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Takia O’kelley
Oct. 18th 2012
American Government

* What historical event happened in Jamestown, Virginia 1619? The first documented Africans were brought to Jamestown. * Write a brief summary about the institution of African American Slavery in America? What was the common life for most African American Slaves during this period? In What way(s) did this institution impact the U.S.? Africans were brought over from their homeland and were forced to work for no pay as slaves, there living conditions really depend on what plantation they were on or how the situations were but the most common were whippings, execution, extremely hard labor and rape. They basically built the U.S with their own hands while the slave owners sat on their lazy behinds did nothing. * Who wrote the book entitled, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”? Why was it so important in terms of public policy? Harriet Beecher Stowe, It made more people, that were not already aware, realizes what is really happening with slavery and to describe the horror of it and how it should be abolished and may have in some small way help start the Great Civil War. * What U.S. State would be the first to secede (leave) the Union (U.S.) and join the Confederate States of America? What was the argument concerning “nullification”? Why did the southern states want to leave the Union? South Carolina was the first state to join the Confederate States , The Confederate States tried to use nullification to try and keep their right to use slaves in there state, they wanted to leave because they were forced to give up there slaves.
Who were the following individuals, and what did they do that was so significant? * Crispus Attucks: he was an American slave and merchant seamen who was the first person shot to death by the redcoats during the Boston massacre. * John Brown: He was an american man who led an anti-slavery revolt in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 * Benjamin Banneker: Was the first African American scientist * Frederick Douglas: He was a prominent abolitionist, author and orator and perhaps one of the most prominent African American of the 19th century. * Ceasar Chevez: He was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers. * Harriet Tubman: She was an African American abolitionist, humanitarian and a spy for the Union and also helped free over 300 slaves. * Charles Sumner & Thaddeus Stevens: They were the prime leaders of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and leaders of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War. * Dr. Kenneth Clark: known for his and his wife’s 1940s experiments using dolls to study children's attitudes about race. * Blanche K. Bruce & Hiram Revels: Bruce became the first African American senator in 1870, and Revels was elected to the Senate in 1874 by the Mississippi state legislature. * Karen Narasaki: She is a nationally known Civil Rights Leader and Human Rights activist who focused on equal rights for Asian Pacific Americans * Felix Longoria: He was a Mexican American soldier who was killed during WWII and was denied to be buried because he was Mexican American but was later buried in Washington D.C * K. Patrick Okura: He was an Asian Civil Rights Leader who was one of the many Asian Americans who interned during WWII and later established a foundation for mental healthcare. * Missouri Compromise 1820: was a congressional agreement that regulated the extension of Slavery in the United States for the next 30 years. * Ku Klux Klan: Is a very well-known white supremacy hate group that use terrorism for nonwhite people and organizations * Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854: Allowed the people of the Kansas and Nebraska territory to decide whether they wanted slavery or not. * Plessy vs. Ferguson 1896: The trial where Plessy was charged for sitting in a “white” car on the train because even with him being one eighth black and seventh eighth white he was still considered black and was made guilty. * Dred Scott Decision (1857): Was an African American Slave who unsuccessfully filed for his and his family’s freedom because of the fact that he lived with his master in non-slavery states. * Mendez vs. Westminster 1947: was a 1946 federal court case that challenged racial segregation in Orange County, California schools for Mexican American children. * Emancipation Proclamation: freed slaves in states that remained in rebellion during the American Civil War. * Brown vs. Board of Education 1954: was a landmark in the civil rights movement; it was the case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. * Civil War Amendments: The 13th , 14th and 15th amendment all helped with the civil rights movement for African Americans * Texas vs. Hernandez 1954: was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that decided that Mexican Americans and all other racial groups in the United States had equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. * Freedman’s Bureau: was a federal agency that was created for the free slaves to help them adjust to the life of being free and providing shelter work and food and to protect from angry white southerners who strongly disagreed. * Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955: was a strike if you will that was started after rosa parks was imprisoned for not giving up her seat to a white man, so they were to not support the Montgomery bus system by riding them. * Black Codes: laws that imposed severe restrictions on freed slaves such as prohibiting their right to vote, forbidding them to sit on juries, limiting their right to testify against white men, carrying weapons in public places and working in certain occupations. * Civil Rights Act of 1964: a landmark legislation that outlawed major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities and women. * Jim Crow Laws. * Votings Rights Act of 1965:outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S * Black Panther Party: was an African American revolutionary organization that supported “black power”

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois were different in many aspects but both respected each other and gain a lot of respect as leaders fighting for the same cause. Washington wanted to make life for African Americans better. He wanted them to work for themselves and only ask for the white peoples help not even asking for equality. He wanted blacks to be trained for society and the working world not the world of education, have schools that will help them do their job better. He was known as a great speaker and spoke not only to blacks but to whites as well. And it is clear from his beliefs that he excepts the fact that he knows that whites and blacks can’t be equal he just wants a better life for his people Debois had a different belief and plan then Washington. He demanded that blacks should be treated like whites in ever since of the word. He wanted his black people to be more educated not just to get jobs but to be on the same educational level as white people because he believes that by being just as smart as white people they can become equal to them as well. Where they sit where they go to school the jobs they get. There will be no more discriminating everyone will be equal. He in many ways had the same ideas as Washington they both wanted something better for their people but Debois ideas and plan just took Washington ideas a step further. Debois may have had the right mind set but in my opinion Washington was being more realistic, in those times things were not looking to change so easily and Washington just took that as making it better for blacks to support themselves in the meantime. Both were great leaders who truly and deeply wanted what was best for their people.

Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X

Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were icons in every sense of the word. They were some ofthe biggest and well known civil rights leader in history. But of course as most know they were very much different in how they fought for equality for their people. Martin Luther King was born in a middle class family and was well educated. He believed in peace and compassion, never lashing out or getting violent even when he was harassed and attacked. He believed that nonviolence and working together will bring peace to all and he always kept his Christian faith. When he spoke his famous I have a dream speech he spoke of love and equality between whites and blacks and how they do have the power to help each other and love each other as well.
Malcolm X was born in an underprivileged home with not much education. His most famous line was “by any means necessary” and he believed in those words. He believed that whatever needs to be done he will do for the good of the cause, violent or nonviolent. He also followed his Muslim faith and lived by those principles. His thoughts about Kings Speech on Washington were not positive ones. He didn’t believe in what King was saying. He didn’t thing black and white people should come together he supported segregation. He thought that black people should help and care for our own people. He kept these strong beliefs until he visited Jerusalem and spoke with fellow Muslims and came back with a new nonviolent perception of life. So even with their different views they respected each other by being an influential leader and fighting hard for something they believe in even with different views.