African American Essay

African Americans

Carrie David

Eth/125

November 14, 2010

Taomi Madison-Kyte

African Americans

African-Americans have faced quite a bit of problems in the last few hundred years. They have faced persecution, prejudice, racism, segregation, and discrimination in many different forms. It all began in 1619 when the first African Americans immigrated to the United States as slaves. During this time the males were made to do farm work on the plantations. If you were a female owned by a white (european) family then you work as maids, and cooks. If you did not do as you were told then more often then not you would be beaten over and over again. After years of persecution there were a few people that stood up for what was right. It wasn't until 1787 that slavery was made illegal, and in 1808 Congress finally banned the importation of slaves from Africa. Despite the ban though African-Americans were still very much discriminated against. Segregation had not taken place at this point in time though. Segregation came soon after though. During the time of slavery though there was one woman that was born into slavery in 1822. She was a slave herself but as she grew up she decided she was going to help others as well as herself. In 1849 she tapped into an Underground Railroad and led more then seventy people to safety during the times of slavery.

In 1863 President Lincoln finally passed the Emancipation Proclamation act. This proclamation declared that all persons held as slaves within the Confederate states are, and shall be free (Brunner, 2007). This ended slavery in the United States, however, it still did not change the other things that African-Americans faced. Many African-Americans still faced discrimination which is defined as the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons. Segregation was always a huge issue as well. They had separate schools, separate drinking fountains,...