Since the establishment of the United States of America, it faced several problems and issues regarding different diversified population. The race is a symbol to identify the cultural and ethnical heritage of the people and differentiates them from the other people. The most significant issue is racism which nourished in the country with the arrival of black slaves from the country of Africa in the past centuries. Different influential people bought the slaves from Africa and transferred them to the United States for the labor force. People started to buy the black slaves for their work primarily related to agriculture. Influential people are the white people in the United States which are considered as the superior human beings due to their cultural and ethical heritage which distinguished them from the other people. The structure of the society applied many boundaries on women, and she considered as the property of her husband. Lower class people in the country were also the ones who considered as poor, and due to their social status, they were mistreated. African Americans, lower class people and the women in the past centuries of the United States faced numerous troubles, hardships, hatred, societal boundaries and difficulties for their survival.
The powerful white people bought the black slaves and used them for their work. Black slaves treated as servants and most people treated them like animals. Their masters were allowed to beat them and punished them with or without any specific reason. The black slaves served their masters for many centuries and accepted their status in the society of the United States. The masters of the slaves abused their slaves and used them for anything like they tortured the kids of the slaves and abused their wives. It was the darkest era of the country where no one was able to fight for the black slaves. The slaves were responsible for any task their master assigned them, and they had to do it. Most people used their slaves for the agricultural and labor purposes. Most slaves were responsible for the field work at the farms and grew the fields for their masters. In return, they received average food and some clothes to wear. The clothes were designed in a manner that distinguishes them from their masters. They were not allowed to take any decisions, and their masters treated them as animals which make the black slaves vulnerable and miserable.
The rape of female Negros was not considered an ‘issue’ because it was considered the right of their white master. It was one of the pathetic realities of American society that female slaves were found only a body to be used or assault nota soul or a person. Thousands of children born in that period have never known their fathers and spent their lives without any father name. Children of slaves were separated inhumanly from their mothers at a very early age (1-4 years of age). In 5-6 years, the child is in absolute need of his/her mother and her care. But the fierce wind of racism and bondage covered everything around. It is even more barbaric that child slaves were preferred as compared to the adult slaves. It was because of the reason that children are more comfortable to be tamed, trained and agreed to do whatever the master wants. On the other hand, adults are more prone to show resistance. Numerous slaves fought for their rights and started to demand the states about their national citizenship. The white people never wanted to grant the United States citizenship to the black slaves, so they started to give them some rights such as allowed to get married legally. But the black slaves deserved more and never stop their fight for their rights. Numerous movements initiated in the era of industrial development by the slaves and affected by the international war scenarios which impacted the country in the 18th and 19th-century era.
Many black heroes arise for the black slaves and consistently devoted their lives for ending the slavery era for the slave people. Several efforts and devotion of numerous people won one day when Abraham Lincoln became the President of the United States. He was a true hero for the black people and took several initiatives for the rights of the black slaves. He faced so much trouble when he started the initiative to grant certain rights to the black people. He faced the problems and issues but consistently fought for his people. He was the initiator of the movement which ended the slavery era from the United States. Many states of the country accepted the law that ended the slavery system and no one was allowed to make the black people their slaves.
The ending of slavery era was the greatest achievement for the black people. But the issues and problems between the white and black people were not resolved. White people never wanted to accept the status of black people, and they never wanted to give them equality. This raised numerous issues within the country and the equality movement’s raised by the black people. The United States Constitution granted the right of citizenship to the black people, and it was another huge accomplishment of the black people. The black slaves became the African Americans and had gained all the rights of the national citizens of the country. The African Americans were now free from their miserable and painful life, but most national white citizens of the country never accepted them as equal as them.
The problems and issues were not ended for the African Americans, and they gained no respect from the most citizens of the country. The white people never accepted the black people as equal as them due to their cultural and ethnical heritage. The white people wanted to dominate the country but unable to succeed and started to dominate the African Americans. The African Americans were successful to accomplish the goal of equal rights and opportunities but unable to remove hatred from the hearts of the people.
Numerous historians wrote about the history of women in the past including the boundaries that placed on women. The book, “Yellow Wallpaper” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman published in 1999 in the United States. The main and primary focus of the book is to show the status of women in the society. She was not allowed to refuse their husbands and had to accept every order given by them. The story revolves around a lady who was mentally unstable, and her husband shifted her into a small room when she diagnosed with some mental issues. Her husband showed her that he cared for her and wanted to recover her as soon as possible. But in reality, he took the wrong steps which created his wife more miserable. He shifted her into a small room, and she only allowed to rest. When she started writing something, her husband found out and refused her from writing. She was mostly alone and wonders that why she was here and why she is forbidden from the world. In her room, there was a yellow poster, and she started to imagine that on the poster there is a woman who was lonely and wanted to be free.
She was just a like a bird, wanted freedom and wanted to escape from the cage. She was considering her won condition in the form of another woman. She became miserable with the time and loneliness, but she was not allowed to argue with her husband or question his orders. Her misery, mental status, and loneliness lead her to more vulnerability, and in the end, she was gone mad completely. She tears up the yellow wallpaper to free the woman inside it. The story shows the status of women at the end of the 20th-century era. She was vulnerable, and her husband makes her more miserable by locking her into a room where she was alone mostly. It shows the obedience of women in any condition of her husband and the cruelty of the husband towards his wife. It also represents the several boundaries of the societies on the women.
Another important story discusses the status of the African Americans named, “A Raisin in the Sun” written by Lorraine Hansberry. The story revolves around an African American family consists of one mother with a son and his wife also a daughter. The four family members loved each other very much. They received a huge amount of money by the insurance company regarding the life insurance policy of the father. Everyone started to saw a dream regarding their wishes. Mother wanted to spend the money to buy a house, but the house she chose was in the society of white people. The white people offer them more money to stay away from their society. The son of the mother wanted to spend the money to buy a liquor store with his friend, but his friend cheated him and lost with the cash. It shows the American society filled with trouble for the African Americans. White people never wanted the black family in their regions. The attitude of the white citizens towards the African Americans makes them depressed, and they considered themselves less superior than the white people.
The problems and issues faced by the African Americans made them depressed, and most often they involved in the crimes and criminal activities to reduce their depression and return the hatred and ignorance of the white people. The criminal activities of the black people made them worse in front of the white people, and they never trust on the African Americans just due to the high rates of their criminal activities. The main issue is not the criminal nature of the African Americans but the ignorance, hatred, and pain received by the white people.
Another story named, “Recitatif” written by Toni Morrison based on the story of two friends. One was black and other was white, and both loved each other. The story revolves around the problems and issues of the lower class people who had to fight for their survival in the societies. The story shows the inequality and ignorance faced by the lower class people and their place in the society. There were numerous problems for the African Americans, lower class people, and women. The powerful people were always considered as the most reputable ones in the society whereas the lower class people made efforts and fight for their survival throughout their lives.
The African Americans, lower class people, and the women status in the past histories were mostly based on misery and vulnerability. African Americans, lower class people and the women in the past centuries of the United States faced numerous troubles, hardships, hatred, societal boundaries and difficulties for their survival.
