Question

What did African Americans in the urban North have in common with those in the South? How might their concerns have differed?

Answer 1

African Americans in the North and South experienced discrimination. In the North, discrimination was less overt. In the South, it was very direct. Black Northerners could vote and enjoy some civil rights. In the South, civil rights and protections were nonexistent.

Answer 2

African Americans shared many of the particulars of their life, regardless of whether they lived in the North or the South. Both groups experienced racism, which greatly impacted their lives. Moreover, both groups were unable to access certain opportunities that were open to white people.

However, their concerns also differed significantly. African Americans in the South experienced a higher level of hate and exclusion. They often dealt with laws that denied them their rights. Moreover, they had less chance of becoming independent because the South was mostly rural, and they could rarely afford to buy their own land. On the other hand, the African Americans of the North were more likely to enter a profession where they could receive a salary and have a more comfortable life than that of a farm laborer.