exam 2 hist africa dia

Francois Makandal

What it is: A maroon leader of enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) during the 18th century, reputed for organizing poison networks against plantation owners.
Why it matters: the resistance efforts foreshadowed the Haitian Revolution by showing that enslaved people could form covert networks and strike fear into the colonial system.

Gabriel Prosser

What it is: An enslaved blacksmith in Virginia who planned a large-scale slave revolt in 1800. The uprising was thwarted before it began.
Why it matters: His conspiracy demonstrated the ongoing resistance to slavery in the United States and heightened white fears of revolts. This fear led to stricter control over enslaved populations.

Denmark Vesey

What it is: A formerly enslaved man in Charleston, South Carolina, who allegedly planned a massive slave insurrection in 1822.
Why it matters: Although the rebellion was uncovered before it could take place, news of Vesey’s plan led to increased restrictions on free and enslaved Black people, illustrating how the mere possibility of organized revolt could shape policy.

David Walker

What it is: A free Black abolitionist from North Carolina who wrote David Walker’s Appeal (1829), a radical anti-slavery pamphlet.
Why it matters: Walker called for the immediate end of slavery and urged Black people to resist oppression by any means necessary. His work was highly influential and controversial, fueling abolitionist sentiment and alarm among pro-slavery advocates.

Nat Turner

What it is: An enslaved preacher who led a violent slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831.
Why it matters: Turner’s Rebellion caused panic throughout the South, leading to harsher laws against both enslaved and free Black people and intensifying national debates on slavery.

Black Codes

What they are: Laws enacted in the Southern states after the Civil War (particularly in 1865–1866) to restrict the freedom of African Americans and maintain a labor force similar to slavery.
Why they matter: These codes aimed to control mobility, labor, and behavior of the newly freed population, laying the groundwork for later Jim Crow laws and demonstrating the South’s resistance to racial equality.

Haitian Revolution (1791–1804)

What it is: A successful anti-slavery and anti-colonial uprising by self-liberated enslaved people against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti).
Why it matters: It was the first and only slave-led revolution that resulted in the founding of a state (Haiti) governed by formerly enslaved people. It shook the Atlantic world, influenced abolitionist movements, and shaped global geopolitics.

8. Boukman Dutty

What it is: An enslaved man and voodoo priest in Saint-Domingue, credited with sparking the Haitian Revolution at a ceremony in 1791.
Why it matters: His call for revolt served as a catalyst for the initial uprising that would grow into the Haitian Revolution, demonstrating the power of spiritual and communal solidarity among the enslaved.

Palmares

What it is: A large community (quilombo) of escaped enslaved people (maroons) in colonial Brazil, existing in the 17th century.
Why it matters: Palmares successfully resisted Portuguese and Dutch colonists for nearly a century, symbolizing the resilience and agency of enslaved Africans in the Americas.

Seminoles

What they are: A Native American people originally from Florida; some Seminole bands provided sanctuary to escaped enslaved Africans, leading to the emergence of Black Seminoles.
Why they matter: Their alliance with escaped enslaved people challenged U.S. expansion and slavery, resulting in the Seminole Wars. This history underscores how Native-American and African-American struggles for autonomy sometimes converged.

Stono Rebellion

What it is: One of the largest slave revolts in British North America, occurring in South Carolina. Enslaved rebels marched south, killing whites and recruiting other enslaved people to join.
Why it matters: It led to the passage of stricter slave codes in South Carolina and influenced the dialogue around slavery and security in the colonies.

Lord Dunmore

What it is: The last royal governor of Virginia, who in 1775 offered freedom to enslaved people who fought for the British during the American Revolution.
Why it matters: His proclamation heightened tensions and encouraged many enslaved men to flee and join British forces, showing how the Revolutionary War could also be a war for personal liberty for enslaved people.

Sierra Leone

What it is: A West African country founded in the late 18th century partly as a resettlement colony for formerly enslaved and free Black people from Britain and Nova Scotia.
Why it matters: It became a focal point of British anti-slavery efforts and a haven for the Black Loyalists who fought for Britain in the American Revolution.

Liberia

What it is: A West African nation founded by the American Colonization Society and others in the early 19th century as a settlement for free African Americans.
Why it matters: Liberia’s establishment reflected the debate over whether Black Americans should pursue equality within the United States or seek opportunities elsewhere. The creation of Liberia also underscores the complexities of 19th-century racial politics.

Repatriation

What it is: The concept or process of sending or encouraging people (in this context, free or freed African Americans) to return to Africa.
Why it matters: Repatriation societies viewed colonization in Africa as a solution to racism in the U.S. or as a moral duty, though many Black Americans resisted the idea, seeing their homeland as the United States.

Paul Cuffe

What it is: A successful African American and Wampanoag Quaker businessman, sea captain, and philanthropist in the early 19th century.
Why it matters: Cuffe supported the idea of colonization and sponsored voyages for African Americans to settle in Sierra Leone, illustrating early repatriation efforts and the complexities of African American identity and agency.

Golden Law (1888)

What it is: The law in Brazil (officially named “Lei Áurea”) that abolished slavery in the country.
Why it matters: It ended the last system of formal slavery in the Western Hemisphere, making Brazil the final country in the Americas to officially abolish slavery.

Jean-Jacques Dessalines

What it is: One of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of independent Haiti under the 1805 constitution.
Why it matters: After Haiti won independence, Dessalines declared Haiti a free state and became its first emperor, ensuring the permanence of the revolution’s achievements.

Apprenticeship

What it is: A transitional system implemented by the British after abolishing slavery in their colonies in 1833. Formerly enslaved people were re-labeled as “apprentices,” still forced to work for their former masters for limited wages or under tight restrictions.
Why it matters: It demonstrated how abolition did not always bring immediate freedom and economic independence. The system was eventually abolished in 1838 due to widespread abuses and protests.

