African-Americans
Definition
African-Americans are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with total or partial ancestry from any of the black racial groups of Africa. They have significantly influenced and contributed to the United States' history and culture.
Analogy
African-Americans are like a key ingredient in a recipe that makes up America. Just as you can't make a cake without flour, you can't discuss American history without acknowledging the significant role played by African-Americans.
Related terms
Slavery: A system where individuals known as slaves are treated as property and forced to work.
Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States enacted after the Reconstruction period until 1965.
Harlem Renaissance: An intellectual, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York spanning the 1920s which was considered a golden age for African American culture.
"African-Americans" appears in:
Subjects (1)
Additional resources (1)
Practice Questions (3)
- How did American Indian removal policies during the early republic era parallel struggles faced by African-Americans?
- Who championed populist ideas and demanded an end to disenfranchisement of African-Americans in the South during the late 19th century?
- What was a constant driving principle for African-Americans during the early Civil Rights Movement in the 1940s and 1950s?
Resources
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