History of the American Negro

Conditions and Terms of Use DEDICATED Copyright © Heritage History 2010 ON THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY Some rights reserved OF NEGRO EMANCIPATION This text was produced and distributed by Heritage History, an TO THE YOUNG AMERICANS organization dedicated to the preservation of classical juvenile history ITH HOM IT HAS BEEN MY RIVILEGE books, and to the promotion of the works of traditional history authors. W W P IN THE CLASSROOM TO SEEK The books which Heritage History republishes are in the public domain and are no longer protected by the original copyright. They may THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE TRUE therefore be reproduced within the United States without paying a royalty to the author. PREFACE The text and pictures used to produce this version of the work, however, are the property of Heritage History and are subject to certain restrictions. These restrictions are imposed for the purpose of protecting the This study of the history of the American Negro integrity of the work, for preventing plagiarism, and for helping to assure endeavors simply to set forth the main facts about the subject that compromised versions of the work are not widely disseminated. that one might wish to know, and to supply in some measure In order to preserve information regarding the origin of this text, a the historical background for much that one reads to-day in copyright by the author, and a Heritage History distribution date are newspapers and magazines. The book presupposes only an included at the foot of every page of text. We require all electronic and elementary knowledge of American history, but it does printed versions of this text include these markings and that users adhere to the following restrictions. presuppose so much. The principle has been adhered to throughout that institutions are greater than men; hence little 1. You may reproduce this text for personal or educational purposes as chronicle of individual achievement has been attempted, long as the copyright and Heritage History version are included. individuals being mentioned generally only when they had to do with significant movements. From the nature of the 2. You may not alter this text or try to pass off all or any part of it as your discussion the treatment could hardly be primarily original, own work. and frequent citation is made to the conclusions of 3. You may not distribute copies of this text for commercial purposes. investigators along special lines. At the same time it is hoped that in more than one instance the presentation will be found to 4. This text is intended to be a faithful and complete copy of the original be substantially new. It has been the aim to deal with different document. However, typos, omissions, and other errors may have phases of the life of the Negro—political, economic, social, occurred during preparation, and Heritage History does not guarantee a religious, cultural—with some degree of proportion; but perfectly reliable reproduction. because of the great importance of education since the Civil Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for War, special attention may not unnaturally seem to be given to commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of this featwe. For a more intimate expression of some social traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at phases of the subject than is here attempted, such books as Mr. [email protected] Baker's "Following the Colour Line "and Dr. Washington's "The Story of the Negro "should be read. Original Copyright 1913 by Benjamin Brawley. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 It is perhaps only when one enters upon such a study as Since the first edition of this book was issued in 1913 this that he realizes how valuable are the investigations of Dr. great and wonderful changes have taken place in the life of the W. E. B. DuBois in this field. For the earlier years the thesis, Negro people of the United States. More than half a million of "The Suppression of the African Slave-Trade," is really them have changed their place of work and residence, while indispensable; and one of the chapters is largely based on the four hundred thou-sand men have taken part in the greatest Atlanta University publication, "The Negro Church." In a war in history. In sending forth the revised edition of the book similar way is another chapter based upon the valuable study I am reminded once more of the sense of co-operation that has by Dr. R. R. Wright, Jr., entitled "Self-Help in Negro come to me from teachers who have found the work useful as Education." The last chapter is naturally much indebted to my a text, and I wish them all joy as they further pursue their task own publication, "The Negro in Literature and Art." of directing the youth of the race to noble ideals. The composition of the book has been a pleasant task because of the sympathetic interest it has awakened. If I BENJAMIN BRAWLEY. should here set down the names of all those who have assisted ATLANTA, April 22, 1919. me by conversation, by letter, or otherwise, the list would be a long one. There are a few persons, however, to whom my TABLE OF CONTENTS thanks are more than ordinarily due; but no one whom I may mention is in any way responsible for any statement herein BEGINNINGS OF SLAVERY IN THE COLONIES .................... 