President Abraham Lincoln issued The Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, freeing those held in slavery in the states which seceded from the Union. The original document is held in the National Archives. A digital copy is available on the website.
Juneteenth is the commonly celebrated day of emancipation of African Americans from slavery. While The Emancipation Proclamation was issued nearly two and a half years earlier, the news of end of the U.S. Civil War and emancipation made it to Texas on June 19, 1865, ending slavery in the last remaining slave state.
The Harlem Renaissance was a period in American history from the 1920s and 1930s. During this time, many African-Americans migrated from the South to Northern cities, seeking economic and creative opportunities. Within their communities creative expression became an outlet for writers, musicians, artists, and photographers, with a particular concentration in Harlem, New York.
The Montgomery Bus Boycotts took place from December 5, 1955 to December 21, 1956 in Montgomery, Alabama. It is considered to be the first large-scale demonstration against segregation in the United States. In 1955, Montgomery city law required all African Americans to sit in the back half of the bus, as well as yielding their seats to white riders, should the front half become full. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was returning home from work, taking a seat in the first row of the African American section. The white section filled, causing the bus driver to ask Rosa and three others to get up. Parks refused and was then arrested and fined $10 plus an additional $4 for court fees. The Women’s Political Council began to circulate flyers calling for a boycott of the bus system on December 5th - approximately 40,000 African American bus riders boycotted that morning. Carpools were organized by black leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and E.D. Nixon, and African American taxi drivers charged just 10 cents for African American riders. The boycotts lasted for 381 days, ending on December 21, 1956, after the Montgomery bus system was officially integrated and a federal court ruled the bus segregation violated the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The Montgomery Bus Boycotts had a lasting effect on history; Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as a prominent figure and leader for African-Americans and Rosa Parks became a hero to many and remains one of the notable figures of the Civil Rights era.
All materials on this page are from Boston College Library 1619 Project LibGuide. Thank you!
""The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative."
"The argument of her essay has been challenged by historians and ethicists. That is partly why we believe it an excellent document for teaching students and ourselves how to be critical readers. It will, no doubt, also invite a variety of opinions.
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