Premium Essay

African American Slavery

In:

Submitted By kindred12
Words 1600
Pages 7
In this essay I am explaining why the African American has more African-ness the Nigerian Americans. I will examine the origin and the different aspects of the African American culture. I will also examine how the African culture is so rich in the American world and changed many aspect of the everyday life in the new world. Slavery predates back to the 18th century from when African Americans were enslaved. People of color were bought, sold, and used to work on farms, and in the household of their white masters. The progression of African American culture has progressed by leaps and bounds since the1800’s. It took a long time for slaves to be given their freedom. Although they were free, the reconstruction plan was a starting point, which in turn allowed former slaves to become freedmen. Freedmen who were allowed to own land and become upstanding citizen just like their white counterparts. The freed slaves went on to become prominent business owners and family men. They were still some racists who were appalled that they were allowed to go free. Slaves were not allowed to learn how to read and therefore could not read the bible. It was a way for the salves masters to protect themselves from the slaves getting a silly notion of equality from the bible. Religion became a big issue within the African American community. Black churches were established to allow them to come, worship, and not be segregated from their white counterparts. Even during slavery, they would sing their songs while working hard in the field, praying to god he would see them through their trials and tribulations. Big afros and bell-bottom pants were in style during the 1900’s. It was a symbolism of how proud these men and women were to be African American a way for them to represent their African culture. Black hairstyles transcended across race lines with white women sporting big

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Slavery In African-American Society

...Slavery is one of the worst things that has come about in American history. Throughout North American history Blacks have been mistreated, and although negative attitudes towards African-Americans has decreased they are still seen as unequal to their white counterpart. African-Americans have survived slavery, segregation and the threat of being black in America. There is still a long ways to go before true equality, but we as a society have far progressed past national racism. Africans were brought to North America as indentured servants and slaves. Europeans made trades with Africans for slaves, but the Europeans had a more brutal take on slavery that Africans were unaware of. There was slavery in Africa, but the slaves were able to marry, own land and they only served for a set period of time. Also, the work was not passed down through generations, and there was no mindset of master and slave. Slavery in the Americas on the other hand was harsh and inhumane. Slaves were treated like possessions that were only for profit instead of like a person. The masters forced the slaves to work unreasonable long hours for no...

Words: 565 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Slavery to Freedom - African American History

...Slavery to Freedom – African American History Nimra Jilani Los Angles Harbor College History 012 Professor KJ Hitt April 28th 2012 [pic] Slavery to Freedom – African American History The first African American arrived in the North America as servants and worked under contract from sixteenth to nineteenth century. They were brought from Africa by European Traders. In the past they were known by many names such as Negroes, Blacks and Coloureds. The term Nigger was also used for the African Americans mostly in south. More than half of the population of the African American lived in the Southern States of the America. Slavery first began in the late 16th century When African Americans were brought to American Colonies, they were bought by white masters and they had to work on tobacco and cotton farms in the South. They were not paid anything for all their hard work and living conditions were terrible for them. Slave work was very difficult. Most African American women cooked, cleaned the house and raised the children of their white owners, where as the men were trained to become carpenter or masons but most of them remained to be farmers. Most of the African Americans lived in the South where the percentage of the slavery was at its extreme. The racism towards the African Americans was at its extreme. A very famous historian Karl Marx stated In Wage Labor and Capital, Written twelve years before the civil war that: “What is a negro slave...

Words: 1847 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

African American Slavery Research Paper

...The Treatment and Family Life of an African American Slave By Hershey Jamla Life in the 18 century was a gruesome and horrifying time if you were enslaved. African American slaves were treated atrociously by their owners, considered property, and had to face such turmoil it seems unreal. This era truly is one of the most sinful part of U.S history because of how slaves were treated. Slavery was legal in the South. Therefore “Most of the agricultural output of the South was produced on large plantations”, according to Life for enslaved men and women (article)| Khan Academy. In the early 19 century men worked till sun-rise and sun-set in the plantation while women worked as a midwife. Cooking ,sewing,cleaning, taking care of the house and their owner. “They didn’t stop there women had to work late at night to take care of their family”,...

Words: 551 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Slavery: Are African Americans Free Or Free?

...Soon after emancipation had ended slaves still typically had masters and were still known as slaves. Some of them would fight back while others would just have suspicion throughout the process. Later Yankee armies forced the masters give their slaves permanent freedom by a bayonet that is a weapon that has a sword like blade that is attached to a rifle. The master would have to gather all of the slaves at the time known as their property and put them in front of their house and announce that they are no longer slaves and are free forever. Some blacks were still suspicious about the whole process. Some wanted to test if they were truly free and they left their towns and they would do this just to see if they were free or others would do this...