4 contained, unless he is directly quoted. Of the Department of EARLY SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF SLAVERY ... 8 History of the University of. Chicago, Professor Shepardson has given me some valuable suggestions; Dr. Jernegan will THE REVOLUTIONARY EPOCH ......................................... 11 recognize my indebtedness to him more than once; and THE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY ........................................ 18 Professor Dodd, with his accustomed generosity, has taken SLAVERY A NATIONAL ISSUE ........................................... 24 unusual time and pains in helping me to arrive at accurate NEGRO EFFORT FOR FREEDOM AND CULTURE ............... 32 conclusions. Mr. Henry E. Baker, of the United States Patent EMANCIPATION ................................................................. 39 Office, the authority on the subject of Negro inventors, has ENFRANCHISEMENT.......................................................... 42 helped me greatly in his special field. Mr. Emmett J. Scott; of Tuskegee Institute and more recently of the War Department, MISSIONARY ENDEAVOR .................................................. 46 has kindly assisted on special points; while any student of the DISENFRANCHISEMENT .................................................... 52 subject must now be indebted to the good work that is being THE TUSKEGEE IDEA ........................................................ 55 done by the Journal of Negro History. For helpful criticism I RECENT HISTORY ............................................................. 58 feel grateful to my colleagues at Morehouse College and THE NEGRO AS A SOLDIER ............................................... 62 Howard University, while to my father, Rev. E. M. Brawley, I THE NEGRO CHURCH ....................................................... 67 am indebted for aid so various and so freely given that space fails me either to record the instances or to enumerate the SELF-HELP IN NEGRO EDUCATION .................................. 71 kinds. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS................................. 74 LITERATURE AND ART ..................................................... 79 Original Copyright 1913 by Benjamin Brawley. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 CHAPTER I four hundred" (1517), and thereafter importation to the West Indies became a thriving industry. Those who came in these early years were sometimes men of considerable intelligence, BEGINNINGS OF SLAVERY IN THE COLONIES having been trained as Mohammedans or Catholics. It was about 1525 that Negroes were first introduced within the 1. The Word Negro.—The word Negro is the modern present limits of the United States. These were brought to a Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin adjective niger, colony near what is now Jamestown, Va. In course of time the meaning black. As commonly used, the word is made to apply Negroes here were so harshly treated that they rose in to any and all of the black and dark brown races of Africa. insurrection against their oppressors and fired their houses. Such a usage is not strictly correct, the term having both a The settlement was broken up, and the Negroes and their narrower and a wider significance than this would imply. In Spanish companions returned to Hayti, whence they had come. Africa the real Negroes occupy only a relatively small part of The best authenticated case of a Negro's leading in exploration the continent, while outside of Africa, on the islands of the is that of Estevanico, or Estevanillo, one of the four survivors Pacific Ocean, there is a branch of the Nigritian race of people of the ill-fated expedition of De Narvaez, who sailed from only less important than the main branch of Negroes in Africa. Spain June 17, 1527. The three companions of this man 2. African Slave Coast.—The Negroes who came to returned to Spain; but he himself became a medicine-man America as slaves were by no means all of exactly the same among the natives, and later became highly esteemed by those race stock and language. Plantations frequently exhibited a interested in extending the Spanish domain. To him belongs variety of customs, and sometimes traditional enemies became the credit of the discovery of the Zuni Indians and of New brothers in servitude. The center of the colonial slave-trade Mexico. No part played by the Negro in these early years, was the African coast for about two hundred miles east of the however, exercised any abiding influence on the history of the great Niger River. From this comparatively small region came race in the United States. as many slaves as from all the rest of Africa together. A 4. Beginnings of the African Slave-Trade.—The number of those who came were of entirely different race revival of slavery at the close of the Middle Ages and the stock from the Negroes; some were Moors, and a very few beginning of the system of Negro slavery were due to the were Malays from Madagascar.

Load more