History Archives

Public Policy and Housing Segregation in the 1950s

How did the government enable housing segregation in the 1950s? What was the role of the Housing Act of 1949 in facilitating this segregation? The segregationist stance of the government with policies such as school placement, slum clearance, and segregated housing projects all contributed to pervasive housing segregation in the 1950s. The Housing Act of 1949 permitted public authorities to segregate within housing projects which gave legal justification to segregationist practices in 1950s housing. Read on to learn more about housing segregation in the 1950s.

Common Sense: The Pamphlet by Thomas Paine

Why did Thomas Paine write the 1776 pamphlet Common Sense? What were its purpose and historical significance? Common Sense was written by English-borne philosopher Thomas Paine to provide intellectual backing for American independence from England. While Paine’s ultimate goal certainly included convincing Americans of the righteousness of separation from England, the pamphlet itself is actually more directly concerned with larger questions of political philosophy. In this article, we’ll take a look at the main principles of Paine’s Common Sense argument.

How Regulatory Agencies Enabled Racism in Housing

Which regulatory agencies facilitated racism in housing? What are the effects of systemic racism in housing? The IRS, FHA, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) all introduced and enforced discriminatory housing policies that entrenched racism in housing. The primary effect of systemic racism in housing is that it prevents Blacks from building wealth through property ownership, which has led to the massive racial wealth gap seen today. Read on to fully understand how government institutions enabled racism in housing.

The Rise of For-Profit Health Insurance in America

How did health insurance become for-profit? What were the first for-profit insurers to enter the industry? Health insurance didn’t start out as a for-profit business. It began as an employer-sponsored incentive. However, as demand increased, for-profit insurers like Aetna and Cigna began entering the industry. Keep reading to learn about the rise of for-profit health insurance and its pricing mechanisms.

Are We Amusing Ourselves to Death? The Age of TV

What were the early hopes for the invention of the television? How did entertainment value slowly replace trustworthiness? Are we amusing ourselves to death? In his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman discusses the impact that television has had on our society. Postman argues that television directly attacks literacy and suggests that we should judge everything based on entertainment value rather than importance. Keep reading to learn why Postman believes that we are amusing ourselves to death.

Thomas Paine: Revolution and Common Sense

How did Thomas Paine influence the American Revolution? What was his argument for separating America from England? Thomas Paine is known for paving the way for the American Revolution by urging the colonies to fight for their independence in his 1776 pamphlet Common Sense. In it, he argued that America could establish a republican form of government that is a model for the rest of the world by separating from England. In this article, we’ll discuss Thomas Paine’s revolution pamphlet Common Sense, and its arguments for liberating America.

Suburban Flight and the Role of the Government

What does suburban flight mean? How did the government encourage white flight to the suburbs? Suburban flight describes the migration phenomenon of predominantly white families from the urban areas in cities to suburban tracts. The government encouraged white flight by promoting the phenomenon as a mechanism to avoid racial tension and excluding African Americans from the financial support offered to the white families that moved out. Read on to learn more about the role of the government in the rise of suburban flight.

How Exclusionary Zoning Perpetuated Racial Inequality

What is exclusionary zoning? How did exclusionary zoning laws turn black neighborhoods into slums? Exclusionary zoning is the use of racial zoning laws to prohibit Blacks from owning homes in white neighborhoods and vice versa. These racial zoning laws were structured to ensure blacks were confined in densely packed zones adjacent to industrial areas or the pollution industry leading to the deterioration of these neighborhoods into slums. Read on to learn more about how exclusionary zoning laws disadvantaged African Americans.

Why Hereditary Monarchies Are Inherently Evil

What’s the problem with hereditary monarchy? How does a monarchical form of government compare to a republic? According to Thomas Paine, monarchical governments are inherently evil, and hereditary monarchies are particularly unjust. Compared to a republican form of government, the monarchical rule is inferior because it is based on the idea of the inherent superiority of some men over others. In this article, we’ll analyze monarchies as a system of government.

The New Deal: Redlining Policies Segregated America

How The New Deal Redlining Segregated America

What was redlining under the New Deal? How did the New Deal’s redlining policies segregate American communities? In the New Deal, redlining was based on a color-coded map for evaluating the value of homes in each neighborhood. The redlining practice contributed to segregation because the vast majority of neighborhoods colored red were African American neighborhoods. Read on to learn more about how the New Deal’s redlining practices entrenched segregation in America.