Theme of slavery in Proud Shoes by Pauli Murray Essay Example

📌Category: Books
📌Words: 897
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 05 April 2022

Perhaps the United States of America is the most developed and most powerful country today. But like every country, America has had a dark time in its past. Slavery is the darkest and worst thing in America and even in the world. Slavery, which began at the beginning of the 18th century, denied the freedom and selfhood of many African American people. After the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Redemption eras slavery was abolished in America. Such wars and events have influenced the history of many families, such as the Fitzgerald family. Pauli Murray describes in her book 'Proud Shoes' how slavery and its consequences played a role in the history of her family, the Fitzgeralds.

With the increasing value of the industry, the need for people has also increased. Wealthy people started buying people to make them work. Thus, slavery began, and many people's lives were turned into darkness. This terrible event disturbed people after a while and it was decided that it should be stopped. But not every state agreed, so a war broke out between the south and the north. The Civil War began between the Union and the Confederates states to end slavery. The Union won this war, and the reconstruction period was entered to make America a more beautiful and equal place. A lot of people fought for freedom in this war. Robert Fitzgerald is one of these people. He was born a free black person and was a very knowledgeable person. He also fought in the Civil War and went after what he thought was right. Puli Murray says ‘’If grandfather had not volunteered for the Union in 1863 and come south three years later as a missionary among the Negro freedman, our family might not have walked in such proud shoes…’’ (Murray 24). Going after what is right and helping the injustice is always a heroic act. Robert fought for justice and eventually won. Therefore, his family lives in the pride of having the same blood as him.

After the war, some work was started to make everything better. It was necessary to correct inequalities, renew the laws, and repair the destruction. Under the leadership of then-President Lincoln, several studies were initiated to give blacks their rights. Black people should have been given rights such as work, education, voting, and citizenship, and the Union was trying to get the southern states to rejoin the Union. At first, these steps were going well. Black people began to get an education and work in businesses. Robert was trying to help as much as he could because he wanted a just society. He was a teacher, and he was passing his wisdom on to other people and trying to help them with anything. For example, ‘’I taught sabbath school on the 24th which was Sabbath…’’ (Murray 173). Robert got an education in his youth and even read the things he learned to his family when he returned home. He is quite insistent on education, and he put this pressure on Pauli too. ‘’ …I want you to have good manners and speak well.’’ (Murray 5). He was an educated and all-knowing man, and he wanted the world to be such a place like that too. 

Reconstruction work was going very well at first. The rights of blacks were getting equal with whites, and they were integrating into society. As everything seemed to be going well, all was damaged after the assassination of Lincoln. These studies, led by Lincoln, deteriorated after his death. Not everyone supported the southern states joining the Union or giving blacks rights. Andrew Johnson became the next president after Lincoln, he also defended equality. However, the Radical Republicans did not want equal rights and did several things to make sure that didn't happen. For example, anyone born and raised in the US would be considered a citizen, but this right was not given to blacks. Robert Fitzgerald was not at all happy with this, he was witnessing the discrimination in schools with his own eyes. However, he started to do his best and opened a school on his farm. ‘’I hear you got a school going on in your farm…’’ (Murray 220). He still advocated education and was working for everyone to get an education and learn. Pauli said ‘’As grandfather explained it to his parents, he was a soldier in a second war, this time against ignorance.’’ (Murray 204). He was against ignorance and thought that the way to overcome it was to become conscious.

Radical Republicans forced Johnson to pass the 14th and 15th amendments so that blacks would not have access to their rights. By 1873, nothing was being done in the reconstruction era. Instead, the era of 'Redemption', which would deprive blacks of their rights and restore white supremacy, had begun. ‘’That August of 1870, when Grandfather finally got his chance to vote, he found the polls tense with a showdown between the Republicans and the ex-Rebel Conservatives.’’ (Murray 227). Grandfather was now able to vote, but this change allowed him to get acquainted with the events in politics. There were still differences of opinion on equality, and this was reflected in society in every way. 

With the two sides finding a common path, the concept of slavery ended in 1877 and a more equal America was formed. Even though there were many casualties, justice was finally served. The Fitzgerald family has a glorious and challenging past. Despite being born a free black man, Robert Fitzgerald fought in the Civil War for the equality of all people, and later fought ignorance and helped people get educated and conscious. In the eras of Reconstruction and Redemption, he did not turn a blind eye to injustice and did what he could.  The 19th century affected the lives and past of many families and the Fitzgeralds.

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