Douglass and Equiano were both Africans and slaves; however, they lived very different lives. They were both young children in their autobiographies reminiscing the horrors and hardships they had to undergo as young African slaves. Olaudah Equiano had a worse time, in my opinion, then Frederick Douglass. Equiano was able to know how it felt to be free. Moreover, he was a prince of his tribe because his father was the tribal elder of Benin.
The Impact of African Americans on U.S. Culture For hundreds of years Africans were sold into slavery and shipped to the Americas against their will. Hundreds of thousands made this journey to the United States and together with the enslaved Africans came their African culture. Even though they were repressed by their white “masters” their African culture did not completely die away and instead fused with European culture over time to create a uniquely African American culture. African Americans have contributed to the richness of American culture from its beginnings. Their influence on U.S. culture runs deep even though the African American community represents a relatively small percentage of the U.S. population, accounting for about 13% (United States Census Bureau).
Slavery in the spanish colonies first started when settlers enslaved natives using then to work on local labor. When the portuguese had an increase in the demand of agricultural products they needed workers but many lives were being talke from native slave, they were not working hard, and diseases from the new world were killing them. this was when they noticed that Aficans were immune to the conditions and diseases. Being a slave in Africa was good for some but ever since the Portuguese came in to the slave trade, life for a slave became harsh. The main reason why the portuguese enslaved aficans was so they can have men to work on plantations.
One colonial ideal that is still present in today’s nation is the idea of helping others in need. Our country was built on the belief that helping others was the way of life. (Document A) During the 1620s, in the colonies, the Puritans who settled in the colonies believed that good deeds were needed to find salvation. They also believed that “belief in Jesus and participation in the sacraments could not alone effect one's salvation,” therefore many were quick to help others in need. (Campbell) This ideal continued to occur through the 1880s, after the Civil War.
The music that was played was important to the church and church people it always caused the church people to become excited for the Lord. In the book, The Black Church in the African American Experience, Lawrence H. Mamiya states “…in most black churches singing is second only to preaching as the magnet of attraction and the primary vehicle of spiritual transport for the worshiping congregation.” What’s important about the music is the message behind each song that is sung in the churches. The lyrics have meaning in which people can express themselves and really worship God. In the mid 1900’s during the civil rights movement, black churches would sing about freedom. Music and singing played a critical role in inspiring, mobilizing, and giving voice to the civil rights movement.
Thirdly and most importantly what makes America great is the freedom we have. “Our Diversity in America collection takes a good look at what it means to be “American” and examines the rich heritages that make up our country. Each culture provides its own special and irreplaceable contribution to our understanding of America today. From Asia to Europe to Africa to Latin America, some 128 articles trace each nationality’s broad history and important contributions to the American way of life. Castillo 2 Diversity in America not only presents a host of intimate snapshots of culture and heritage, but documents the struggles of nationalities to integrate into the “melting pot” society of America, and highlights the strength and integrity of various cultural leaders and thinkers.” http://www.worldandi.com/specialcollection/special-collection-diversity.asp.
Where did Folk Music Come From? Folk music originally came from the black slaves of America when working all day long, some of the songs we still know today, like ‘down by the riverside’. The songs were about overcoming hardships and struggle. Another song would be ‘We Shall Overcome’ which was one of the bases for Martin Luther Kings speech. There were also different types of folk music even before the American slave era, the songs based from different melodies told stories and were passed down generation by generation.
However, that didn’t stop the slaves from finding other instruments to play or continuing the handclapping or foot stomping. Quite the contrary, the music became an essential part of their well being as they were enduring and come to endure more hardships at the hands of their slave masters. African music influenced the slave’s songs in the new world like Africa; slave songs reflected the African religious beliefs. The slaves believed in a higher power and
It is evident that the Black Americans have long been considered a large and significant ethnic minority of the United States population. The African-American ancestors were mostly brought to America to work as slaves to serve the White Americans who at that time were considered the superior race. These slaves were mainly shipped from West and Sub-saharan Africa bringing with them polyrhythmic songs from hundreds of African ethnic groups. That is when African music was introduced to Western music, creating at first a fusion from both worlds and evolving through the decades which developed into today's most popular music, listened and appreciated all around the globe. Our main goal and focus is to trace the development of Afro American musical styles and learn about their pioneers.
In the early 17th century, European settlers in North America turned to African slaves as a cheaper, more plentiful labour source than indentured servants and were treated inhumanly. African Americans had been fighting against racial discrimination for centuries; during the 1950s, however, the struggle against racism and segregation entered the mainstream of American life. A growing group of Americans spoke