An article titled “1619- The Forgotten Year in American History” states that the first arrival of Africans happened in Jamestown in August 1619. Captain Jope (a Dutch trader) arrived at Jamestown with approximately twenty Africans as part of his cargo. The then governor of Virginia agreed to offer food in exchange of the Africans. Initially, the Africans were categorized as indentured servants, implying that they were meant to exchange their services for their passage to America. However, it turns out the Africans had not traveled to America willingly, but had been sold as slaves. The subsequent years would witness an influx of African slaves to America, who worked on farms as slaves and laborers.
African Americans have gone through a lot of struggle; firstly, to protest against slavery, and secondly, to agitate for equality in education, employment, and other aspects. One of the most significant years among African Americans was 1865 when the Civil War ended (Fleche, 2012). The war had been sparked by differences between the North and the South regarding use of slaves. The North had abolished slavery but the South had been adamant. The North’s victory marked the end of slavery and the beginning of gradual equality for African Americans.
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The United States Census Bureau (2018) estimates that African Americans form about 13 percent of the total population of 327 million people. Subsequently, the African American population is also projected to rise rapidly in the coming years. Although African Americans have lived in the United States for many years, they still subscribe to unique African cultures and identities. There are remarkable and observable differences in how they conduct various ceremonies such as burials and weddings. Secondly, while a majority of the whites seem to be individualistic, many African Americans seem to be congruent and display a sense of belonging to clans, ethnic groups, and relations.
References
1619- The Forgotten Year in American History. https://www.saisd.net/admin/curric/sstudies/resources/teacher_zone/Hands_On/usto1877/pdf/ho_us1_1619_reading.pdf
Fleche, A. M. (2012). The Revolution of 1861: The American Civil War in the Age of Nationalist Conflict . Univ of North Carolina Press.
United States Census Bureau. (2018). Population Estimates. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US#
