-
Slavery
When the labor became too much for the North American colonies, ships from Africa came in to provide a cheap labor source. About 6 to 7 million enslaved Africans were imported to America -
Cotton Industry
Slavery continued into the 1700s. With the art of spinning and weaving revolutionizing the the textile industry, there was a growing demand for cotton. This growth lead to an increased demand for slaves. -
Underground Railroad
An early abolitionist movement took place in 1831 with Harriet Tubman and some white people who opposed slavery. Harriet Tubman would help slaves to be freed by helping them escape through something called the Underground Railroad. This was a series of houses and routes to help get slaves across the border -
Rebellion
Nat Turner lead an effective rebellion against white southerners. He created a group of black people that gathered around 75 people. They killed about 60 white people in two days. After two days, an armed militia came and overpowered the group. About 100 black people were killed in the fighting, some of which were innocent bystanders. -
Dred Scott
The case of Dred Scott was about how he wanted freedom because his owner took him to a state where slavery was illegal. He presented this case to the Supreme Court, who ultimately ruled that the Court had no power to deprive a person of their property. -
The Civil War
The Civil War was a fight to keep slaves in the south. Eventually, Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation saying that all blacks would be free -
The South After Slavery
Despite being free, black people still faced extreme discrimination and had many rules restricting what they could do. They were called "black codes." The KKK also rose after slavery was abolished -
Jim Crow Laws
These laws were named after an actor who had a character named Jim Crow who he performed as in blackface. These laws made it so blacks and whites had to be separated in almost all public places. Like schools, hotels, and theaters. -
NAACP
This group was led by a black educator from Canada. After several race riots in the U.S., gave a sense of urgency to the group in Canada who joined the cause. The first U.S. location was in Chicago and would greatly exapand -
UNIA
Marcus Garvey founded the UNIA in Jamaica and later brought it to the U.S.. He wanted to send the message that blackness was strong and beautiful. He wanted all black people to move back to Africa to start their own city. He wanted this because he thought appealing to white people was usless.