The anti-slavery organization in the Revolutionary period was attributed to the developing ideas of liberty that became modestly contagious. In the 1770s, led by Quakers such as John Woolman and Benezet, White Americans began a move toward the abolition of slavery. Many slave owners, in Virginia especially, were persuaded to free their human property during the Revolution and after. In addition, Black activists also inserted themselves into the anti-slavery movement by reminding that they participated in notable American battles, such as the battle of Yorktown. This showed that slaves were fighting not only for their personal freedom but also for their country’s freedom.
The concept of legal freedom is used in order to mark the difference of free individuals in their legal status compared to those who were enslaved and did not have and rights and privileges. Legally free African Americans, according to Ira Berlin, are slaves without masters. Even though Black individuals were legally not slaves, nonetheless, they had few of the rights available to European Americans (Spickard, 2007). Most of them could not vote, serve on juries, keep firearms, or testify against White citizens in court.
The Ohio Black Codes passed by the Ohio Constitution represented the laws that stipulated that only freed individuals with a valid certificate of freedom, which were obtained from the court, had the permission to reside in Ohio. The reconciliation of the Black Code with the founding principles of the Territory was linked to the idea that African Americans would still not have the same rights to own land and work as Whites. This was the mindset of the 19th century – while some Black Americans were granted freedom, their role in society did not reach the position held by White Americans. Richard Allen was an activist and abolitionist who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Naturalization Act of 1790 was a law passed by the US Congress that set the initial uniform rules for granting citizenship in the country by naturalization. Later, the 1795 Act expanded the residence requirement to five years, adding that prospective applicants needed to give a three-year application notice. The central theme of American naturalization was that the law included only free white individuals, thus excluding any other minority representatives. This prompted the institutionalized oppression of the rights and needs of racial minorities. The naturalization ceremonies were considered important because a candidate had not only to be eligible but also appear in court, swear an oath of allegiance, and declare devotion to the Constitution.
Native Americans were considered nature’s noble people, with their beliefs and traditions rooted in the nature around them. The appropriation of Native American culture by White Americans stemmed from the idea that the Natives do not have rights, opinions, and power. Therefore, the process of appropriating their culture was acceptable (Spickard, 2007). Chief Wahoo, the symbol of Cleveland Indians, fits into the cultural appropriation category because an Indian head is a symbol of genocide, and using its caricature is a mocking of mass murder. In reality of the 19th century, White Americans did not treat Native peoples very well, even despite the provisions of the Northwest Ordinance. White people in America wanted to capture as much Indian land as possible, and they wanted the tribes to be off the lands.
Reference
Spickard, P. (2007). Almost all aliens: Immigration, race, and colonialism in American history and identity. Routledge.