African American History Exam 1!

Essentialism

The idea that certain traits, values, or identities are natural and unchanging, used to justify inequalities.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

The forced transport of millions of Africans to the Americas for slavery, shaping economies and societies.

Chattel Slavery

A brutal system where enslaved people were treated as property, without rights, and could be bought or sold.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia where poor white and Black workers united against the government.

Liberalism

A political philosophy focused on individual rights and limited government, influencing abolition and democracy movements.

Patriots and Loyalists

Patriots supported American independence; Loyalists remained loyal to Britain during the Revolution.

The Three-Fifths Compromise

A constitutional agreement counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.

Gradual Abolition

A slow process of ending slavery over time, used in northern U.S. states in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

American Colonization Society

A group that supported sending freed African Americans to Africa rather than integrating them into U.S. society.

Black Nationalism

A movement promoting Black pride, self-sufficiency, and the idea of a separate Black community.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

An 1857 Supreme Court ruling that denied citizenship and rights to Black people.

The Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln’s 1863 order that freed enslaved people in Confederate states, shifting the Civil War's aim.

The Fourteenth Amendment

A constitutional amendment granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to all born in the U.S.

Convict Lease

A system where prisoners, mostly Black, worked under harsh conditions, continuing slavery-like labor post-Civil War.

Plessy v. Ferguson

An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

The Middle Passage

The horrific ocean journey where enslaved Africans were transported to the Americas under terrible conditions.

Seasoning

A brutal process where enslaved Africans were trained to endure forced labor and harsh treatment.

Indentured Servitude

A labor system where people worked for a set number of years in exchange for passage to the Americas.

Freedom Suits

Legal cases where enslaved individuals sued for freedom, sometimes winning but facing opposition.

Thomas Jefferson

A Founding Father who wrote the Declaration of Independence but owned enslaved people, showing contradictions.

Manumission

The formal act of an enslaver freeing an enslaved person.

Benjamin Banneker

A Black scientist and writer who challenged racial stereotypes and contributed to early American knowledge.

The Haitian Revolution

A successful uprising (1791-1804) where enslaved Haitians overthrew French rule, inspiring abolitionists.

Tariff

A tax on imported goods that impacted economic policies, leading to regional tensions before the Civil War.

Missouri Compromise

An 1820 law balancing free and slave states, allowing Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Denmark Vesey

A formerly enslaved man who planned a major slave rebellion in 1822 but was executed before it occurred.

Virginia Debate

A discussion in Virginia’s legislature about ending slavery after Nat Turner's Rebellion, leading to stricter laws.

Cincinnati Riots

Racial violence in Cincinnati where white mobs attacked Black residents, reflecting race and labor tensions.

Republican Party

A political party founded in the 1850s opposing slavery expansion, leading efforts to abolish it during the Civil War.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

An 1854 law allowing settlers to decide on slavery in new territories, leading to 'Bleeding Kansas' conflicts.

John Brown’s Raid

An 1859 attack on a federal armory aiming to start a slave rebellion, heightening tensions before the Civil War.

New York City Draft Riots

Violent protests in 1863 against the Civil War draft, where white rioters attacked Black residents.

Fort Pillow Massacre

An event where Confederate soldiers killed surrendering Black Union troops, highlighting brutality against them.

Wade-Davis Bill

A strict Reconstruction plan requiring Southern states to guarantee Black rights before rejoining the Union.

Black Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War when Black leaders gained political power and efforts for racial equality were made.