The History of Blacks in America (1607–1865)

Produced in collaboration with CHatGPT and designed to reveal what every APUSH student must know according to the CED

1. Middle Passage — the voyage across the Atlantic that brought enslaved Africans to the Americas is commonly referred to as the transatlantic slave trade or the Middle Passage. It was a brutal and inhumane journey that typically took several weeks or even months to complete. Enslaved Africans were forcibly taken from their homes and transported in cramped and unsanitary conditions on slave ships. Many died from disease, malnutrition, and mistreatment during the voyage, and those who survived were often sold into slavery upon arrival in the Americas. The transatlantic slave trade was a key component of the global economy and had profound and lasting impacts on African and African American history.
2. Abolitionism — a social and political movement that aimed to end slavery in the United States during the 19th century. It was primarily led by people who believed that slavery was morally wrong and violated basic human rights. The movement included both Black and white activists, many of whom were members of religious groups such as the Quakers, who opposed slavery on religious grounds. Abolitionists used a variety of tactics, including organizing anti-slavery societies, publishing newspapers and pamphlets, and helping enslaved people escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. The movement ultimately played a significant role in the end of slavery in the United States.
3. Underground Railroad — a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape to freedom in the North. The network was comprised of a loosely organized group of abolitionists, both Black and white, who provided food, shelter, and guidance to those escaping slavery. One of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery herself and made numerous trips back to the South to lead others to freedom. Tubman’s courage and determination helped to inspire and motivate others in the fight against slavery, and her legacy continues to be celebrated today.
4. Nat Turner’s Rebellion — slave revolt that occurred in Virginia in 1831, led by Nat Turner, an enslaved African American preacher. Turner and a group of followers killed approximately 55–65 white people, primarily women and children, before being suppressed by local militia forces. The rebellion sparked widespread panic and retaliation, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Black people, whether they were involved in the revolt or not. The rebellion also led to the passage of stricter laws regulating the lives and behavior of enslaved people in Virginia, further restricting their freedoms and reinforcing the institution of slavery. The revolt had a profound impact on the national conversation about slavery and contributed to the growing tensions that eventually led to the Civil War.
5. Dred Scott v. Sandford — a landmark Supreme Court case in 1857 that held that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be considered citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. The decision also struck down the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had banned slavery in certain territories, on the grounds that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery anywhere. The ruling was a major setback for the anti-slavery movement, as it essentially upheld the legality of slavery and denied any legal avenue for challenging it. The decision had a profound impact on the status and rights of African Americans, contributing to the tensions that led to the Civil War.
6. Emancipation Proclamation — a presidential proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 during the American Civil War. It declared that all slaves in Confederate states were to be freed, but it did not immediately free all enslaved people in the United States. Slaves in the border states that remained loyal to the Union were not included in the proclamation. However, the proclamation still had a profound impact on Black Americans, many of whom had been enslaved for generations. It signaled a major shift in the government’s position on slavery and paved the way for its eventual abolition. The proclamation also helped to encourage and facilitate the enlistment of Black soldiers in the Union Army, which played a crucial role in the North’s victory in the Civil War.
7. The Colonies — Prior to the American Revolution and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the colonies in North America were divided into four main regions: New England Colonies, Middle Colonies, Chesapeake Colonies, and Southern Colonies. The lives of Black people in each region varied significantly, depending on factors such as their status (enslaved or free), location, and the prevailing economic conditions.
8. New England Colonies (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire): Black people in New England were a small minority of the population, and slavery was relatively uncommon. Free Black people worked as laborers, sailors, and skilled artisans, and some owned businesses or property. They also played a role in the abolitionist movement, advocating for the end of slavery and fighting for civil rights.
9. Middle Colonies — (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware): Slavery was legal in all of the Middle Colonies, and there were significant populations of enslaved Black people in urban centers such as New York City and Philadelphia. Enslaved people worked primarily in agriculture, mining, and domestic service. Free Black people faced discrimination and limited opportunities for economic or social advancement, but some managed to own property and businesses.
10. Chesapeake Colonies (Virginia, Maryland): The Chesapeake region was home to the largest population of enslaved Black people in the colonies. Enslaved people worked primarily on tobacco plantations, where they endured brutal conditions, forced labor, and limited opportunities for education or advancement. Free Black people faced discrimination and legal restrictions, and were often forced to work low-paying jobs.
11. Southern Colonies (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia): The Southern colonies had large populations of enslaved Black people who worked primarily on rice and indigo plantations. Enslaved people in the Southern colonies were subjected to brutal conditions and forced labor, and faced legal and social restrictions on their freedom. Free Black people faced significant discrimination and limited opportunities for economic or social advancement.
12. Colonial Slave Codes — laws enacted in the American colonies and later in the United States that were designed to regulate the behavior and status of enslaved people. These codes varied by region, but they generally defined enslaved people as property, denied them basic human rights, and enforced strict control over their movement, behavior, and actions. Some common provisions of the Slave Codes included restrictions on education, marriage, and the ability to own property. Enslaved people were prohibited from learning to read or write, marrying without the permission of their owner, or owning any property, including firearms. The codes also established harsh punishments for disobedience, rebellion, or attempted escape, including whippings, branding, and execution. The Slave Codes were an important tool for maintaining the institution of slavery and preserving the power and status of slaveholders. They were enforced by slave patrols, militias, and other law enforcement agencies, and helped to reinforce racial divisions and maintain the economic and social power of the slaveholding class.
