Black History

1. Black History Black History By: Natalie Mesker Prepared by Mr. Berg’s 5th grade class.

2. Introduction Paragraph • You are going to learn about how African Americans used to be slaves and how they got here. Then it eventually led to the Civil War. After that in the 1960’s black people were still not free in the south so the started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Then after awhile they started the Civil Rights Movement. Eventually blacks were free and now Barack Obama is going to be our very first president of the United States.

3. Table of Contents • Title Page…………………………………………………………………………………pg.1 • Introduction Paragraph………………………………………………………………..pg.2 • Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………pg.3 • Key Terms………………………………………………………………………………..pg.4 • Slavery……………………………………………………………………………………pg.5 • Slavery……………………………………………………………………………………pg.6 • Civil War………………………………………………………………………………….pg.7 • Civil War………………………………………………………………………………….pg.8 • Famous People………………………………………………………………………….pg.9 • Famous People……………………………………………………………………… pg.10 • Civil Rights……………………………………………………………………………pg.11 • Civil Rights……………………………………………………………………………pg.12 • Barack Obama………………………………………………………………………..pg.13 • Barack Obama……………………………………………………………………….pg.14 • Final Thoughts………………………………………………………………………pg.15

4. Key Terms • Racism: Making fun of or hurting people because of their beliefs or culture. • Segregation: Separating certain people because of their beliefs, culture, or for some reason. • Discrimination: Separating people in your mind without knowing them. • Prejudice To judge someone or something without knowing them first.: • Abolitionist: A person who believed slavery was wrong and fought to make it illegal. • Suffrage: To feel or endure pain. • Free State: A state where there is no slavery. • Slave State: A state where there is slavery. • Union: The North in the Civil War. • Confederacy: The South in the Civil War. • Secede: to withdraw from and organized body and esp. from a political body • Emancipation: Freedom from slavery. • Proclamation: An official announcement. • Emancipation Proclamation: The announcement that slaves were free. • Contraband: Property that one army from another during the war. • Boycott: refuse to participate because of a special reason.

5. Slavery • How did slavery begin in the New World? • Slavery started when Native American tribes captured other Native American tribes. Thousands of Africans were shipped to Americas and most slaves worked on plantations. By 1860 there were 4,000,000 slaves here. Overtime slaves were property (not human beings.) • Where did the slaves come from? How were they captured and kidnapped? How were they bought and sold in the New World? How many were brought here? Who bought them and how many could they own? How were they brought to the New World? • They came from places in Africa. They were captured by their owners in Africa and brought by ship to America. When they were bought and sold, they went on ships locked in chains, having very little to eat, and being mocked. Then they stood on stands with people holding their money up to buy them. The people who owned plantations bought slaves. They could buy as many as they wanted. • What types of jobs were they given? • They worked on different plantations. They did housework like doing dishes, cooking, cleaning, and helping their owners. If they didn’t do their job well enough, they would be whipped or hurt in a way.

6. Slavery • What was the day in a life of a slave like? • They got very little clothing, they only got about 8 lbs. of food each month! They lived in wooden shacks with dirt floors and slept on grass or straw with only 1 blanket! If the slaves were 12 years: their moms could be taken away. Once they were only 8, they’d work on plantations. They were punished by being whipped or hammer nails on the inside of a bin, put a slave in there, and roll them down a steep hill! They were scared everyday because of maybe being separated from their family or being killed or hurt. • What was the Underground Railroad? (escape, escape routes, punishment, black, and abolitionists) • The Underground Railroad were trails out of the South for the slaves to escape. Abolitionists would help the slaves on their way out by giving them food and shelter. Between 1810 and 1850 about 100,000 slaves escaped through the Underground Railroad. The routes depended where the slave catchers were. The routes were: across the Atlantic Ocean, up the Mississippi River, and up the Appalachian Mountains. If they were found, they might chop their legs off, or they would hurt them in a way. • What were slave states and free states? Slave states: Texas, Indian Territory, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia. Free states: Washington, Territory, Oregon Territory, California, Minnesota Territory, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and West Virginia.

7. Civil War • What were the issues of the Civil War? • Slavery • Abraham Lincoln is elected. • Tariffs/ Taxes- South against taxing goods and services and resources. • Land- Argument over a Free State or a Slave State. • Population in congress • What did the Civil War do to the country? • Death of U.S. Soldiers, destruction of land and property, and bitter feelings between the North an d the South. • When did it start and end? How many casualties were there, how many people fought? People’s roles in the war? • There were 618,222 casualties. About 4,000,000 people fought in the Civil War! The war started April 12, 1861 at Fort Sumter, and ended April 9, 1865 at Appomattox. Women would things like work in factories, do medical work, and things out of the war. Men would do things in the war, but children were not a part in this.

