalienable rights that were not guaranteed to all before the Civil War. Rights like access to courts, education, the right to own land and the right to vote. Martin Luther king’s dreams of America with equal rights for all, has come one step closer to becoming a reality. Unfortunately, Martin Luther king did not live to see his dream come true.

Through his role as leader of the greatest nation on earth, Barack Obama, has made every attempt to appoint and recruit persons of all diverse backgrounds to serve in the Judiciary and other influential government positions. His recent appointment of Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor is evidence of this. He also appointed the first African American to the position of Attorney General. People of all nations have witnessed first- hand how the policies created to protect the rights of black men after the Civil War has become reality. (Epilogue)