13. Triangle Trade: The trade route between Europe, Africa, and the Americas that involved the exchange of goods, including enslaved Africans.
14. Frederick Douglass — an African American abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman who lived from 1818 to 1895. He was born into slavery in Maryland and escaped to freedom in 1838, eventually settling in Massachusetts. Douglass became a prominent speaker on the abolitionist lecture circuit, delivering powerful speeches about his experiences as a slave and advocating for the end of slavery and racial inequality. He also wrote several autobiographical works, including his famous Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. During the Civil War, Douglass served as a recruiter for the Union Army and later as a consultant to President Abraham Lincoln. After the war, he continued to be an influential voice in the fight for civil rights, advocating for suffrage for Black Americans and women.
15. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 — a law passed by the United States Congress as part of the Compromise of 1850, which aimed to ease tensions between Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery. The law required that all escaped slaves, regardless of whether they had crossed state lines or not, be returned to their owners if they were caught. The Act also imposed severe penalties on anyone who aided escaped slaves, and denied fugitives the right to a trial by jury. The Fugitive Slave Act was highly controversial and sparked widespread resistance in Northern states, as many people opposed the idea of returning escaped slaves to bondage.
16. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” — a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that was published in 1852. The book portrays the harsh realities of slavery in the United States, particularly in the Southern states. It tells the story of a slave named Tom, who is sold away from his family and experiences brutal treatment from his various masters. The novel had a significant impact on public opinion and was a catalyst for the abolitionist movement. Many people credit the book with helping to fuel the Civil War and ultimately end slavery in the United States.
17. The Missouri Compromise — a federal law passed in 1820 that sought to balance the power between free and slave states in the United States. The Compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, but it also established the 36°30' parallel as the dividing line between free and slave states in the western territories. This helped to temporarily maintain a balance between free and slave states in the US, but tensions over the issue of slavery continued to rise in the following years, leading eventually to the American Civil War.
18. The Compromise of 1850 — a package of legislation passed by the United States Congress in an attempt to resolve several longstanding disputes over slavery and territorial expansion. It allowed California to enter the Union as a free state, while also establishing popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico territories. It also strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act, which required citizens to assist in the capture and return of runaway slaves. The Compromise of 1850 was a temporary solution that ultimately failed to prevent the Civil War, as tensions over slavery continued to rise in the years leading up to the conflict.
19. The Kansas-Nebraska Act — a law passed by the US Congress in 1854 that organized the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed settlers in those territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery within their borders. This was known as popular sovereignty. The Act effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had banned slavery in territories north of a certain latitude. The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, known as “Bleeding Kansas,” and further polarized the North and South over the issue of slavery.
20. The Three-Fifths Compromise — a constitutional agreement reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 that determined how enslaved people would be counted for the purpose of taxation and representation in the U.S. Congress. The compromise counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for these purposes. The compromise was a reflection of the tension between Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery, as the South sought greater representation in Congress through the counting of enslaved people. The compromise ultimately entrenched the institution of slavery in the United States by giving Southern states greater political power, and it was not fully overturned until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865.
21. John Brown — an American abolitionist who believed that armed insurrection was necessary to overthrow slavery. He became known for his involvement in the Bleeding Kansas conflict, in which he and his supporters fought against pro-slavery forces in the Kansas Territory. Brown is perhaps best known for his raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, which he hoped would spark a widespread slave rebellion. The raid was unsuccessful, and Brown was eventually captured and executed, but his actions helped to galvanize anti-slavery sentiment in the North and are seen as a precursor to the Civil War.
22. Sojourner Truth — an African American abolitionist and women’s rights activist who lived in the 19th century. She was born into slavery in New York and escaped to freedom in 1826. Truth became a prominent speaker on issues of abolition and women’s rights, delivering her famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech in 1851 at a women’s rights convention in Ohio. She also helped recruit Black soldiers for the Union Army during the Civil War and worked to secure land for newly freed Black people in the South after the war. Truth’s activism and powerful speeches helped to advance the causes of abolition and women’s rights in the United States.
23. William Lloyd Garrison — a prominent abolitionist and journalist in the United States during the 19th century. He was the founder of the abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, which he used as a platform to advocate for the immediate and uncompensated emancipation of enslaved Africans. Garrison was also a vocal supporter of women’s suffrage and other social justice causes. He played a significant role in the abolitionist movement and helped to shift public opinion against slavery. His writings and activism inspired many others to join the abolitionist cause and work towards ending slavery in the United StateSojourner Truth: An escaped slave who became a prominent abolitionist and women’s rights advocate in the 19th century.
