Introduction
History is a dynamic discipline, with debates in the field never stopping but somewhat being enhanced with new information discovered about past events. For instance, a notable member of Congress may be a controversial figure (Bickford & Hendrickson, 2019, p. 1). A Supreme Court ruling meant to protect people may have led to harming individuals (Love, 2020, p. 73).
An extended period of fighting for equal rights may not have established any fairness (Gregory, 20120, p. 14). Attending an influential event may be very educational (Guzman, 2020, p. 212). Conversing with prominent figures may bridge the gap between the past and present times (Brown et al., 2021, p. 103; Christman, 2019, p. 388). Historical discourse on many happenings could have been enriched if it were possible to travel to the past.
A Conversation with a Member of Congress
If it were possible to converse with a Congress member, it would be intriguing to ask Thomas Jefferson how he could keep enslaved people while loving one of them and having children with her. Jefferson is remembered as a president, a Continental Congress representative, and the author of the Declaration of Independence (Bickford & Hendrickson, 2019, p. 1; Helo, 2021, p. 127). Although he stated that everyone is equal, some significant facts from his life contradict his main ideas. It also raises the question of his attitude towards women in general, not just enslaved people or blacks.
I am interested in his tender attitude towards one of the enslaved people. I would like to know why a man known as the founder of democracy, who advocated equality for all, continued to own more than a hundred enslaved people. Was it necessary? How did he treat his slaves then? Did Thomas Jefferson think his policies could bring even greater results if he showed by his example that he treated the white man and the formerly enslaved Black person equally? Could he promote the rights of black people so that they have more opportunities and are not considered objects?
I consider this moment in his biography to be the most significant in revealing his intentions regarding equality and democracy. I want to ask Thomas Jefferson all these questions to better understand how this could help the struggle for independence. Perhaps this would help me to guess whether attitudes towards enslaved people may have changed earlier than historically.
Jefferson was similar to other enslavers of the period, yet publicly condemned the system (Bartz & Kritsonis, 2019, p. 2; Helo, 2021, p. 140). As part of his wife’s dowry, into Jefferson’s life came one Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman with whom he started an affinity (Thompson, 2022, p. 251). The two allegedly had several mixed-race children, and Hemings was able to negotiate the offspring’s freedom with her slaveholder (Bickford & Hendrickson, 2019, p. 8; Stevenson, 2019, p. 196). However, Jefferson has been accused of being racist, and while criticizing slavery, Jefferson presumably did not regard different races as equal (Helo, 2021, p. 136; Thompson, 2022, p. 251). Jefferson was chosen due to his impact on the nation and his controversial position as a slaveholder.
A Supreme Court Ruling with Harmful Impact
The Fifteenth Amendment (FA) is a fascinating Supreme Court ruling due to its failure to protect black men and women. FA declared that race should not be a reason to prohibit a man from voting (Brown, 2022, p. 414; Johnson, 2020, p. 388; Love, 2020, p. 166). After ratification, the FA was meant to apply to freed individuals who used to be enslaved and was a beacon of hope due to reflecting new American values (Brown, 2022, p. 415; Love, 2020, p. 166). Nonetheless, the amendment received a narrow interpretation, thus undermining its power and preventing it from protecting voting liberties (Love, 2020, p. 173).
For example, the Court decided that the FA did not specify punishment for those discriminating against one’s rights, and some states sought ways to disenfranchise black people (Keele et al., 2021, p. 695; Love, 2020, p. 171). Moreover, while providing voting freedom regardless of race or prior enslavement status, FA prioritized black male individuals over females, with the latter not gaining any liberties (Easton-Flake, 2019, p. 34; Johnson, 2020, p. 388). Therefore, FA is an intriguing Supreme Court ruling as the amendment has failed black men and women.
Women, who made up almost half of the population, did not receive voting rights due to the dominance in American society and the opinion that they were incapable of participating in politics. If I could also change the constitutional amendment, I would pay attention to women’s rights. In addition, having knowledge from history that the 15th Amendment failed, as it had grey areas and allowed even men to be limited in their right to choose, I would pay attention to this.
I understand that it is tough to achieve equality even between men of different races in the southern states, where they actively campaigned to preserve slavery. Since the amendment only prohibited discrimination based on race and status of a formerly enslaved person, states could use additional methods to restrict access to elections. With that in mind, I would propose an amendment focusing on enfranchising all citizens, regardless of race, gender, or ex-slave status. This would give formerly enslaved Black people a more secure position in the political right and women the right to choose.
