...Professor Kodi Roberts African American History 09 October 2012 African Americans and the Revolutionary War The American Revolution, also known as the Revolutionary War, was a significant event that changed the whole world. Although the Revolutionary War lasted only for eight years, the American Revolution started developing years before the first shots at the battle of Lexington and Concord were fired. African-Americans joined the Revolutionary War, because the principles underlying the revolution implied the end of slavery and granting of rights for them. American historian Benjamin Quarles, understood the African-American community's need for equality and freedom. Around 5,000 African-Americans served as soldiers in the Continental Army and about 20,000 in the British Army. The Revolutionary War was a blessing in disguise for many African-Americans, as it paved the way to freedom from slavery and helped them to embark on their journey towards equality and civil rights. At the start of the war General George Washington did not want African Americans to fight in the military. In November of 1775 Lord Dunmore, the Governor of Virginia, promised freedom to any slave, owned by a rebelling colonist that fought for the British. This caused many slaves to escape to the side of the British. The Americans still did not let slaves fight with them. As time passed and the Americans lost many soldiers, some of the colonies began to let slaves enlist in1778. Virginia did not let slaves...
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...Africans Americans in the Revolution Damon Davis Damon Davis Mrs. Lafaele 11th Grade English 19 November 2012 African Americans in the Revolution The American Revolution was not only the colonist’s fight to gain independence but also the African-Americans to gain freedom as well. There was a conflict in the whites wanting to gain liberation from England while also having black slaves and taking away their freedom at the same time. The contradiction to this is that the white’s concept of their freedom they were fighting for was different of those by the African Americans. To white Americans the war meant freedom and liberty in a being free from England’s political hold and taxes on the united states rather than what the blacks faced in personal, labor bondage the blacks suffered from. The whites in fighting for their freedom gave the blacks a great chance to try to get their own personal freedom. They increased the number of chances a black would have in getting his freedom. They had to form a petition to let numerous amounts of blacks be freed at one time. The unfairness of this pushed blacks to fight for their freedom. African Americans saw this as an opportunity to use as leverage in their own quest in search of freedom. However the blacks got most of their freedom by volunteering of taking up arms. They took up arms fighting for the British early in the Revolution. The British also...
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...contemporary United States? History tells us that African Americans were discriminated for many years in the United States, and today we celebrate the achievements that were fought for and gained. The marking of civil rights anniversaries are an important part of identity and represent a truly extraordinary shift in the American culture and politics (Romano, 2014). The politics of race has been a long fought fight for African Americans to achieve given rights like the right for voting, they celebrate this through anniversaries for remembrances of given occasions and for celebration. This is emphasized by the civil rights anniversary to show the history of struggle for freedom, to show racial progress and reconciliation in increasingly multi-racial society (Romano, 2014). History shows African Americans has been fighting for the achievement of equality and justice within the state and for possible peaceful changes within the system (Romano, 2014). This can be proved by the anniversary celebration as it represent the movements of struggle for civil rights and much attention given for ending the legal segregation over the economic justice demand. History even shows, how some given deaths of prominent people occurred who were in the race fighting for the freedom of achievement of their rights (Romano, 2014). The history of politics shows the achievements that have been achieved by the African Americans like the nomination of African American president Barack Obama for two consecutive...
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...be Too Much Freedom? Professor Damon Turner African American History 116 April 21, 2015 During slavery, African Americans fought hard to gain independence and civil rights for both themselves and their children. White Americans did not consider slaves to be their equals, they considered them as property. They viewed African American slaves as property that was sold and purchased from one master to another to perform the masters’ work for no pay. By 1860, a large percentage of slaves had become free. These newly freed African Americans took advantage of their freedom by forming black churches, where they no longer had to listen to their master’s prejudice sermons, and took the time to reunite with their families and build a strong bond with them. African American ancestors created morals and black cultural beliefs that they hoped to instill in their children. There were several black people that believed that receiving an education and having a career would one day help them gain the acceptance of white Americans and be recognized as their equals. As slaves, it was prohibited and almost impossible for African Americans to receive an education. Today, black people are legally considered to be equal to any other race in America, and have every constitutional right that any other race has as well. Black children now have the right to an education and they have more freedom than ever before in history. As slaves, black children lacked both education and freedom. In today’s...
