Coming to America: Portrait of Colonial Life: Introduction of Slavery in Colonial America
For most of the 17th century, the number of slaves in the American colonies is quite small. Indentured servants and the settlers themselves handle most of the colonies' labor needs. The transition to slave labor in the Chesapeake is the result of ec...
Tattered Remains: Southern Economy, The
In an effort to diversify the economy in the years after the Civil War, Southern industry does expand. However, new jobs in the Alabama steel industry or the textile industries in the Carolinas are generally limited to white workers. Some blacks do ...
Hard Times: Minority Groups Hard Hit During Depression
Blacks in the rural South fall to the bottom of the economic ladder; blacks in the North are first to be thrown into unemployment. Mexicans also lose their jobs when workforces are restructured, particularly in California. There is increasing eviden...
Chaos of Experimentation, A: White House Staff, the Brain Trust
From his first days in office, President Roosevelt surrounds himself with a cadre of bright, capable assistants. The size of White House staff explodes from a handful to a hundred. His closest advisors, "the brain trust," are people who can think ou...
Pressures from Within: Population Surge West of Appalachians
Once the War of 1812 diminishes the threat of Indian uprisings, there is a dramatic surge in population west of the Appalachians, particularly in the region known as the "Old Northwest." Indians who had moved to the Ohio and Tennessee valleys when t...
Pressures from Within: National Crises of 1819 and 1820 Threaten Country
1819 experiences a major economic downturn in which people lose their homes, farms and businesses. Land values, inflated by speculation, collapse. The instability of banks operating with very little of the kind of insurances financial systems now po...
Master and Slave: Slave Resistance
From the time they leave Africa; slaves resist their captive state. Actual rebellions are rare, in part because the vast majority of the population is white and free. In a one-year time frame in the early 1830s two significant events occur: the init...
House Divided: United States Comes Apart, The
Bitterness marks aftermath of 1860 election. Southern states fear that the election of Abraham Lincoln and Republican dominance of Congress means that their way of life based on slavery will be violated. The legislature of South Carolina quickly cal...
Precarious Experiment, A: African American and Native American Viewpoints
The institution of slavery is undermined by the Revolutionary War. Many slaves run away, serving in the Continental Army and eventually gaining their freedom. There is widespread belief that slavery will come to an end because of its incompatibility...
Meeting Ground, The: Violence Against Chinese Grows
In order to survive in an unfriendly atmosphere, Chinese immigrants bond together, often living in enclaves referred to as Chinatowns. This protective gesture creates a new round of stereotypes about who they are and what their intentions are. Their...