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The impact of slavery and racism upon the african american
The impact of slavery and racism upon the african american
Racism and the end of slavery
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All history comes with contradictions. With every moment in history comes a corresponding moment which can take the accuracy and understanding and change them forever. Throughout time people add small pieces of information to great events in our past. This is where we get the misinterpretation of history. In chapter five of the book Lies My Teacher Told Me, these contradictions are brought into light and force us to look at them again. As I have learned in my history courses we can always question the accuracy of a story but we may never fully understand the truth. There have been three important times I have been through that have shaped my understanding of history today, specifically the part of history dealing with slavery and racism. The first, and most prominent would be the history classes I had to take in high school. It was a very touch and go kind of subject. Textbooks don't want to tell too much about racism, and teachers would love nothing more than to avoid it as much as possible (at least mine did). I was told "Slavery and racism are bad. It was a bad point in America's history, but it helped us get to where we are now." Never in my life would I be told that President Jefferson, who assures that everyone has an equal right to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness", enslaved nearly 200 people at the time he spoke those words (Loewen 147). Now, since I was told very little about slavery, this fact shocked me quite a bit. The last thing to come to my mind when I think of presidents is slave owning. I remember in elementary school, doing projects on our previous presidents. Although, the requirements for the projects were for the sole reason of finding out every great act they did for the country, not about the... ... middle of paper ... ...We are such friendly people. But if we are told that people as high up as presidents are allowed to be racist and own slaves back then, what is stopping average person in todays world to make slightly racial comments/gestures? Overall, the experiences that you lead in life will affect how you take in what Loewen is telling you. If I would have had just my history classes that taught me about slavery and racism, my mind would have been blown at all the information he shares. Since I was able to really see some of the events that happened as a repercussion to what he discussed, I was able to rationalize the chapter as I was reading it. I also think my high school experience helped view both sides of the story as well. Works Cited Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. Print.
The novel showed a pivotal point prior to the Civil War and how these issues ultimately led to the fueling of quarrel between Americans. While such institutions of slavery no longer exist in the United States, the message resonates with the struggles many groups ostracized today who continue to face prejudice from those in higher
George Browm Tindall, David Emory Shi. American History: 5th Brief edition, W. W. Norton & Company; November 1999
Henretta, James A., Rebecca Edwards, and Robert Self. America: A Concise History.( Boston: Bedford, St. Martin's, 2006),
Henretta, James A., and David Brody. America: A Concise History. Vol. 1. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.
Tindall, G.B. & Shi, D.E. (2010). America a narrative history 8th edition. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p.205-212.
Over the years most of us have read a great deal about the institution of slavery and it’s effects on this country and the African American race as a whole. The fact of the matter is most of us have only learned certain information about slavery. There are only certain facts and historical figures that we lean about. No to say that the information we get is wrong, but we were not taught the whole story. This could be due to the approach of different instructors or because school curriculums are supposed to focus on the interesting facts and stories about slavery. The fact of the matter is there are some areas that go untouched when learning about slavery in most schools. Reading the book Black Southerners was something different for me. It was like some one opened a door and when I entered in I found hidden facts and knowledge about an institution that has a tremendous effect on my country and this history of race.
insights into what the narratives can tell about slavery as well as what they omit,
...y. He touched parts of the slaves' lives and what they really went through, but I don't think we even have a true idea of what it would have been in their shoes. The author presented the information in a very solid way and sectioned out very well. I understood what he was trying to explain easily. It was somewhat a long book but very much full of knowledge and history that in spirit is still alive today. We may not have slavery like it was then, but we still deal with racism and prejudices daily. The world changed because of slavery and is the way it is because of the history of America. We cannot change the past but we can change the future. Thank God the world is not the way it was. I cannot imagine what painful lives the slaves had to endure. But we can become knowledgeable about the history of slavery and America and learn from it in many different ways.
Since I was having trouble dealing with the information that I had just read, I decided to ask some people what they thought about modern day slavery. The first discussion I had was with my roommates. When I told them what I was reading, they had no idea what I was talking about. They were under the impression that slavery had ended with Abraham Lincoln, like I had been. We discussed the details and differences be...
Despite the fact the 1800s was two centuries ago, racism is still persistent in the 21st century. Even with the election of the first black president, Obama is biracial, yet he is still recognized as black. Many black Americans thought racism would cease to exist with Obama in office. The color of skin and race still lives on, after all the United States is multicultural. As in the 1800s, racism had astronomically effects on society; nonetheless American citizens have more laws and agencies to safeguard against racism. Remember, slavery is a part of America’s history and it can’t be erased like an error. Harriet Jacobs wrote, “There are wrongs which even the grave does not bury.” Despite the abolishment of slavery, racism has simply adapted to the changes within society.
Newman, John. UNITED STATES HISTORYPreparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. Second Edition. New York: AMSCO SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS, INC, 2010. eBook. .
... An American History of the World. 4th ed. of the book. W.W. Norton, 2012, 671. 2.)
Tindall, George Brown., and David E. Shi. America a Narrative History. 8th ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2007. Print.
George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shi, America: A Narrative History, Ninth Edition, Volume One, (New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013), 504.
As the first chapter in this long analytical book, chapter one serves as the foundation for the rest of the novel, with a basic premise that “history textbooks make fool out of the students.” It shows how portrayal of historical figures and events in the best light for the reputation of United States leads to biased and distorted historical education.