African Americans in Politics

Summary Narrative

This collection is compiled of pictures and primary source documents over that past four decades documenting the gradual progression of the involvement of African Americans in politics. Each photo or document has played a very influential role in the participation of African Americans in politics. During the 18^th and 19th century the focus was gaining citizenship and being able to vote. Today we have the first African American President of the United States when many did not think it would happen this soon.

Students will reflect on the journey, the fight, and the struggle of African Americans to participate in politics. Students will focus on each century and the progression that was made in fovar of American Americans to be freed from slavery, have a vote, and fight for civil rights.From the 13^th Amendment, to the Civil Rights Movement, to America’s 44^th President, Barack H. Obama.

The past journey of African Americans in politics is has been a struggle, although there is an African American President in office, there is still a ways to minoriyties to come in politics. Today, many people are not involved in the slightest way. They don’t vote! Why do you think this is? Is it because they do not know or understand the struggle?

Sources

http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html

http://www.historycooperative.org/cgi-bin/justtop.cgi?act=justtop&url=http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/pmh/133.1/diemer.html

African Americans in Politics-21st Century

The century saw the election of America's first African American president. President Barack Obama was the sixth African American candidate to run for a major party's nomination.

Forty-fourth president and first African American president, President Barack Obama.

1. What was so significant about the election of President Barack Obama?

2. What were his struggles that he went through to obtain the presidency?

3. Do you think he had obstacles to face in his running for presidency because of his race?

4. How did everything that happened in the three previous centuries place President Obama where he is today?

5. Were you surprised to see that even today, centuries later, that race would be an issue in the election of the president of the U.S.?

6. Can we expect to see other minority groups in the White House after this presidency? Why?

Colin Powell and Condolezza Rice, Secretary of State

1. What do you see in this picture?

2. With two African American Secretaries of State in the recent years, why did people doubt a president that was a member of a minority group?

3. Even in recent years, do you think Americans had a hard time dealing with African Americans in this position?

4. How do you think African Americans in the position of Secretary of State paved the way for President Obama?

5. Why do you think some people feel that African Americans are not competent enough to have positions at the White House?

6. How do minority faces in the White House affect and influence the younger generation who never saw the struggle?

African Americans in Politics-20th Century

This century was very active, especially for African Americans. There was World War I and World War II, Garvey's Back-to-Africa movement, women's suffrage, African America voters shifted from the Republican to the Democratic party, campaigns for civil, rights, the rise and fall of both the Black Power movement and the Black Panther Party, the emergence of the African American political class and thousands of elected officials, from sheriffs to mayors, to Congressmen and women.

The "Black Cabinet" during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Administration. Prior to 1933, no African Americans had formally served as policy advisors within a presidential administration. African leaders and organizations pressed for representation in his administration and 45 were appointed.

1. Who were the Black Cabinet?

2. Why do you think Pres. Roosevelt decided to work with these men?

3. What was the Black Cabinet's significance on the influence of African Americans in politics

4. What at the time period and events going on gave these men an advantage at even forming this cabinet?

5. What was the role of the Black Cabinet?

6. What political platform do you think the Black Cabinet was formed under?

Booker T. Washington was born in slavery. He gained powerful political influence and became an advisor to Presidents William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard.

1. Who is Washington in African American history?

2. Why did Washington have such a powerful influence on African Americans in politics?

3. How significant is it that a man born a slave became an advisor to three American presidents?

4. In what ways do you think Washington advised the presidents?

5. What was going on at the time that put Washington at the advantage of being selected for this position?

6. How did Washington get his education?

Shirley Chisholm

1. What was significant about Chisholm in the involvement of African Americans in politics?

2. Does Chisholm represent the image of the American presidents that were running at the time?

3. Do you think Chisholm really wanted to win the presidency or was she using the campaign trail as a way to speak on issues that otherwise would not have been heard by so many people?

4. How did Chisholm running for president influence the involvement of women in politics?

5. What were Chisholm's political points in her candidacy?

6. What struggles do you think Chisholm faced being black and a woman?

National Civil Rights leaders and organizers of the March on Washington posing before the Lincoln Memorial.

1. Do you see any familiar faces in the photo above? Identify them?

2. What was the focus of the Civil Rights Movement?

3. What role the the Civil Rights Movement play in the involvement of African Americans in politics?

4. Had it not been for these leaders do you think we would have an African American president today?

5. How is having an African American president a part of the "dream" that Dr. Martin Luther King had only a few decades ago?

6. What was the March on Washington?

African Americans in Politics-19th Century

This century saw dramatics steps in the development in the social and political lives of African Americans: Abolitionism, the Negro COnventions, migration to Haiti and colonization of Sierra Leone and Liberia, the Civil War, Emancipation, Reconstruction and Jim Crow.

