HSY2601
ASSIGNMENT 4 SEMESTER 2 2024
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 30 SEPTEMBER 2024
, HSY2601
Assignment 4 Semester 2 2024
Unique Number:
Due Date: 30 September 2024
Power and the Western World
Unequal Relations Between Black and White People in 19th Century US: Post-
Abolition and Beyond
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Legacy of Slavery and Racist Ideologies
3. Economic Exploitation and the Sharecropping System
4. Jim Crow Laws and Legalized Segregation
5. Political Disenfranchisement of Black Americans
6. Violence and Intimidation as Tools of Control
7. Cultural Hegemony and Social Darwinism
8. Limited Access to Education and Resources
9. Global Context and Racial Hierarchies
10. Conclusion
11. References
, 1. Introduction
The abolition of slavery in 1865 marked a significant turning point in U.S. history,
formally ending centuries of forced labor and systemic bondage for millions of African
Americans. However, despite the legal end of slavery, the social, political, and
economic relations between Black and White Americans remained deeply unequal well
into the 19th century and beyond. The racial dynamics of post-emancipation America
were shaped by the legacy of slavery, institutionalized racism, and a pervasive ideology
of White supremacy. This paper explores the primary reasons for the persistence of
unequal relations between Black and White people in the United States during the late
19th century, with particular focus on economic exploitation, legal segregation, political
disenfranchisement, and the cultural justifications for racial inequality.
The discussion draws on themes from global historical perspectives as outlined in C.A.
Bayly’s The Birth of the Modern World (2004), providing a wider context for
understanding racial dynamics in post-slavery America. Additionally, it references the
study guide HSY2601: Themes in 19th Century History: Power and the Western World
(n.d.), which provides a framework for analyzing power relations in the context of 19th-
century Western society.
2. The Legacy of Slavery and Racist Ideologies
The abolition of slavery did not erase the deep-seated racial ideologies that had justified
the institution for centuries. White supremacist beliefs that viewed Black people as
inferior persisted in post-emancipation America. These ideologies were reinforced by
pseudoscientific racism, which categorized humans into hierarchies based on race, with
White people at the top and Black people at the bottom (Fields, 1982). Such ideologies
provided the foundation for maintaining racial inequality, even after slavery was
abolished.