Reconstruction (1865–1877)

What it is: The period following the U.S. Civil War when the federal government attempted to reintegrate the Southern states and grant civil rights to freed African Americans.
Why it matters: Although it promised sweeping political and social change, the efforts stalled, leading to the rise of Jim Crow laws after federal troops withdrew from the South.

. P.B.S. Pinchback

What it is: The first African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state (Louisiana, 1872–1873).
Why it matters: His brief governorship symbolized the possibilities of Black political leadership during Reconstruction and the threats such leadership faced from white supremacists.

. Hiram Revels

What it is: The first African American U.S. Senator (represented Mississippi, 1870–1871).
Why it matters: His election to the Senate was a milestone of Reconstruction, challenging racist assumptions about Black Americans’ role in government.

Blanche K. Bruce

What it is: The first African American to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate (also representing Mississippi, 1875–1881).
Why it matters: Along with Hiram Revels, Bruce’s service exemplified the new political opportunities available to African Americans during Reconstruction—opportunities that would later be rolled back.

. Sherman’s Field Order #15 (1865)

What it is: A military order by General William T. Sherman that redistributed confiscated Confederate land to formerly enslaved families in 40-acre segments.
Why it matters: Although short-lived (later revoked by President Andrew Johnson), this order gave rise to the slogan “40 acres and a mule,” which has symbolized Black demands for reparations and economic justice ever since.

Sharecropping

What it is: An agricultural system in which formerly enslaved people (and poor whites) rented land from landowners in exchange for a portion of their crop.
Why it matters: It kept many Black families tied to the land and debt, effectively recreating conditions similar to slavery—economically oppressive and difficult to escape.

Vagrancy Laws

What they are: Laws used primarily in the post–Civil War South to criminalize unemployment or homelessness. Often applied selectively against Black people.
Why they matter: These laws gave local authorities a pretext to arrest freedpeople and force them into convict leasing or other forms of forced labor, sustaining racial control after slavery.

Convict Leasing

What it is: A system in the post–Civil War South whereby imprisoned individuals (mostly African Americans jailed under Black Codes and vagrancy laws) were “leased” to private businesses for labor.
Why it matters: It extended forced labor well into the 20th century and was seen as a legal replacement for slavery, generating immense profit for Southern states and businesses.

Debt Peonage

What it is: A system where workers are tied to land or employment due to unpayable debts, effectively restricting their freedom.
Why it matters: In the South, debt peonage trapped many Black tenant farmers in cycles of poverty, further undermining the promise of freedom after the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

What it is: An executive order by President Abraham Lincoln declaring freedom for enslaved people in Confederate-held territories.
Why it matters: While it did not immediately free all enslaved people, it changed the character of the Civil War into a fight against slavery and paved the way for the 13th Amendment.

13th Amendment (1865)

What it is: The amendment to the U.S. Constitution that formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.
Why it matters: It ended legal slavery in the United States but left a loophole (“except as punishment for crime”) that would enable practices like convict leasing.

14th Amendment (1868)

What it is: Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and ensured equal protection under the law.
Why it matters: This amendment sought to protect the civil rights of freedpeople and became a cornerstone for later civil rights litigation and expansion of liberties.

15th Amendment (1870)

What it is: Prohibited federal and state governments from denying citizens the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Why it matters: It was intended to secure voting rights for African American men, though in practice, discriminatory practices (poll taxes, literacy tests, etc.) still prevented many from voting until the 1960s.

Military Reconstruction Act of 1867

What it is: Congressional legislation that placed Southern states under military rule until they ratified the 14th Amendment and reformed their state constitutions.
Why it matters: It was a key effort by Radical Republicans to enforce civil rights and voting rights for Black men in the former Confederacy, transforming Southern politics (at least temporarily).

Andrew Johnson

Who he is: The 17th President of the United States, who assumed office after Lincoln’s assassination.
Why he matters: Johnson opposed many Reconstruction measures aimed at guaranteeing rights to formerly enslaved people and vetoed civil rights legislation, allowing Southern states to enact Black Codes with minimal resistance.

Southern Democrats

Who they are: The Democratic Party faction dominating Southern politics post–Civil War, generally opposed to Reconstruction and African American civil rights.
Why they matter: After federal troops withdrew in 1877, Southern Democrats regained control (the “Redeemers”) and ushered in Jim Crow segregation, reversing many Reconstruction gains.

Moderate and Radical Republicans

Who they are: Two factions within the Republican Party during Reconstruction. Moderates sought a quicker reconciliation with the South, while Radicals demanded strict measures to protect and empower freedpeople.
Why they matter: Their differences shaped the scope and enforcement of Reconstruction policies. Radical Republicans pushed for more sweeping change, including civil and political rights for Black Americans.

Vigilantes

Who they are: Unofficial enforcers, often white supremacist groups (e.g., the Ku Klux Klan), that targeted Black communities and Republican politicians.
Why they matter: Their violence and terrorism—lynchings, intimidation, assault—were used to undermine Reconstruction efforts and suppress Black political participation.

Slaughterhouse Cases (1873)

What they are: A group of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that narrowly interpreted the 14th Amendment’s privileges and immunities clause.
Why they matter: The rulings severely limited federal protection of civil rights, paving the way for states to enact discriminatory laws that would survive constitutional challenge.

Hayes-Tilden Compromise (Compromise of 1877)

What it is: An informal deal that resolved the disputed 1876 U.S. presidential election. Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) became president in exchange for the removal of federal troops from the South.
Why it matters: The withdrawal of federal forces effectively ended Reconstruction, allowing Southern Democrats to impose segregation and disenfranchise Black citizens.