Since the creation of the 13 colonies, slaves were being brought from Africa to work in America. Africans were being taken away from their home country and were forced to work in plantations. Slaves were being exploited and it wasn’t til after the civil war when the 13th amendment was passed slavery was abolished.

The 13th amendment along with the Emancipation Proclamation made sure that slavery was outlawed in America. With the abolition of slavery, it gave rise to the civil rights movement. Even though African Americans were no longer slaves, they were still being deprived of all the freedoms that white Americans had. Through many decades of civil rights movements the United States can officially be called the land of the free.

Finally in 2008 the United States has it’s first black president. This just goes to show what a long way America has come since it declared independence from England. To some, president Obama represents the idea that the United States is finally equal in terms of race.