Forever Free A Critical Review
Forever Free by Eric Foner is a summary of the truth about the Black American status after the Civil War. Evidences that counters the conventional view about what really happened to the Black Americans during the post-Civil War were also shown. Moreover, many American historians found proof that African-Americans really did not experience true freedom.
In the beginning chapters of the book, Eric Foner presents the on-going struggle experienced by the Black Americans in a White-dominated society. Although some Blacks after the Civil War and during the Emancipation period were given positions in the government or have been successful in their life, still many Black Americans were considered inferior. As what Gartison Frazier had said, I would prefer to live by ourselves, for there is a prejudice against us in the South that will get years to get over (Foner, 2005). Black Americans still feel that they are not accepted in the American society ruled by the Whites.
The book also tries to figure out the meaning of the 19th century racial drawings, cartoons and photographs which represent the efforts of the Black Americans to gain their equal status in the nation. Also indicated in the book is the efforts of the Republican Party to give Black Americans the true freedom and justice they are hardly fighting for a long time. With the rise of the Republican Party, tensions were created between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups. During the rise of Abraham Lincoln in power as he was elected as the first Republican President of the nation, many White Southerners were threatened and resulted to the creation of the Confederate States of America. Southern politicians believed that supporting Lincoln will prevent slavery from continuation. As what a South Carolina politician had said, Slavery is our king. Slavery is our truth, slavery is our divine right (Foner, 2005).
In the final chapter of the book, Foner expresses the idea that the nations quest for freedom is still not over but only at its beginning, as he states Yet the political, civil and economic status of the former slaves-and, therefore the very nature of the reunited republic- remained undetermined (Foner, 2005).
Forever Free, although appears to construct Reconstruction idea and equal nation building, still remains silent of the political struggles and class tensions. The book implies that the whites and blacks competed over suffrage rights without accounting the political policies and demands. The Whites who contest the Black suffrage believed that Black voters would support any candidate that will propose or promise any welfare law. With this view, suffrage became limited to those Americans who only pay their taxes by 1900. Regardless of whether they are Black or White, the determining factor is to own a taxable property. The idea begins with the premise that those who did not owned taxable property should not have any right to decide on how to spend the tax money.
Eric Foner in this book reminds the Americans of how to acknowledge the changes the American racial situation had changed and how it remains the same. The best example is the increase school segregation due to household patterns and division of suburban and urban schools. Moreover, many states have denied the right to vote of a person on probation and convicted of a crime. Considering that almost one-eight of the prison population only consists of Whites and the remaining are all Blacks, will create an impression that Blacks are hardly given their equal rights.
All in all, Forever Free is a daring and masterfully told history but is too straightforward for America today. However, its contributions to the reality and understanding of the untold stories during emancipation and reconstruction are all worth reading for.
In the beginning chapters of the book, Eric Foner presents the on-going struggle experienced by the Black Americans in a White-dominated society. Although some Blacks after the Civil War and during the Emancipation period were given positions in the government or have been successful in their life, still many Black Americans were considered inferior. As what Gartison Frazier had said, I would prefer to live by ourselves, for there is a prejudice against us in the South that will get years to get over (Foner, 2005). Black Americans still feel that they are not accepted in the American society ruled by the Whites.
The book also tries to figure out the meaning of the 19th century racial drawings, cartoons and photographs which represent the efforts of the Black Americans to gain their equal status in the nation. Also indicated in the book is the efforts of the Republican Party to give Black Americans the true freedom and justice they are hardly fighting for a long time. With the rise of the Republican Party, tensions were created between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups. During the rise of Abraham Lincoln in power as he was elected as the first Republican President of the nation, many White Southerners were threatened and resulted to the creation of the Confederate States of America. Southern politicians believed that supporting Lincoln will prevent slavery from continuation. As what a South Carolina politician had said, Slavery is our king. Slavery is our truth, slavery is our divine right (Foner, 2005).
In the final chapter of the book, Foner expresses the idea that the nations quest for freedom is still not over but only at its beginning, as he states Yet the political, civil and economic status of the former slaves-and, therefore the very nature of the reunited republic- remained undetermined (Foner, 2005).
Forever Free, although appears to construct Reconstruction idea and equal nation building, still remains silent of the political struggles and class tensions. The book implies that the whites and blacks competed over suffrage rights without accounting the political policies and demands. The Whites who contest the Black suffrage believed that Black voters would support any candidate that will propose or promise any welfare law. With this view, suffrage became limited to those Americans who only pay their taxes by 1900. Regardless of whether they are Black or White, the determining factor is to own a taxable property. The idea begins with the premise that those who did not owned taxable property should not have any right to decide on how to spend the tax money.
Eric Foner in this book reminds the Americans of how to acknowledge the changes the American racial situation had changed and how it remains the same. The best example is the increase school segregation due to household patterns and division of suburban and urban schools. Moreover, many states have denied the right to vote of a person on probation and convicted of a crime. Considering that almost one-eight of the prison population only consists of Whites and the remaining are all Blacks, will create an impression that Blacks are hardly given their equal rights.
All in all, Forever Free is a daring and masterfully told history but is too straightforward for America today. However, its contributions to the reality and understanding of the untold stories during emancipation and reconstruction are all worth reading for.
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