BThe population of freed blacks was increasing rapidly, approximately 500,000 by 1860. The state, federal and national levels were restricting voting to keep African Americans at the bottom of the social, economic and political ladder. Four million enslaved men, women, and children did not have rights or citizenship.

Election fraud, poll taxes, confusing balloting schemes, and suffrage disqualifications were used to nullify black political strength.

The Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery. Although slavery had been abolished, all-white legislative bodies in many of the states enacted Black Codes, where they continued to treat African Americans as they did pre-war. Citizens over every race and color were given equal rights to make contracts, sue, testify in court and purchase and sell property.

1. What was the 13th Amendment?

2. How did the 13th Amendment affect slavery?

3. How did the 13th Amendment ultimately impact African Americans in politics?

4. What do you notice about the signatures on the Amendment?

5. Do you think the slaves were immediately made aware of their new freedom?

6. Why do you think some would oppose the new amendment?

Scene from when Congress approved the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.

1. What do you see going on in this photo?

2. Do the people in the photo look happy? does this look like a celebration or a brawl?

3. What do you see in this picture that you did not expect to see?

4. Considering that the 13th Amendment was approved, more than half of the people had to approve. Do you find this surprising?

5. What affect did the 15th Amendment have on the involvement of African Americans in politics?

6. What issues do you feel Congress may have had with the 13th Amendment?

The Proclamation of Emancipation- This document declared that the rebel stated had seceded from the Union and that the enslaved people were now "free."

1. What document it this and what did it do?

2. How "free" were the enslaved people after this document?

3. Do you think Lincoln was honored for this? Or were people upset with him?

4. Why do you think those pictures are on the document? What do they symbolize?

5. How is this document import to the movement of African American involvement in politics?

6. What were the consequences of this document?

The First Vote- The First Reconsttruction Act, passed on March 2, 1867, guaranteed African American men the right to vote. Once voter registration was carried out, African American men made up the majority of electors in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

1. What does this cartoon depict?

2. Now that African American could vote, do you their vote counted?

3. Do you think people do not vote today because of the same reasons? Why?

4. What are the expressions of the men in the picture? Why do you think that is?

5. Why did these men vote, despite threats they probably received for voting?

6. If African AMerican understood the struggle for them to vote, do you think they would take it more seriously?

The Fifteenth Amendment , ratified in 1870, stated that the right to vote could not be denied or abridged by federal or state government because of race, color or previous condition of servitude. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 restored full rights to blacks men and extended them to black women.

1. What did the 15th Amendment do?

2. What do you see in the pictures?

3. Why do you think collage was chosen to represent the 15th Amendment?

4. How were some states still going about not following through with the amendment?

5. After the 15th Amendment, why was there still a need to have the Voting Rights Act?

6. What problems do you think Congress may have had with the 15th Amendment?

The first Colored Senator and Representatives in the 41st and 42nd Congress of the U.S. From 1870 to 1901, 22 African Americans served in Congress, 13 of them had been born to slaves. All had some education and some half had gone to college.

1. Who is in this portrait?

2. Do you find the growth in numbers of African Americans surprising? Why?

3. Do you think these men were from the North or the South?

4. No all of these men had an education, do you think positions like these require a college degree?

5. Considering a few of them were born slaves, what do you thing their voice was in congress?

6. Do you think these men advocated for civil rights and equality once in their positions?

Ad from Pennsylvania newspaper.

1. What is the purpose of this ad?

2. What message are they trying to give?

3. Who is the message directed to?

4. What is the Black Roll?

5. Why didn't some people want to African Americans as equal, even after the 15th Amendment?

6. Do you think this picture is an accurate depiction or slightly dramatized? Why?

African Americans in Politics-18th Century

During the 18th century African Americans were not considered citizens. The enslaved African Americans were kept out of the political process and freed African Americans had no influence on politics even though some of them could vote.

After 1787, freed blacks could vote only in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island.

On March 5, 1770 Crispus Attucks, a runaway slave, led the men and boy who objected the British authorities in Boston marking the first battle of the American Revolution.

1. What do you see in the picture?

2. Who was Crispus Attucks?

3. Why do you think this incident marked the first battle of the American Revolution?

4. How did the specific event play a role in the involvement of African Americans in politics?

5. How did the American Revolution affect African Americans in general?

6. Why would an African American lead the men in opposition?

The Final Version of the Constitution on 1787 made no direct reference to either blacks or slavery

1. What document is this?

2. What is the significance of this document?

3. If blacks and slaves were not mentioned in this document, how does it play a role in the involvement of African American in Politics?

4. Do you feel this document was drafted prematurely?

5. How many amendments have been made to the constitution?

6. How many of the amendments directly affect African American?

Technology and Social Studies

Colleagues,

The videos below show ways that you can use technology to teach social studies in your classroom. These two videos are two of four but still provide a few suggestions for incorporating technology into your social studies instruction.

Video 1 of 4

Video 2 of 4

Social Studies Central

Enjoy,

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