African American History

Atlantic Basin 1500-1800

African Americans

HISTORY & POLITICS

 Unsettled, varied, multi-racial, multi-cultural  People from many European nations migrating.

More German and Scots than English after 1700.

 Africans in many roles: sailors, traders, bondsmen.

Most slaves, but some free.

Sociology 220 Pamela Oliver

Sociology 220 Pamela Oliver

Africans Arrive with Europeans

 Columbus 1492. Spanish & Portuguese in Latin

Regional patterns for Africans 1500-1800

 Northern

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America & Caribbean

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Columbus & slaves Conquistadores of African descent (Moors)

Often 1 slave per household, isolated Adopted European culture & language; hard to find mates. Integrated but declined in #s Larger groups, family units, able to grow from natural increase Cultural mixing with Europeans: adopt English with African grammar Plantations, extremely high death rates, vast majority died; no natural increase, continued importation of slaves Majority African communities on large plantations; created Gullah language, own customs

 Chesapeake (Virginia/Maryland)

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 British the major slave traders after 1600  African slaves arrive in Jamestown Virginia 1607.

(Pilgrims to Plymouth 1620)

 Importation of slaves 1607-1808.

 Carolina & Georgia

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Sociology 220 Pamela Oliver

Sociology 220 Pamela Oliver

Africans and Europeans

 ~ 90% of the people who crossed the Atlantic to

The Africans

 1607 - 1776. 175 years of slavery in colonial period.  Some Africans, like Europeans, 17 year indentures,

America between 1500 and 1800 were African, NOT European  ~ 75% of migrants to North America before 1808 were African, NOT European  Differential death and fertility rates during colonialism  The population of the colonies that became the US was 20% Black ~ 1800

but racial differences rapidly emerge

 Always ~10% “free Blacks.”  A few even own slaves themselves  Free Blacks support the American revolution. Crispus Attucks....