24. Stono Rebellion — a slave uprising that took place in South Carolina in 1739. A group of about 20 enslaved Africans rebelled against their owners and raided a weapons store, killing several white colonists. They then marched towards Florida, hoping to reach Spanish territory where they could find freedom. The rebellion was eventually suppressed by colonial militia, and many of the rebels were killed or captured and executed. The Stono Rebellion was one of the largest slave uprisings in the British colonies and led to even harsher slave codes and restrictions on enslaved Africans.
25. The Cotton Gin — invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, revolutionized the production of cotton and transformed the economy of the American South. Prior to the Cotton Gin, cotton production was limited by the difficulty of separating the fibers from the seeds by hand, but the machine made the process much faster and more efficient. This led to a significant increase in demand for slave labor, as more workers were needed to cultivate and harvest the larger crops of cotton. The expansion of cotton production also led to the forced removal and displacement of Indigenous peoples from their lands in the southeastern United States. Overall, the Cotton Gin played a significant role in the history of Black enslavement in America, as it fueled the demand for slaves and increased the profitability of slavery in the South.
26. Bacon’s Rebellion — led by Nathaniel Bacon, a wealthy planter, who was angry at the colonial government’s policies towards Native Americans. The rebellion resulted in the burning of Jamestown, the capital of Virginia at the time. The rebellion had implications for the history of Blacks and slaves because it led to a shift in labor from indentured servants, many of whom were white, to African slaves. The rebellion exposed tensions between the wealthy planter class and poor white farmers and indentured servants, who were often mistreated and exploited by the planter elite. As a result, the elite turned to slave labor as a more reliable and controlled source of labor. This shift towards slavery was accompanied by the development of strict slave codes that further entrenched racial hierarchy and the exploitation of Black labor.
27. Gettysburg Address — The Gettysburg Address was a speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War in 1863. In the speech, Lincoln emphasized the principles of democracy and the sacrifices made by soldiers in the Civil War to preserve it. While the speech did not specifically mention slavery or Black Americans, it was delivered at a time when the war was being fought, in part, over the issue of slavery. The address also helped to elevate the fight for the abolition of slavery as a moral cause, which in turn had a significant impact on the lives of Black Americans in America.
28. The Declaration of Independence — a founding document of the United States, adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the American colonies’ independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence is a powerful statement of American ideals, including the belief that “all men are created equal” and have certain “unalienable rights,” including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, these ideals were not extended to enslaved Black people, who were not considered equal and were denied their basic human rights. In fact, Thomas Jefferson, one of the main authors of the Declaration, was a slave owner himself, and the document itself did not challenge the institution of slavery. Despite the contradictions within the document, the Declaration of Independence’s ideals of equality and freedom inspired many abolitionists and African Americans in their struggle for justice and emancipation. For example, in his famous 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Frederick Douglass used the Declaration’s language to condemn the hypocrisy of a nation that proclaimed freedom and equality while denying those very rights to millions of enslaved Black people In summary, while the Declaration of Independence did not directly address the history of Blacks in America, its ideals have been influential in inspiring many Black Americans in their fight for equal rights and justice.
29. The Mexican Cession — a territory that Mexico ceded to the United States in 1848 following the Mexican-American War. The land included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The acquisition of this territory led to a significant expansion of slavery into the newly acquired regions. The Compromise of 1850, which was negotiated to address the issue of slavery in the Mexican Cession, included provisions such as the Fugitive Slave Act, which required the return of runaway slaves to their owners, and the establishment of the territories of New Mexico and Utah with the question of slavery to be decided by popular sovereignty. These measures intensified the conflict between the North and South over the issue of slavery and helped set the stage for the American Civil War.
30. The Louisiana Purchase — a significant event in American history that had implications for the institution of slavery and the lives of Black people in America. In 1803, the United States acquired a vast territory that included present-day Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and parts of Kansas, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Texas. The Louisiana Purchase effectively doubled the size of the United States and opened up new opportunities for westward expansion. However, the Louisiana Purchase also raised questions about the expansion of slavery into new territories. The territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase included both slave and free states, and the expansion of slavery into new territories was a contentious issue that contributed to the tensions leading up to the Civil War. The Louisiana Purchase also had implications for the lives of Black people in America, as it opened up new opportunities for migration and settlement in the West. Black people played a significant role in the settlement of the West, including in the establishment of Black towns and communities, such as Nicodemus, Kansas and Boley, Oklahoma. However, they also faced significant challenges and discrimination in the West, including segregation, violence, and limited opportunities for education and economic advancement.
31. The Northwest Ordinance — a law passed by the United States Congress in 1787 to govern the newly acquired Northwest Territory. The ordinance prohibited slavery in the territory and granted settlers the right to organize governments and eventually become states. The Northwest Ordinance had an important impact on the history of Blacks in America, as it helped to establish a precedent for prohibiting slavery in new territories and set the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States. Additionally, the ordinance helped to open up new lands for settlement, which provided opportunities for both free and enslaved Blacks to escape from the South and start new lives in the Northwest.

