The Civil War was a turning point for Americans, particularly African Americans. Philadelphia played a crucial role in the civil war in support of the Union despite its earlier reluctance because of its economic connections with the South. After the Civil War, the fight for equality was far from over. Between 1865 and 1945, Philadelphia made strides towards equality, but racism and discrimination were deeply entrenched in society. Black people were no longer under slavery, but they were treated like second class citizens and did not have access to opportunities that were considered to belong to white people.
The race relations between whites and blacks in Philadelphia did not change much after the civil war. Overt racism was still visible in the mid-20th century. In his article, Kazal notes that a favorite bar talk for white people in Philadelphia was talking about their hatred for black people. 1 White neighborhoods in Philadelphia were against the encroachment of the neighborhoods by black people. They took pride in their ethnic origins, whether Irish, Italian or Russian origin, and they were proud of their ethnicities, but they still thought their ethnic identities were superior to African American ethnicity.
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Blacks played a significant role in the Civil War in Philadelphia. When the army of Northern Virginia advanced towards central Philadelphia in 1863, Philadelphians panicked. Philadelphians were against recruiting black men in the army for fear of backlash after years of violence against blacks. When the confederate army advanced towards Gettysburg, the black community sprang into action. 2 Mayor Alexander Henry was convinced that the only way to defend Philadelphia was by enlisting black men.
During the Civil War, Philadelphia was still not safe for black abolitionists who were often targeted until they chose to engage in clandestine activism. Nonetheless, enlisting black soldiers in the military was a win for black people, and the right step towards achieving equality. Blacks thought that by fighting for Philadelphia and the Union that they would be considered equal members of the society, but this was not the case. After the Civil War, blacks still suffered from discrimination.
The enlistment of black soldiers breathed life into the civil rights movement in Philadelphia. One of the first blacks to enlist was Octavius V. Catto, who worked as a teacher. Catto rose rank in the army, and he later engaged in politics. He later became one of the founding members of Pennsylvania State Equal Rights, an organization fighting for blacks’ rights. Catto and other black activists fought for blacks’ right to ride in streetcars, and the passage of the Lohry bill in 1867 was a win for the black activists and black people in Philadelphia. Many soldiers who fought in the Civil War joined the civil rights movement by working with politicians to address issues facing the black community.
With the end of the Civil War, blacks expected positive changes in society. Once the war ended, Philadelphia went back to its old habits. The hatred towards black people by whites in Philadelphia could be one of the reasons Philadelphia was sympathetic towards the South. Many men from Philadelphia decided to join the war and fight for the Confederacy. About 2,000 men fought for the Confederacy as many Philadelphians supported the peaceful secession of the Southern states. Factory owners in Philadelphia rely on Southern customers, and they were not willing to lose their customers. Equality could not be attained in Philadelphia when men were willing to fight for the South because they did not believe that blacks should be free. After the Civil War, the leaders in Philadelphia played a role in the persistent racism. Mayor Henry supported the enlisting of black soldiers, but he was an egalitarian racist who shared the same views with other leaders who believed that blacks were inferior. Republicans were not willing to allow blacks in street cars or in the same environment as they considered them dangerous. Politicians did not fight for the rights and the welfare of black people.
At the end of World War, the highest form of inequality was in the workplace. Blatant discrimination existed in Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC). All the drivers were white, while blacks held low positions such as maintenance, janitorial, and porter work. In November 1943, blacks decided to protest because they were tired of being treated as second class citizens. PTC was not the only company that treated blacks as second class citizens, as many companies only hired blacks in low positions. Blacks who had worked with PTC for years were not promoted. White employees felt that it was their right to be in the best paying positions, and African Americans should be content with the jobs they had.
The black working class in Philadelphia experienced endless discrimination at work. Regardless of the training, years of service, and loyalty to the company, blacks were never considered for specific jobs such as conductors, bus drivers, and motormen at PTC. After the strike, the union official said he would “see to it that no damned n——rs ever got to drive trolley cars in Philadelphia.’ 3 Black employees had nowhere to turn to apart from NAACP. NAACP became the only body that fought against housing and employment discrimination. NAACP relied on protest meetings and marches, urging ordinary Philadelphians to get involved in the fight for equality. NAACP drafted and signed petitions and filed grievances with FEPC.
In conclusion, equality was not achieved in Philadelphia after the Civil War and World War. Black soldiers played an essential role in the Civil War and the World War, but they were still not considered good or equal to white people after the wars. Blacks faced racism at work, and in their residential places, they were confined to manual jobs and poor neighborhoods. It took another century for blacks to be considered equal members of society.
Bibliography
Diemer, Andrew. "Reconstructing Philadelphia: African Americans and Politics in the Post-Civil War North." The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 133, no. 1 (2009): 29-58.
Kazal, Russell A. "The Interwar Origins of the White Ethnic: Race, Residence, and German Philadelphia, 1917-1939." Journal of American Ethnic History (2004): 78-131.
Wolfinger, James. Philadelphia divided: race & politics in the City of Brotherly Love . Univ of North Carolina Press, 2007.
1 Kazal, Russell. “The Interwar Origins of the White Ethnic: Race, Residence, and German Philadelphia, 1917-1939." Journal of American Ethnic History , 2004, 78.
2 Diemer, Andrew. “"Reconstructing Philadelphia: African Americans and Politics in the Post-Civil War North." The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography , 2009, 32.
3 Wolfinger, James. Philadelphia divided: race & politics in the City of Brotherly Love, 116