Words: 295 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Era Of African American Slavery By Ida B Wells

...African American Alternatives in the New South Introduction: The chapter is focused on how the African Americans were living in worse situations even after their independence. Although they were independent, most of the African Americans were deprived of the facility of acquiring a land. They faced continuous violation of their rights to vote and other political issues related to them were gone unnoticed and untreated. For this the chapter focuses on the restoration period of the complete rights of African Americans. The essay focuses on the various struggles and the arguments presented in order to diminish the African American slavery and to provide them equal rights focusing on the reconstruction period. Body: Analysis and Evaluation Considering the Era of African American Slavery, Ida B Wells was born during civil war in this era. She gave her arguments for highlighting the African American issue and how the slavery can be...

Words: 1100 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

African American Slavery In The 1800s

...harsh American slavery was back in the days? Imagine if you had a family and then you were bought by someone else to do work for them. How would you like it? Just think about it while I talk about American slavery in the early 1830's. Being beaten overly several times only because your not doing something right or maybe if not doing enough work. It was harsh for slaves, it was a harsh reality. In the early 1840's there was a 2 billion slave industry, and 90% of African American were slaves. Families were separated but to oppose that they created a family network."enslaved African Americans established a network of relatives and friend." Children were sold to others and separated by their parents and they would never being seen again. Selling children was illegal but people did it anyways. If you were black you were considered a slave property which had no rights. In the early 1840's slaves where repeatedly whipped for several things. They were whipped if slaves did no work or even very little work and sometimes when slaves ran away."The most common punishment for captured runaways was whipping."...

Words: 496 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

African American Women Under Slavery

...African American Women Under Slavery This paper discusses the experiences of African American Women under slavery during the Slave Trade, their exploitation, the secrecy, the variety of tasks and positions of slave women, slave and ex-slave narratives, and significant contributions to history. Also, this paper presents the hardships African American women faced and the challenges they overcame to become equal with men in today’s society. Slavery was a destructive experience for African Americans especially women. Black women suffered doubly during the slave era. Slave Trade For most women who endured it, the experience of the Slave Trade was one of being outnumbered by men. Roughly one African woman was carried across the Atlantic for every two men. The captains of slave ships were usually instructed to buy as high a proportion of men as they could, because men could be sold for more in the Americas. Women thus arrived in the American colonies as a minority. For some reason, women did not stay a minority. Slave records found that most plantations, even during the period of the slave trade, there were relatively equal numbers of men and women. Slaveholders showed little interest in women as mothers. Their willingness to pay more for men than women, despite the fact than children born to enslaved women would also be the slaveowners’ property and would thus increase their wealth. Women who did have children, therefore, always struggled with the impossible conflict...

Words: 2409 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Slavery And African-Americans During The Civil War

...The Civil War was an bad fight between the South, which wanted slaves to still be a thing, and the North, which wanted to stop slavery. During the Civil War both the North and the South needed to work out what they both wanted to do. Though in the end North got what they wanted, which is a good thing, of course. The North and South and very different opinions on what to do. One of the ways we know this is from the documents given to us.         A Confederate recruitment poster from 1862 shows that the South viewed blacks as workers. They didn't care about the African-Americans they just wanted them to be their slaves . The source "Wanted! 200 Negroes" tells us who the actual audience is and what they want to do. "I call upon the Planters...

Words: 580 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Slavery On African American Culture Essay

...Slavery, while brutal and inhumane, reshaped African identities and culture. In order to avoid work, slaves would often disfigure themselves. They would cut off their own fingers, hands, toes, or feet. They would also fake illnesses or pregnancies for long term avoidance. Doing this also made them less desirable at slave auctions. When slaves became desperate enough, they would even openly resist their masters. Numerous examples show slaves who were brutally beaten or even killed for resisting their masters. Slave owners consistently tried to erase African culture from slave’s memories. They spread lies by insisting that the blacks had been rescued from the inhumane and barbaric ways of African culture. Some slaves even believed this to be true and praised their owners for saving them. But African culture among most was kept a secret. In the fields they were under white rule and showed no signs of African culture. But in their houses and shacks, culture was everywhere from language and paintings, to games and rituals. Almost all Africans brought to the U.S. were sold at slave auctions to the highest bidder. Slaves were taken based on their appearance usually tall strong men were highly...

Words: 681 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

African American Slavery Research Paper

...The African slaves’ journey from their homeland to an unfamiliar new world was not a pleasant voyage. African captives that had been captured by slave seekers were thrust into severe mental and physical torture as soon as they were removed from their homes. The violence and destruction only continued once captives were placed on a slave ship. As prisoners on these ships, the African hostages were witness to the forcible segregation, assaults, and confinement so notorious of the Middle Passage. European slave ships often separated African men and women on ships to ensure control over the slaves. The men were kept in line by threatening the women and bound by chains. Although women were viewed as weak and easily manipulated, they were still kept separate from the men. Children, however, were...