Key Concepts

The below consists of the APUSH CED Key Concepts that explicitly mention blacks Africans, African Americans, slave, slaves, slave labor, enslaved Africans, chattel slavery, and the slave trade

KC-1.2
Contact among Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans resulted in the Columbian Exchange and significant social, cultural, and political changes on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

KC-1.2.II.C
European traders partnered with some West African groups who practiced slavery to forcibly extract slave labor for the Americas. The Spanish imported enslaved Africans to labor in plantation agriculture and mining.

KC-1.2.II.D
The Spanish developed a caste system that incorporated, and carefully defined the status of, the diverse population of Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans in their empire.

KC-1.2.III.C
Extended contact with Native Americans and Africans fostered a debate among European religious and political leaders about how non-Europeans should be treated, as well as evolving religious, cultural, and racial justifications for the subjugation of Africans and Native Americans.

KC-2.1.I.
A Spanish efforts to extract wealth from the land led them to develop institutions based on subjugating native populations, converting them to Christianity, and incorporating them, along with enslaved and free Africans, into Spanish colonial society.

KC-2.1.II.
A The Chesapeake and North Carolina colonies grew prosperous exporting tobacco — a laborintensive product initially cultivated by white, mostly male indentured servants and later by enslaved Africans.

KC-2.1.II.D
The colonies of the southern Atlantic coast and the British West Indies used long growing seasons to develop plantation economies based on exporting staple crops. They depended on the labor of enslaved Africans, who often constituted the majority of the population in these areas and developed their own forms of cultural and religious autonomy.

KC-2.1.III.A
An Atlantic economy developed in which goods, as well as enslaved Africans and American Indians, were exchanged between Europe, Africa, and the Americas through extensive trade networks. European colonial economies focused on acquiring, producing, and exporting commodities that were valued in Europe and gaining new sources of labor.

