Black History

Black History

Between 1619 and 1808 Africans were transported to the US to be sold as slaves and to work on large plantations (e.g. cotton). As a result of the Civil Wear (1861-1865) slavery was finally abolished after a strong abolitionist movement from the North. In 1865 slavery was declared to be illegal by the 13th Amendment. In 1868 African American became citizens under the 14th Amendment. Two years later all American males were given the right to vote, regardless of race.

However, after the Civil War the white southern population didn't accept this right and African Americans were still discriminated against. A lot of whites used intimidation to prevent black people to vote. Further, racist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) opposed the Blacks and attacked them and their supporter who were trying to protest against segregation, attempted to vote or attended schools. The Ð''Jim Crow Laws'', passed in the 1880s, led to a harsh segregation of black people from whites in the every day life (public transportation, schools, water fountains, etc.). In 1896 the Supreme Court ruled that this segregation was not illegal.

In consequence of this, a lot of African Americas left the South to got to the West and especially the North. However, even in those new areas the Blacks had to suffer discrimination, as well.

They were several groups who fought to end discrimination towards African Americans, such as the Ð''National Association for the Advancement of Colored People' (NAACP; founded in 1909), which won the case in 1954, Ð''Brown vs. Board of Education', where it was ruled that segregation in schools is unconstitutional. The Ð''Southern Christian Leadership Conference' (founded in 1957), with its leader Martin Luther King, used boycotts and peaceful demonstrations to work towards integration. In addition to this, the Ð''Black Muslims' attempted to separate a black nation in the US, their most famous member is Malcom X. The Ð''Black