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...behavior through the use of scientific investigation and research (Vissing, 2011). This class has shown so many different views on sociology. It explains how different people see society and how they live and interact with them. My theorist of choice is W.E.B Du Bois, because he laid down the foundation for the study of black sociology and the work of scholars such as E. Franklin Frazier (Vissing, 2011). In this paper I will discuss why I feel that W.E.B Du Bois views align with my personal views. W.E.B Du Bois real name is William Edwards Burghardt and was born February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Du bois was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author and editor. Du Bois grew up in a tolerant community and experienced little racism as a child. He was the first African American to earn a doctorate at Harvard University. Karl Marx, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim were widely recognized as the trinity of sociological theory. These three were trailblazing social theorists, who enhance the study of human behavior and its relationships to social institutions. There was one more scholar that they didn’t mention by the name W.E.B Du Bois. Du Bois was a political and literary giant of the 20th century. Du Bois also published over twenty books and thousands of essay and articles throughout his life. Phil Zuckerman was the editor of The Social Theory of W.E.B Du Bois assembles. Du Bois work from a wide variety of source...
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...issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which granted slaves their freedom (Tindall & Shi, pg. 671), but hundreds of years later African Americans were still fighting for freedom and equality. Federal, local, and state government’s skirted around laws and policies to keep the African Americans in their “rightful place” which was beneath anyone white. Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott set into motion the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement that would inspire the African American people to take a stand and fight for change. On December 1st, 1955, a black women by the name of Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama (Tindall & Shi, pg. 1277). Montgomery law stated that African Americans could not sit in the first ten rows of a public bus even if there were no whites riding at the time (Tindall & Shi, pg. 1277). Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the eleventh row to a white man, and because of this she was arrested and given a court date (SI: Civil Rights Movement). When Parks was asked why she would not give up her seat, she simply stated that she was “tired of giving in” to white racism...
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...Mississippi history started at the end of the Ice Age. Paleo-Indians were hunters that roamed the South. Mississippi joined the Confederate States of American during the Civil War in 1860. Mississippi was also a hot bed of activities during the 1960 Civil Rights Movement. From the beginning of Mississippi history to the Mississippi of today the people are always ready to improve their lives. Paleo-Indians first appeared in the South at the end of the Ice Age. They were mostly hunters and gathers. They built mounds that required great earthwork and movement of dirt. They also had large settlements. Many towns in Mississippi are named for Native American Indians that included Natchez, Biloxi, and Yazoo. There are many Choctaw and Chickasaw people living and working in Mississippi today. There is a large Indian Casino in Philadelphia, Mississippi. The Indian culture is alive and well in Mississippi today....
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...Difference Between Patriots and Loyalists Jarred- There were many differences between Patriots and Loyalists. Patriots were the colonists who rebelled against the British rule over their colonies and in 1776 declared themselves the United States of America. Aaron-And Loyalists were American colonists still loyal to British Crown. Some loyalists were Sir John Johnson, Joseph Brant, William Franklin, and Thomas Hutchison. Will- Some Patriots were Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, Ethan Allen, Patrick Henry, and Ben Franklin. Between 40% to 45% of the white population were Patriots and between 15% to 20% supported being Loyalists. The remaining colonists were neutral. Jarred-Most Loyalists were enslaved African Americans wanting their freedom so...
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...Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination," declares the first time, to quickly eliminate all racial discrimination in the world. November 30, 1973, by the United Nations' International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid, "once again clearly announced that those who commit acts of apartheid organizations, institutions or individuals, that is a crime, bear international crimes (“International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination” Introduction) Following paragraphs would explore those racial issues from the WW II period, especially for Africans; address the root of racial issues; discover what people have done from both sides in order to eliminate racial issues and achieve freedom, equality and fraternity? During the World War II on December 7, 1941, serviceman Dorie Miller, an African Americans dragged his commanding officer to safety and bereft of any formal combat training, manned a machine gun, shooting down several Japanese planes. And then “Miller was awarded the Navy Cross...
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...a role during Lincoln’s presidency to influence to allow the participation of African Americans to fight in the civil war. He also pushed for freedom for all African American Slaves. After the 15th amendment was passed Douglas fought for African American woman’s equality and their right to vote. His accomplishments helped shape the country into what it is today, one nation. Frederick Douglass was born on a plantation in Maryland and was raised by his grandmother. He knew he had a ‘white’ father and that his mother was sent away to work at a neighboring plantation. When he was 8 he was sent to another plantation to become a house servant. He was taught by the master’s wife to read and write. At around the age of 13 he taught himself public speaking by reading the book The Columbian Orator, which he purchased for himself. (teenink.com) William Garrison, head of the Anti-Slavery Society, recognized Douglass as and excellent and interesting speaker. The society later helped him publish his autobiography. He wrote his book, “Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, in which he described his life and experiences as a slave. (Sayre 962) He physically fought with his owner then escaped to Massachusetts where he changed his name to avoid recapture. He went to Europe for 20 years and became a lecturer on anti slavery. He made enough money to return to the United States and to purchase his freedom. He then began his own anti slavery newspaper called the “North Star.” (Influentialamericans@weebley...
