Story about African American history

The history of African Americans is characterized by injustice practices during the slave trade era and the subsequent struggle for justice for the blacks and the slaves.

Most of the African American’s origin date back to the slave trade era between 1619 to the early 1900. During this period, most Africans were taken captive in the United States where they were offering labor to the American people.Another source of the African American inhabitants is the Caribbean’s who migrated to the United States during this era. The Caribbean’s were mostly from West Africa and also central Africa. During this period, these slaves were commonly referred to as American Negro.

In the early 1600s, there existed a slaves market in Africa and European powers were the main trading partners in this trade. The European powers needed labor for their plantations in the new world and Africa provided it. The new world included all non African and non Eurasian parts of the continent and thus new world consisted mostly of America and Australasia.The slaves who were sold to Europe were later sold to America as prisoners of war while some were kidnapped from Africa by the Americans as well as the Europeans.Though the slaves were from different backgrounds, the commonality in their past and their present situations made them to discard their tribal differences and to bond thus forming a new culture (Cowan & Maguire, 1994).This research evaluates the major events that gave shape to the African American history between the years 1619 and 1900.

CHAPTER TWO2.1 Slavery introduction to America (16th and 17th century)Jamestown, Virginia was the first area to buy African slaves in 1619. The slaves were treated as indentured servants. This meant that they were debt bondage laborers whose work was under contracts which extended for a period between three and seven years.

Their payment mainly consisted of transportation and basic needs like food, water, clothes, shelter among other necessities.  The difference between a slave and an indentured servant was that an indentured servant worked for a specific period of time as stipulated by the contract.During this era, tobacco was the main cash crop that required intensive labor and was being farmed in south of America and mostly employed the indentured laborers. The terms of the contract were not always implemented and most of these laborers were abused and tortured leading to high rates of suicide and escapes.Justice for these laborers was impossible since they had no access to magistrates and other human rights avenues. Use of indentured servant’s notion was only used as a means to increase the number of laborers as well as colonists mostly the British colonies (Higginbotham, Litwack & Hine, 2001).

Indentured servant’s form of obtaining labor was slowly replaced by race based form of slavery which began in Caribbean. The problem arose as the freed laborers began to compete for resources. Replacement of the freed laborers was also necessary. The blacks during this era were poor while using other groups of people as slaves was impossible.During this era, the Caribbean indentured slaves unlike the African slaves had access to the magistrate if wrongly treated by their masters. They were also allowed to have personal permission and they were paid dues on being granted their freedom which was mainly in form of land thus allowing such a laborer become independent.

The Caribbean’s could thus not be used as slaves and the only vulnerable people were the African slaves. This scenario led to the legalization of slavery of the blacks.Massachusetts colony first legalized slavery in the year 1641 paving way for other colonizers to pass similar laws. These laws directed that slavery could be passed on to the slaves children. This in turn made all non-Christian servants to become life slaves (Cowan & Maguire, 1994).

2.2 Early America and the revolutionDuring the mid 18th century, the United States was experiencing political upheavals as the country sought to gain freedom from the brutish administration which was characterized by oppression and tyranny. However, American leaders who were demanding for America’s freedom were being accused of being hypocrites since they were the majority slave owners.During this period, Thomas Jefferson a major slave owner wrote the document “Declaration for Independence”. This statement was adopted during the 2nd continental congress in 1776.

This congress announced that the American colonies which were then fighting with Britain were from that moment independent.With an aim to disrupt the British commerce, this congress considered freeing their slaves. The congress removed the clause of language which was meant to encourage slavery in their declaration for independence document (Higginbotham, Litwack & Hine, 2001).The free blacks in this era like the Prince Hall sought to end slavery by submitting petitions of the same but their petitions were ignored. The blacks both who were free and the slaves were determined to participate in the revolution despite their petitions being ignored.Over 5000 blacks participated in the American revolutionary war which led to the death of Crispus Attucks who was a free tradesman and a black man in that period.

Another black man who fought while in the continental army was Prince Hall.Most of the blacks fought in union with the white soldiers during the battles in Lexington and also at Concord. George Washington took over command in 1775 and issued a declaration which barred black men from being recruited in the army. On the other hand, the British and other loyalists started offering emancipation to patriot’s slaves who were willing to join their loyalist forces.Within a month after this proclamation, 300 black men were recruited by the then governor of Virginia to his Ethiopian emperor. 25000 slaves from South Carolina also escaped and joined in the fight mostly with British.