Words: 566 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Explain How The Underground Railroad Helped African Americans Escape Slavery

...The Underground Railroad was organized originally by the Quakers. The Underground Railroad helped African Americans escape slavery. The Underground Railroad offered shelter to those fleeing from Slavery. The earliest known mention of the Railroad was in 1831 when the owner blamed it for helping his slave escape from Kentucky into Ohio. The Fugitive Slave Acts was passed in 1793. This was a law stating that any local people or governments could apprehend and remove slaves within the borders of free states. Anyone caught helping slaves would be prosecuted. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was made to strengthen the previous law, the consequences of violations were increased. Many slaves tried to flee to Canada. Canada offered blacks freedom to...

Words: 318 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Frederick Douglass Themes

...The African American voice overtime has evolved to write about only one grievance, instead of many like its predecessors. The reason for this evolution is the African American voice gained freedom and equality, leading authors to explain only one theme they have instead of the many that they face in their daily life. Frederick Douglass who faced slavery and the challenge of teaching himself to read and write, has more themes than that of Langston Hughes, who faced the burden of his faith. But both of these authors faced more challenges than Henry Louis Gates Jr. whose main grievance addressed in his writing is that of African Americans in the school systems. Because of the freedoms and equalities that the African Americans gained they...

Words: 1222 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Slavery Dbq

...After many long years of brutal slavery, many African Americans were beginning to gain freedom from slavery, specifically from 1775 to 1830. However, while slavery was shrinking in some states, it was also growing in others. Along with this growth of slavery, and possibility of being re-sold into slavery, free slaves often faced very tough challenges. These challenges included, the lack of rights for African Americans, and their nationality. Free slaves were not the only ones with problems, on top of the many obvious inhumane challenges faced by slaves, they were now beginning to think of what life is like outside the control of their masters. The Northern states were beginning to free slaves. In the north slavery was less common due to the lack of farms, and because of this, those states found having free African Americans as a good thing. As shown in the map of document C, many places who in 1790 had under 10 percent of their population as slaves now either reduced those numbers, or have no slaves at all. Some people even discussed the idea of sending African Americans back to Africa so they could truly be free (Doc. H)....

Words: 498 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Ethnic Groups

...Discrimination Thomas J. Miller III ETH125 August 23, 2010 Maria Kithcart Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Most African Americans are descendants of Africans that were enslaved by Europeans and American slave traders. Slave markets used in Africa to sell prisoners of war by African states. The Europeans used these slave markets to exploit and expand the shipment of slaves to the New World or America. Some ancestors immigrated to the United States from the Caribbean. The first group of African slaves was brought to the United States in 1619 (Slavery, 2003). These slaves were labeled indentured servants, which are workers under contract to an employer in exchange for their lodging, food, and clothes. Most of the colonists used the Blacks on plantations because other groups did not want to work on them and the Blacks were easier to control. All colonies eventually legalized slavery passing laws that would keep the slaves and their children for life. During the Revolutionary War, slaves and free slaves were allowed to fight against the British. After the Americans, won their independence from British tyranny, the Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776 (Slavery, 2003) declaring, “All men are created equal.” Many people in the northern states influenced by the Revolutionary War and began abolishing slavery in the North. The southern states wanted to keep slavery to fuel the South economy through the production from the cotton fields. By 1830, there were 319,000 free...

Words: 855 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

African Americans in the U.S

...History shows that slavery consisted of African Americans being treated inferior to whites. Slaves were mostly African Americans and even though today slavery is over people still look at blacks as less important than whites. Slavery has impacted our society today because people are still prejudice and discriminatory towards African Americans, they are still living in poverty and don’t have proper education and they don’t have an equal opportunity for jobs. Still today African Americans continue to lag behind whites. In our past history, African Americans were slaves and were viewed as less important than whites. Still today in our society, people are prejudice and discriminatory against blacks. Many people still look at blacks differently because of how they were treated as slaves. As a result, blacks don’t get the same opportunities as whites with housing, education, employment and healthcare. The white people in the southern states are not as accepting to blacks and discrimination is more common there because that is where a lot of slavery was in history. The majority of blacks in America still live in extreme, deep poverty and a lot of them never receive a proper education. According to Phil Jackson’s article “Remembering the Millions the American Dream Left,” 30% black Americans in Illinois live in poverty while only 8% white Americans do. One way African Americans can move out of poverty is by getting a better education but because the blacks have such low income, they...

Words: 514 - Pages: 3