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...African American The African American did not arrive in America through the traditional ways of immigration, but instead were forced to leave their homeland by African slave traders. African Slave traders sold African American to American Southerners to work as slave on their plantations. After hundreds of years of being owned by white Americans, the African American was finally given their freedom. Unfortunately, after being released from human slavery and bondage, African Americans had to endure many years of poor treatment and discrimination by members of the American public. After the legislation that was enacted forbidding and punishing discriminatory behavior in society, African Americans were finally able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Although human equality is still a tremendous work in progress in our society today, after years of decrementing struggles and tribulations, the African American is finally treated like an equal citizen in society. The adverse reality that African Americans did not have the equal right and opportunity to live their lives as free men and women, has set a staggering mark in American history. African Americans were bought and sold like cattle and never looked at as humans but rather property. The laws were designed to benefit the White American and the slave owner and did not recognize the slave as a citizen. Although slavery was made illegal in the Northern regions in 1787, it was not until 1808 before slavery was outlawed...
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...In the early 1950's Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and countless other African Americans as well as White Americans fought together for a cause that was against Segregation and the Jim Crow Laws. They were feeling the effects of racism from the Civil War back in the 1800's. African Americans were not being treated kindly, neither were the White Americans who befriended them. Those who fought against the Jim Crow Laws weren't just fighting to be rebellious against the nation, but they were fighting to be free of an unjust unconstitutional law that was established and enforced by our Government. When I say they were "fighting" that law I do not mean they were actually throwing riots and chaos everywhere they went. They were more so doing peace rally's. They had peaceful sit-ins, they drove a bus around the country, they had conferences and speeches. They were not doing what today's rebellions are trying to justify as "peaceful". They still stood for the Red, White, and Blue. They obeyed civil laws, they did not kill, nor did they light towns on fire. The MLK group only wanted others to feel love for them, to accept them into society, and to be treated as real Americans with real...
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...James Cameron Mr. Randolph Engl. 210 9/21/12 Tainted History in Natasha Tretheway’s Native Guard Passion, precision, and technique are all synonyms used to describe Natasha Tretheway’s Native Guard that take the reader through the heart of the south and the heart of the family. This essay will examine the contradictions of (African) American life, especially concerning themes of history and memory. “Southern History”, “Incident”, and “South” will demonstrate these contradictions of (African) American history and memory. Serving as a scribe, Tretheway writes these poems for those people history has muted and closed the veil on. Southern History, Incident, and South; poems from section two of her book, depict racism during slavery and the Civil War, which is a part of forgotten history in the eyes of “Americans.” These historic experiences have not been given the proper examination, discussion, or acknowledgement. Tretheway refuses to allow African American history to remain as footnotes and brings out the real “American” history in her collection of poems. Tretheway’s personal experience growing up as a mulatto in the South is seen in her poem “Southern History”. This poem shows that even after more than a hundred years after the Civil War, history is still tainted. History is imperfect and at times intentionally false as textbooks in this time period were used to misinform students; keeping them bound and restricted from the real history of America. As Tretheway’s...
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...I am an African American from Little Rock, Arkansas. I am going to tell you a story of my people and how we got to where we are today. African Americans are originally from Africa, a large continent across the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout the years of 1450-1750, there brought about enormous changes to the North American continent and people began traveling looking for new life. European Explorers eventually came to the land of Africa where they began a trans-Atlantic slave trade. This estimated to bring 10 million Africans to America. Unlike other subordinate groups in America today, African Americans came to America unwillingly and in doing so suffered great loss, pain, death and so on. Africans being sold to white people of America eventually brought about new economic status and a new social system. Slave trading deemed a very profitable market for European settlers. Goods were exported from Europe to Africa, Africans were sold across the ocean to America where they were enslaved and worked for landowners/famers, and those goods produced by the American farmers through the work of African slaves were then exported back to Europe. Shamefully, fear and greed is a large part of why slavery continued and social segregation infected this country for so long. “Not long after the first colonial settlement in 1619, Africans came to Virginia with the Dutch. At first, like their poor English counterparts, the Africans were treated as indentured servants; laborers under contract...
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...Abraham Lincoln's, Gettysburg, speech and Martin Luther King's, I have a dream speech, represent equality and freedom. Abraham Lincoln gave his speech at Gettysburg to symbolize freedom for all the people who gave their lives for the freedom of the slaves. Martin Luther King gave his speech so that African American could be treated the same as whites. Both of these speeches have impacted the lives of many and has given rights to American citizens. Today police have failed to understand we have rights. For years police have taken our rights. Police have been killing and beating citizens for making little mistakes. I have seen videos of police beating a citizen for jaywalking, not only do they beat and kill us they get away with it to. According...
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