Other fled during this uproar of war (Cowan & Maguire, 1994).The America won this war and formed a treaty which demanded property return which also included slaves. However, over 4000 African American decided to go to Britain and Jamaica rather than returning to America as slaves. After America’s independence, a constitution convention was held in 1787 with an aim of forming the foundation of the newly created United States.This constitution also set the rules regarding to freedom and also equality. It encouraged continuation of slavery and enacted a clause of fugitive slaves.

The free black’s freedom was also restricted in various places. They were denied voting rights as well as their rights to attend public schools were excluded.The blacks went to court to with an aim of fighting the contradictions using the language clause which was contained in the Massachusetts constitution and which declared freedom for all men and also equal to sue for freedom successfully.Some blacks tradesmen like Jhalena sought to be exempted from tax paying since he had no rights to votes. Such acts led to the revolutionary spirit in the blacks (Higginbotham, Litwack & Hine, 2001).

American Revolution led to widespread sentiments about the injustices of slavery in United States. It was seen as a social evil which needed to be done away with. Between the years 1780 and 1804, all northern states had passed laws which sought to gradually emancipation and also advocated that the freedmen to be offered special status. The northwest ordinance was passed by congress in 1787 which restricted slavery in the northwestern territory.

Also, the Massachusetts constitution of the 1780 had declared that all men were born free and also equal. On this basis, a slave by the name of Quork Walker sued to regain his freedom of which he won. This led to complete abolition of slavery in Massachusetts. 59,000 blacks were freed in United States by 1790. This number had risen to more than 186,000 by the year 1810 (Painter, 2006).2.

3 Antebellum periodAfter abolishment of slave trade by the northern states, slavery institution was becoming more and more entrenched in southern states. this was mainly due to the invention of cotton gin in the year 1793. this allowed the southerner to cultivate short staple cotton and this could be farmed in inland places.This in turn increased the demand for labor which led to a 70% increase of slaves in America.

During this period, the upper south had changed their agricultural practice and was practicing mixed farming which led to a decrease in labor demands in these areas the slaves were thus being sold to the southern parts which were developing at that time.After the revolution, the southerners took 20 years to free their slaves. Most of these slaves were released by manumissions which were wills which were executed after the death of their slaveholders or the masters. The upper south released about 1% of the blacks before the revolution and this percentage rose to about 10% by 1810.

During this period, families were being persuaded to free their slaves by the Quakers and the Moravians.In Virginia, the number of freed slaves rose by more than 20000 between the year 1790 and 1810. However, 95% of the African Americans were enslaved in this region. In Delaware, three quarters slaves were freed by 1810 and by 1860; more than 91% of the blacks in this state had been freed (Cowan & Maguire, 1994).

2.4 Evolution of the black communityBy 1830 the number of free black men had increase to over 300,000 in America with most of them in the southern parts. Most of the blacks were poor although some of them managed to establish businesses which were doing well.Such businesses catered only for the black community. This period was characterized by racial discrimination which saw the blacks being segregated by the whites or even mistreated in different establishments and white businesses. The blacks established their business to serve their people to counter the maltreatment they were receiving from the whites.

The black middle class formed the lawyers, the doctors and other professionals.The segregation of the blacks by the whites led to the strengthening and organization of the black community as they continued to fight against slavery. In 1830, “American society of free persons of color” was founded which was providing social aid to all the poor blacks and also acted as the voice which was responding to political issues which were arising.This community also established their own schools for the black kids since they were not allowed to attend the white’s public schools (Painter, 2006).

The black church which had begun in 1970s also supported the black community. The churches included the Methodist Episcopal and the Methodist Episcopal Zion churches among others. These churches grew and became the focal point of this community.They aimed at expressing the uniqueness of the African American spiritual believes while at the same time reacting to the discrimination the blacks were getting form the European Americans.

Some black preachers formed their own denominations while others just formed their own congregations from the denominations which were in existence due to the segregation they were receiving in the church’s hierarchy.Before 1800, some blacks had established churches in the southern parts of America. The Baptist church allowed the blacks to participate in its running after the great awakening which saw most of the blacks joining it. In the southern parts like Virginia, the blacks also established the black communities where they were working as artisans and also formed businesses (Painter, 2006).