8. Civil War • Who were famous generals (N/S) nicknames, colors? Who was the president of the N and S? What was the strategy? • The North was called the Union and the South was called the Confederacy. The Confederacy wore gray uniforms and the Union wore blue uniforms that’s why it’s called war of the blue and gray. The president of the Union was Abraham Lincoln and the Confederate’s was Jefferson Davis. Some of the generals were: Ulysses S. Grant- N, Robert E. Lee- S, William T. Sherman- N, Stonewall Jackson- S, George A. Custer- N, Robert Gould Shaw- N, Burnside was famous for Manassas- Bull Run, McClellan. The strategy was to kill or just beat the other side. • What was the 54th Massachusetts Regiment? • A group of freed slaves that became the first black regiment to fight in the Civil War. Because of their bravery President Lincoln ordered congress to organize more black troops. Although they were U.S. Soldiers, because they were black they received only ½ salary. Black soldiers could not hold the rank of an officer. • Did you know? Frederick Douglass had two sons named Lewis and Clark who served in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment.

9. Famous People • Harriet Tubman: She was a slave who led around 350 slaves on the Underground Railroad. • Dred Scott: He was an enslaved African American and didn’t get freedom after going to the North so he sued for it. But, the court ruled against him saying that he was property not a human being. • Frederick Douglass: Frederick Douglass learned to read and write as a slave. When he escaped, he wrote books against slavery. • John Brown: John Brown was an abolitionist who lead a group of supporters in a weapons warehouse to Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. The were going to start a slave revolt spread over the south. But he was hung before doing the revolt because that was a crime. • Abraham Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln was the president of the North and was against slavery. • Rosa Parks: Rosa Parks was in African American who on December 1, 1955 sat in the front of the Montgomery bus. When she was forced to move to the back for a white man, she refused to. • Martin Luther King Jr.: Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He is very well known for his speech “I Have a Dream”.He was assonated in the 1960’s.

10. Famous People • Malcolm X: Malcolm X’s real name was Malcolm Little. Muslim minister. Malcolm X • Clara Barton: Clara Barton was educated at home, and became a teacher at the age of 15. After that, she nursed at many different places including the Civil War. • Sojourner Truth: Sojourner Truth’s real name was Isabella Baumfree. She started as a slave at 9 years old. Once she got older, she escaped with her daughter and changed her name to Sojourner Truth. • John F. Kennedy: John F. Kennedy created the peace corps which were volunteers who help develop nations in areas of education, agriculture, and small business. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. • Henry Clay: Henry Clay was a congressman for Kentucky. He suggested Fugitive Law for California to become part of the Union as a free state. • Black Panthers: Black people who wanted freedom by violence.

11. Civil Rights • Why was Martin Luther King Jr. chosen to lead the Civil Rights Movement? • He was well educated, a great speaker, he promoted peace, he wanted equality through non- violent methods, and he had great leadership skills. • What were lunch counter sit ins? • Groups of black people would go into restaurants and sit at the lunch counters. They wouldn’t leave until they were served. They were dragged off stools and beaten by angry whites. • What was Bloody Sunday? • During this time massive numbers of blacks were not registered to vote. In an attempt to register, they were met with violence by whites. This included beatings, threats, and even murder. Bloody Sunday was one of those days.

12. Civil Rights • What were freedom rides? • A group of young blacks and whites set out on a trip from Washington D.C. to Mississippi. They only used white restrooms and waiting rooms bringing more examples of segregation and discrimination. The bus was set on fire and the riders were arrested. • What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott? • Black population of Montgomery refused to ride city buses for over a year. They simply wanted to be treated equal like everyone else. They wanted the same “Civil Rights.” • What was Public Education like for kids during this time? (Colleges as well.) • During this time, black children in the south in grades K through 12 were not allowed to go to white schools. Schools were segregated. Even colleges were segregated. Until President Johnson ordered the Army to lead them into schools and protect them.

13. Barack Obama • Who is Barack Obama? Barack Obama is a African American who is the president elect. He was born August 4th 1961 and is 47 years old. His wife’s name is Michelle Obama and has 2 daughters named Malia and Sasha. • Where is he from? He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Then he moved to Illinois, and now he lives in Washington D.C.. • What is his political history? He graduated from Harvard Law School. Then he became a member of the Illinois Senate from the 13th district from Jan. 8, 1997- Nov. 4, 2004. Then he became the Illinois Senator from Jan. 3, 2005- Nov. 16, 2008. Now he is the president elect until Jan. 20, 2009 he will become president.

14. Barack Obama • Is slavery any part of his family history? • No, but his great- great- great- great grandfathers and great- great- great- great- great grandmothers owned slaves. • How do you think this country would have responded if Barack Obama was elected in the 1960’s? • I think he would be harassed and maybe even killed by white people. It probably would put more feuds between black and white people. • Why is Barack Obama becoming president such a historical event? • Because in the 1800’s he could have been a slave. In the 1960’s he would be beaten and teased by white people when all they wanted was freedom. But now things have changed so much since then.

15. Final Thoughts • I think thatthis project was very fun and interesting. I learned a lot and now I know so much more about this subject. I wouldn’t mind doing this project again if I could. I liked doing civil rights the most because I realized how important some things and people were. I admire some of the people for what they did.