Black History
By Stephen Sun
2P1 (26)
Slavery
First seen in ancient civilisations such as Egypt, Rome
and Greece
About 25-40% of the population was enslaved
First slaves arrived at about 1526
First record of slaves were made in 1619
Most slaves were from Africa
There were some White slaves too
Slaves were usually bought by European colonists
Slavery
The fugitive slave laws were passed to provide for the
return of slaves who escaped from one state into
another state or territory.
Slavery is related to the novel as slavery and racism is
linked
Most slaves were black and is thus related to racism
The civil war
Southern states: Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Delaware, Alabama,
Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana,
Oklahoma, and Texas
Abraham Lincoln proclaimed war against the south
Was fought as some states did not agree with the slave policies of
the southern states
seven states declared their secession from the Union before
Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861.
Both the outgoing administration of President James Buchanan
and Lincoln's incoming administration rejected legality of
secession, considering it rebellion.
The civil war
Hostilities began on April 12, 1861
Abraham Lincoln won the civil war
The civil war is related to discrimination and racism
Jim Crow Laws
The phrase "Jim Crow Law" first appeared in 1904,
although there is some evidence of earlier usage.
Origin of the phrase "Jim Crow" has often been attributed
to "Jump Jim Crow", a song-and-dance caricature of
African Americans which first surfaced in 1832 and was
used to satirize Andrew Jackson's populist policies.
"Jim Crow" had become a pejorative expression meaning
"African American" by 1838,
Thus the laws of racial segregation became known as Jim
Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The African- Americans felt that the Jim Crow laws
were unfair because even though the Jim Crow Laws
called for “equal but separate” treatment of the white
and coloured people, however, in the end, the facilities
for the coloured people were usually inferior, but they
were unable to do anything.
The Jim Crow laws were present in ‘to kill a
mockingbird’ as the living area of the white and the
coloured people were different.
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement began in 195, lasting all the
way to 1968
it was aimed at outlawing racial discrimination
against African Americans and restoring voting rights
in the Southern states
The movement has had a lasting impact on United
States society, in its tactics, the increased social and
legal acceptance of civil rights, and in its exposure of
the prevalence and cost of racism.
Civil rights movement
John F. Kennedy supported the civil rights movement
The black people got better rights after the civil rights
movements
The case of Tom Robinson is related to Harper Lee’s
Father defending two black men in the court. It
ignited the civil rights movement
Montgomery bus boycott
Rosa Parks, a normal black lady was riding a bus. When a
Caucasian man boarded the bus, the bus driver told
everyone in her row to move back to create a new row for
the whites. While all of the other black people in her row
complied, Parks refused, and was arrested
This sparked a boycott of the buses by the black people
The black people refused to ride buses, and carpooled or
rode bikes around town
In 1956, the federal district court ruled that Alabama's
racial segregation laws for buses were unconstitutional
Scottsboro trials
Nine teenaged boys were accused of rape in Alabama
Most of them were sentenced to death
The case is now widely considered a miscarriage of
justice that led to the end of all-white juries in the
South
It is significant as this incident is mirrored in To Kill A
Mockingbird. Tom Robinson is similar to the nine
boys. He tried to break out of prison and was killed,
like one of the nine boys.
Traits of a true southern belle and southern
gentlemen
Pants/trousers were not allowed on girls; they always
had to wear a dress that covered their ankles and their
wrists.
Women could never raise their voices at all. They
always had to be kind and polite to everyone they
meet.
dresses were almost always handmade and smocked
Traits of a true southern belle and southern
gentlemen
Left: a stereotypical
southern belle
Miss Maudie is possibly
a southern belle, as she is
often very nice to the
children and has a
passion for justice.
Harper Lee
Born in Monroeville, Alabama
She received the Presidential medal of freedom
To kill a mockingbird is like an autobiography to
Harper Lee
Many events in Harper Lee’s life was mirrored in the
novel
For example, Harper Lee’s father defended two black
men accused of murder, similar to Atticus Finch
The end
Bye!