Riots Racism And Hysteria Essays - Lynching In The United States

Riots Racism And Hysteria The difference between race riots from 1917 to 1919 As a passageway in to the decade that would be known as the The Roaring Twenties , the years between 1917 and 1922 was one an minor doorways in time, known not so much for what occurred as what would come. Stuck between one decade battered by war, deprivation and another decade consumed with material and illusions of greatness, the United States was a country in the midst of monumental change. Amid the societal and economic chances, the arts and sciences flourished, ushering in jazz and giving way to some century's most influential works of literature. However, a review of newspaper headlines at the time reveals a country that had grown disgusted with the victory and bitter with peace. Inflation was raging, the national debt had grown and maimed veterans, and impoverished war widows were everywhere. The people's sacrifices during the war seemed to generates none of the benefits that the wartime politician has had promised. But unrivaled economically, America would enter the third decade of the 20th century, vowing to remain uninvolved in foreign entanglements, turning inward, conservative and hostile to unions, Socialist and every children. However, it was the white man burden the African-American that faced persecution for jobs, equalization, decent living quarters and and the pursuit of happiness . However, it was the summer riots for these unalienable rights that uprooted the United States. What makes a riot in a city unique? Could it jobs, the area of the country or just fear? That is the purpose of this paper. Urban race riots were not new to the United States. Melinda Meek Hennessey cites thirty-three major riots, episodes in which more than a single life was lost, as occurred during Reconstruction. In addition, while whites initiated many of these riots, African-Americans remained inactive to violence. Hennnessy writes, blacks fought back at least initially, and usually until they were overwhelmed by superior white numbers and firepower. The beginning of the 20th century, there were riots in New York, and again African- American did not response violently. However, for the first time, African-American organized a large, eloquent protest from the black community. This organization, published a book, Story of the Riot which a true view how African- American were treated. The group has a hearing but lawyers could not ask questions of the witness perhaps the first use of institutional racism. The New York Times Index for the period between 1917 and 1921 shows 17 different events that might be classified race riots. There were riots in 1917 in Chester and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in Houston, Texas. However, a great riot of historical importance occurred in East St. Louis. Between 1910 and 1917, the african american population of East St. Louis increased from 6,000 to 13,000. African american began seeking jobs meeting white resistance. Friction from owners who had slaves -master mentality, and pay their wages lower to blacks because management feel that blacks would be more loyal. Friction from whites who had moved from the south. Friction from whites who were not hired. The results turned against black workers and not against the company. The leading example of this is the Aluminum Ore Company who bought in blacks from the south as strikebreakers. This would lead to one of the reasons for the riot. One reason for the riot was the growth of blacks in the city. The white population considered blacks to be a southern problem . St. Louis was not exception. It had been assume perhaps that, adapt to a subordinate and segregated position, interacting with whites only on the basic of an accommodative system defined and operated by whites. Blacks, therefore, were expected to confirm to the system of segregation inside and outside the factories where there separate facilitates for blacks and whites . This did not happen in St Louis, perhaps for the first time management seemed either to employ blacks in preference to whites or to provide an atmosphere of fair opportunity. That the purpose of the move by management was to maximize profits ,was hardly recognized by white workers: thus, they thought that to remove blacks from the labor market as viable competitors would solve