An Era Worth Revisiting
If it were possible to visit a past era, it would be interesting to attend the Reconstruction Era (RE) as an activist to argue against those who supported slavery. Lasting roughly from 1865 to 1877, Reconstruction was a period of striving to reduce the impact of the enslavement system and others trying to preserve white supremacy (Gregory, 2020, p. 14; Joseph, 2020, p. 667). RE can be characterized by Constitutional amendments that terminated racial slavery, specified birthright citizenship, and offered voting rights to black men (Joseph, 2020, p. 667). For instance, the black population began seeking education and financial stability (Allen, 2022, p. 7; Castro et al., 2019, p. 314; Fergus & Shanks, 2022, p. 7).
However, people who wished for slavery to remain promoted segregation and institutionalized racism (Gregory, 2020, p. 14). Consequently, modern African American families tend to have mistrust for financial institutions, and black children have fewer educational opportunities than their white peers (Bartz & Kritsonis, 2019, p. 6; Fergus & Shanks, 2022, p. 9). Having the ability to visit RE as an activist and argue against slavery proponents could have contributed to making the lives of African Americans less difficult.
The RE is one of the significant turning points in US history and has shaped many of the country’s current positions. It also greatly influenced the formation of the American mentality. I want to be a part of these historical events, perhaps to help strengthen the rights received by enslaved people and blacks after the Civil War. I wish there were as many racial equality activists as possible. The Civil War and Reconstruction became decisive in the life of the United States. In addition to the fact that the war radically changed the political situation, the moral ideology of all citizens was also radically rebuilt.
A Historic Event I Wish to Witness
If it were possible to see any event, it would be insightful to witness the March on Washington (MW) and listen to the I Have a Dream speech. MW of 1963 is regarded as a climactic moment of the Civil Rights Movement, yet it appears to be remembered differently by many individuals (Ferholt et al., 2021, p. 1; Guzman, 2020, p. 212). Nevertheless, attended by about 250,000 people, MW was an influential occasion that gave voice to numerous challenges faced by the black population (Cobbina et al., 2021, p. 1210; Isome, 2020, p. 87).
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech is mainly prominent because it reminded the nation that millions of citizens continued practicing racial injustices prohibited by the Constitution (Christman, 2019, p. 388). For example, King stressed the unjust treatment of African Americans and uncovered the hypocrisy of white people (Christman, 2019, p. 388; Isome, 2020, p. 86). Witnessing MW and hearing King’s speech would be rather insightful due to the event’s importance for exploring black individuals’ experiences, which would help me act as a black rights activist.
Dinner with Five Historical Figures
If it were possible to have dinner with any historical figures, it would be interesting to invite Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman. First, Barack Obama was one of the nation’s leaders and the first elected black president, whose victory in the election was believed to change the system of racism (Brown et al., 2021, p. 109). Second, Martin Luther King, Jr. was an influential individual who brought to light the injustices and difficulties encountered by African Americans (Christman, 2019, p. 388).
Third, Malcolm X was a somewhat controversial person, with some stating that he inspired African American men and others claiming that he polarized racism (Jones, 2020, p. 417). Fourth, Frederick Douglass has substantially contributed to the discussions of slavery and racial equality from his personal experience (Harris, 2020, p. 48). Fifth, Harriet Tubman was an influential figure who helped many black individuals reach freedom (Cahill, 2019, p. 50). I invite these five people to dinner for an intriguing conversation that can bridge the gap between the past and the present.
Conclusion
To summarize, discourse about historical happenings could have been enriched if it had been possible to visit the past. Interviewing Thomas Jefferson about his relationship with an enslaved woman could have shed some light on the nature of slavery and racism. Closely examining the impact of the Fifteenth Amendment could have demonstrated the challenges faced by the black population for many years.
Visiting the Reconstruction Era as an activist could have helped provide more opportunities for racial minorities of all genders. Attending the March on Washington would have been insightful and eye-opening to the problems caused by white supremacists. Having dinner with historical figures who have contributed to opposing slavery and racism could have helped connect the past and present. Although one cannot interview Thomas Jefferson or visit an era that has ended, researching more about people and different occasions may unravel new information and enable essential discussions.
References
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