The main purpose of this article or video is: (State as accurately as possible the author’s purpose for the article or video)
The core purpose of this article was to highlight and condemn the move by the U.S. Federal government to enforce the African American voting rights during the nation's Reconstruction period after the end of the U.S. Civil War. It addresses the then-U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes' views the verdicts of the various federal courts in the US on this matter as well as the disenfranchisement of voters (Lou 315).
The key question that the author is addressing is: (Figure out the key question in the mind of the author when s/he wrote the article or produced the video)
The key question in this article is: What was the motive behind the move by U.S Federal government to enforce African American voting rights during the nation's Reconstruction period after the end of the U.S. Civil War?
The most important information in the article/video is: (Figure out the facts, experiences, data the author is using to support her/his conclusions)
The most important information with regard to the core question of the article is the apparently evident attempts by the U.S Federal government under President Rutherford B. Hayes to prevent Africa Americans from registering as voters. Similarly, there was evident mutilation of the Fifteenth Amendment of the United States constitution, an amendment that had principally been enacted to protect the suffering of free men and slaves of the American Civil War (Lou 318).
4. The main inferences/conclusions in the article/video are: (Identify the key conclusions the author comes to and presents)
In this article, it is evident that the level of oppression and segregation meted against African Americans was uncalled for and unwarranted. These were deliberate attempts to deny the African Americans from their constitutional democratic space and therefore keep the Democrats in power. It can also be concluded that the Democrats dominantly used discriminatory disenfranchisement to ensure that the total voter tally could always favor them, making it hard to ouster them out of power irrespective of their racial discrimination and segregation of the black race in America (Lou 323).
5. The key concept(s) we need to understand in the article/video: (Figure out the most important ideas you would have to understand in order to comprehend the author’s line of reasoning)
The initial concept here is that Democrats were the greatest propagators of racial prejudice in the American society; they never considered the black race as equal Americans. Another concept is that initially, the American Constitution granted the freed men and slaves of the American Civil War the right to vote and participate in democratic elections until the Democrats then in power at that time implement constitutional amendments to deny the blacks of their rights to vote. Finally, the fact that the Democrats remained in power until around 1912 was not out of democratic elections but their bureaucratic efforts to determine the outcome of the elections in their favor (Lou 326).
6. The main assumption(s) underlying the author’s thinking is/are: (Figure out what the author might be taking for granted [what might be questioned?])
The major assumption here is that majority of the white Americans were Democrats and thus racists. That is why the Democrats found it easy to alter the sections of the constitution with the only outcry coming from the minority Republicans, assumedly African Americans.
7. The Author’s background is: (Journalist? Professor? Credentials & Training? Expertise? Etc.)
8. The implications of this article/video are: (What consequences are likely to occur if people either ignore or follow the author’s line of reasoning?)
Any individual reading this article, whether white or black, democrat or republican, will definitely appreciate the steps that the U.S has made towards creation of a free and fair democratic system. The fact that America has been considered the best democracy on the world did not come on a silver plate, people had to fight for this and their efforts should be lauded as in this article (Lou 330).
9. Which sociological/historical/political/anthropological theories were addressed or could be applied to the article or video? Apply & Explain:
The dominant political theory in this article is the Democratic Theory. This has been highlighted in the plight of the African Americans and their subsequent quest for voter freedom which had apparently been taken away from them.
Works Cited
Lou, Williams, F. Federal Enforcement of African America Voting Rights in the Post-Redemption South: Louisiana and the Election of 1878.
