GWTW Reax

     "Gone With the Wind" is a staple American film based on the novel "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell. The iconic film takes place against the backdrop of the Civil War and reconstruction era in the south. The main character is a woman named Scarlett O'Hara, the daughter of a wealthy Georgia plantation owner. 

    The story begins with Scarlett's love for Ashley Wilkes, who would eventually marry his cousin, Melanie Hamilton. In a surprising twist, Scarlett marries Melanie's brother Charles, who suffers an unfortunate fate of contracting measles from the war while serving. In this time era, that was nearly certain death. Scarlett moves on hastily and turns her attention to Rhett Butler. As the hardships of the war reach Atlanta, Scarlett must take on the responsibility of taking care of her family.

    During the film, slavery is portrayed in the background as a common occurrence in this time period. Instead of the normal depiction as slaves working in cotton fields or plantations, the film focused more on domestic slavery, with a character named Mammy serving as a maid to Scarlett's family. Watching Mammy's character throughout the movie offers a unique experience and a new and unusual look into slavery you may not find elsewhere.

    In conclusion, the first part of this movie was a captivating portrayal of an era with many hardships, while offering a unique look into specific parts of the lives of citizens and politicians. 

EOTA Reax

 Following the Civil War, reconstruction era took place and uncovered various social dilemmas and society undertook changes as a whole. Several key events took place, such as lynching, the KKK, carpetbaggers, Lincolns assassination, and black codes.

Lynching is a form of public killing of an individual. The largest lynching was in new Orleans where a mob lynched 11 people.

The Ku Klux Klan(KKK) Founded in 1866 in Tennessee. Overall goal was to restore white supremacy. Main target was the freedman bureau. The KKK reached its peak between 1868 and 1870. Restored white rule in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina. 

Carpetbaggers are northerners who would come down to the south to become rich and gain political power. Beneficial to the republican party, which later helped create a new southern government during reconstruction.

Lincoln's Assassination. Lincoln gave a speech that argued for black men and veterans to have the right to vote. John Wilkes Booth was in the audience, and was upset at what he heard. Assassination took place at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. on April 14, 1865. A national mourning occurred when he died. A court battle to prove John Wilkes Booth’s innocence happened. Lincoln is much more respected in death than in his life. Northern democrats claimed Lincoln permanently damaged the nation.

Black Codes are restrictive laws designed to limit the freedoms of African Americans and ensure their availability as cheap labor after the civil war. Grandfather clause- a man could only vote if he had an ancestor that could vote before 1867. Literacy tests were given out to determine who can vote, and easier tests were given to white people.

Plessy v. Ferguson

 Emotional Approach

Ladies and gentlemen, today I present to you an emotional argument and evaluation of this landmark case, Plessy v. Ferguson. I’ll be covering countless emotional impacts of this case affecting not only african americans, but how it affected our population as a whole.

One of the first major emotional impacts of the Plessy v. Ferguson case is the anger and frustration among the african american community and those who sympathize with them. It is a clear violation of their rights, and betrayal of the constitution, promising equal rights to all. Our country prides itself on our freedom and rights for all people, but this goes against everything we stand for. A real failure to meet the marks we as a people stand for and flaunt.

Another sector of people impacted by this case are the white supremacists and groups alike in the south. Where segregation is most rigorous and heavily enforced, this case only backed up their beliefs with legal basis. The emotional impact on these groups of people falls nothing short of affirmation and validation, as their contested beliefs were completely validated by the law. This legal decision only implemented more segregation and racism in the south, and encouraged them to continue holding a climate of racial tension and hostility towards african americans. 

Instead of individuals, we can take a look at society as a whole and how this decisions affects the people of this country. This ruling deepens the general norms of racial division and contributes to social strife. This newfound separation of people may break our sense of togetherness as a country. Americans of different races can no longer come together, making it far more difficult for communities to promote the idea of unity.

In summary, the emotional impact of this case encompassed feelings of anger and frustration in the african american community, atop the encouragement to the southern white supremacists made things significantly worse for african americans in our “free” country.