History

Snapshots

In the snapshots below, we aim to show how racial views have shaped our nation's social, political, legal, and cultural development. We argue, as many historians do, that beliefs in Black racial "inferiority" and White racial "supremacy" have influenced our country alongside the goals of freedom and democracy. As we provide these overviews, we have sought to center and reference Black scholars as much as possible. Throughout the entire historuy section, we focus on two themes:

We examine the impact that the United States’ history with slavery and segregation has had on the Black community, particularly by controlling access to where Black people could live (land and housing) and what they could do to make money (economic livelihood).

We explore the ways that the hopes, dreams, patience, frustration, and anger drove the African American community to cultivate thriving communities and to push the United States toward a more perfect expression of our ideals of freedom and democracy.

In conclusion, we hope these snapshots inspire deeper study and promote understanding our history and what has led to many of the injustices we face today so that we are equipped to be better collaborators, problem solvers, and citizens for a more just country and world.

1800-1899: A Divided Nation Stephanie Brizee 1800-1899: A Divided Nation Stephanie Brizee

1800-1850: Intensifying Debates

Importation of enslaved persons stopped in 1808, but Southern reliance on enslaved labor to fuel it's economy and Northern discomfort with the morality of enslavement created intense political battles in Congress and across the States. Free and enslaved Black men and women continued to assert their claim to the liberties and freedoms enumerated in the founding documents.

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1800-1899: A Divided Nation Stephanie Brizee 1800-1899: A Divided Nation Stephanie Brizee

1865-1877: Reconstruction and Rights

After Congress ended slavery, African Americans focused on improving their lives during Reconstruction. The federal government kept troops posted in the South to uphold their rights and ensure the full dismantling of the slave system. Despite progress, violence against Black individuals persisted from those who may have lost the war but did not change their mind about Black inferiority.

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1800-1899: A Divided Nation Stephanie Brizee 1800-1899: A Divided Nation Stephanie Brizee

1896: Plessy v. Ferguson and Institutionalized Segregation

The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, which held that racial segregation did not violate the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment, was brought by African American activists to force the courts to address the injustice of Jim Crow. The deep-seated racist thinking of the court created an outcome that further reinforced Jim Crow segregation rather than ruling it in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Despite this setback, African Americans continued to push back against segregation and the ongoing dehumanization occurring across the United States.

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