AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY (PART I) Flashcards
How long did the transatlantic slave trade roughly last? When was it outlawed and by whom?
The transatlantic slave trade was a segment of the global slave trade that transported between 10 million and 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th century.
The transatlantic slave trade began during the 15th century when Portugal, and subsequently other European kingdoms, were finally able to expand overseas and reach Africa. The Portuguese first began to kidnap people from the west coast of Africa and to take those they enslaved back to Europe.
What was the „Middle Passage“ and why is it named thusly?
The Middle Passage was the second stage of the Atlantic slave trade in which millions of enslaved Africans were transported to the Americas as part of the triangular slave trade. This was a very terrifying journey for African slaves lasting several weeks, sometimes even months.
Be able to name major factors involved in the spread of slavery in the U.S. south (even after the abolition of the slave trade).
One of the primary reasons for the reinvigoration of slavery was the invention and rapid widespread adoption of the cotton gin. This machine allowed Southern planters to grow a variety of cotton - short staple cotton - that was especially well suited to the climate of the Deep South.
Economy was built on slavery: By 1680, the British economy improved and more jobs became available in Britain. During this time, slavery had become a morally, legally and socially acceptable institution in the colonies. As the number of European laborers coming to the colonies dwindled, enslaving Africans became a commercial necessity—and more widely acceptable.
Additionally, defenders of slavery argued that slaves were better cared for compared to the poor of Europe and workers in the Northern States. They said that their owners would protect and help them when they were sick and old, in contrast to those who, once dismissed from work, were left helpless to fend for themselves.
What did the „American Colonization Society“ (ACS) set out to do?
American Colonization Society was founded in 1816 (1817-1912)
Alternate title: American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Color of the United States.
It was an American organization dedicated to the transportation of freeborn blacks and emancipated slaves to Africa.
Who was William Lloyd Garrison and which newspaper did he publish?
William Lloyd Garrison was a leading abolitionist.
He published the Liberator: an abolitionist newspaper between 1831-1866.
What distinguished early antislavery activism from more radical forms of abolitionism that emerged in the 1830s?
Pamphlets were used as a medium in early anti-slavery activism.
During the radical abolitionist movement, the main goal was to show what slavery was. Field reports have been published; (Eye-) witnesses of slavery were involved in the movement.
Who was Frederick Douglass? What was his relationship with William Lloyd Garrison?
Frederick Douglass was
• Most famous slave orator, abolitionist, advocate for women’s rights
• A spokesman for African Americans in the 19th century
• Representatives of the Underground Railroad
• Later he became a politician, appointed Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti
He escaped enslavement on the 2nd attempt.
Garrison met Douglass at an anti-slavery conference. Garrison wrote a foreword to Douglass’ book Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass.
Which forms could resistance against slavery take? How did abolitionists resist? How did the enslaved themselves resist?
- Speaking up against slavery: antislavery conventions and organizations; speeches, sermons
- Living proof of the scarred bodies of the enslaved
- Writing against slavery: pamphlets, slave narrative
- Physically fighting slavery: running away, helping others to escape; uprising, revolts
- The Underground Railroad
- Finding allies: transatlantic dimensions of the movement; European allies
- The abolitionist sent petitions to Congress, ran for political office and inundated people of the South with anti-slavery literature
Why was the fugitive slave act of 1850 crucial for fueling (Northern) resistance to slavery?
The act required that slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state.
• People affected: even those who were freed were captured again
• Free born black people > captured and “returned” to owners
The Fugitive Slave Acts were a pair of federal laws that allowed for the capture and return of runaway enslaved people within the territory of the United States. Enacted by Congress in 1793, the first Fugitive Slave Act authorized local governments to seize and return escapees to their owners and imposed penalties on anyone who aided in their flight. Widespread resistance to the 1793 law led to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which added more provisions regarding runaways and levied even harsher punishments for interfering in their capture. The Fugitive Slave Acts were among the most controversial laws of the early 19th century.
By the time of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, many Northern states had abolished slavery.
What was the Underground Railroad, historically speaking? Explain/discuss what the Underground Railroad means in the American imagination today.
The Underground Railroad was a network of (abolitionists - anti-slavery) people, mostly African American and white women, who provided shelter and assistance to escaped slaves from the South.
The Underground Railroad was run by people known as “conductors” who guided fugitive slaves to hideouts on their way to the Northern Free States or Canada. Hides included private homes, churches, and schoolhouses. These were called “stations”, “safe houses” and “depots”. The people who served them were called “station masters”. In these hideouts, runaway slaves were provided with food and shelter during the day - they could only move at night because they were being hunted by bounty hunters.