KC-2.2.II
Like other European empires in the Americas that participated in the Atlantic slave trade, the English colonies developed a system of slavery that reflected the specific economic, demographic, and geographic characteristics of those colonies

KC-2.2.II.A
All the British colonies participated to varying degrees in the Atlantic slave trade due to the abundance of land and a growing European demand for colonial goods, as well as a shortage of indentured servants. Small New England farms used relatively few enslaved laborers, all port cities held significant minorities of enslaved people, and the emerging plantation systems of the Chesapeake and the southern Atlantic coast had large numbers of enslaved workers, while the great majority of ens

KC-2.2.II.B
As chattel slavery became the dominant labor system in many southern colonies, new laws created a strict racial system that prohibited interracial relationships and defined the descendants of African American mothers as black and enslaved in perpetuity

KC-2.2.II.C
Africans developed both overt and covert means to resist the dehumanizing nature of slavery and maintain their family and gender systems, culture, and religion.

KC-3.2.I.C
During and after the American Revolution, an increased awareness of inequalities in society motivated some individuals and groups to call for the abolition of slavery and greater political democracy in the new state and national governments.

KC-3.2.II.D
The Constitutional Convention compromised over the representation of slave states in Congress and the role of the federal government in regulating both slavery and the slave trade, allowing the prohibition of the international slave trade after 1808.

KC-3.2.III.C
The expansion of slavery in the deep South and adjacent western lands and rising antislavery sentiment began to create distinctive regional attitudes toward slavery

KC-3.3.I.C
As settlers moved westward during the 1780s, Congress enacted the Northwest Ordinance for admitting new states; the ordinance promoted public education, the protection of private property, and a ban on slavery in the Northwest Territory

KC-4.1.I.D
Regional interests often trumped national concerns as the basis for many political leaders’ positions on slavery and economic policy.

KC-4.1.II.D
Enslaved blacks and free African Americans created communities and strategies to protect their dignity and family structures, and they joined political efforts aimed at changing their status.

KC-4.1.III.B.i
Abolitionist and antislavery movements gradually achieved emancipation in the North, contributing to the growth of the free African American population, even as many state governments restricted African Americans’ rights.

KC-4.1.III.B.ii
Antislavery efforts in the South were largely limited to unsuccessful slave rebellions.

KC-4.3.II
The United States’ acquisition of lands in the West gave rise to contests over the extension of slavery into new territories.

KC-4.3.II.A
As overcultivation depleted arable land in the Southeast, slaveholders began relocating their plantations to more fertile lands west of the Appalachians, where the institution of slavery continued to grow

KC-4.3.II.B.i
Antislavery movements increased in the North.

KC-4.3.II.B.ii
In the South, although the majority of Southerners owned no slaves, most leaders argued that slavery was part of the Southern way of life.

KC-4.3.II.C
Congressional attempts at political compromise, such as the Missouri Compromise, only temporarily stemmed growing tensions between opponents and defenders of slavery

KC-5.2.I.B
African American and white abolitionists, although a minority in the North, mounted a highly visible campaign against slavery, presenting moral arguments against the institution, assisting slaves’ escapes, and sometimes expressing a willingness to use violence to achieve their goals.

KC-5.3.I.B
Lincoln and most Union supporters began the Civil War to preserve the Union, but Lincoln’s decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation reframed the purpose of the war and helped prevent the Confederacy from gaining full diplomatic support from European powers. Many African Americans fled southern plantations and enlisted in the Union Army, helping to undermine the Confederacy.

KC-5.3.II.i
Reconstruction and the Civil War ended slavery, altered relationships between the states and the federal government, and led to debates over new definitions of citizenship, particularly regarding the rights of African Americans, women, and other minorities.

KC-5.3.II.ii
Reconstruction altered relationships between the states and the federal government and led to debates over new definitions of citizenship, particularly regarding the rights of African Americans, women, and other minorities.

KC-5.3.II.A
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, while the 14th and 15th amendments granted African Americans citizenship, equal protection under the laws, and voting rights.

KC-5.3.II.D
Southern plantation owners continued to own the majority of the region’s land even after Reconstruction. Former slaves sought land ownership but generally fell short of self-sufficiency, as an exploitative and soil-intensive sharecropping system limited blacks’ and poor whites’ access to land in the South.

KC-5.3.II.E
Segregation, violence, Supreme Court decisions, and local political tactics progressively stripped away African American rights, but the 14th and 15th amendments eventually became the basis for court decisions upholding civil rights in the 20th century.