Black History Course For Your Students
This is a free sample of our brand new course material. Your students will be able to work through courses on specific history topics, track their progress, take quizzes to test their knowledge, and finish with a final assessment test.
Take the complimentary free sample course below.
Course Overview
This is a free sample course
Black history is a part of American history, which takes a look at the journey of African-Americans in the United States. In the early 16th century, Africans assisted Spanish and Portuguese navigators in exploring the Americas. By the 17th century, the continuous history of Africans in the United States started in Jamestown, Virginia. Enslaved Africans worked in plantations and households for more than two centuries.
Decades before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, post-colonial America faced tension over the issues of slavery intertwined with territorial expansion and state’s rights. Historians argue that the institution of slavery was the main reason behind one of the bloodiest wars in American history.
Following the turbulent years of the American Civil War, the United States underwent the Reconstruction Era between 1865 and 1877. During this period, the American federal government sought to reintegrate former Confederate states to the Union. Under the presidency of Andrew Johnson, Reconstruction Amendments were passed to recognise African-American communities and rights. However, Southern states were able to pass local statutes which neglected the amendments.
In the 1950s, African-Americans formed the civil rights movement to fight for their equal rights under the US Constitution. Despite the existence of Reconstruction Amendments, Black communities continued to endure racial segregation and discrimination in America, especially in Southern states. The increase in civil rights activities during the post-World War era led to the gradual removal of Jim Crow Laws.
The election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States in 2008 took African-American history to the next level. The majority are largely descendants of enslaved Africans and they have become one of the largest of many ethnic minority groups in the United States. When their ancestors arrived in the New World, no rights were granted until they reached an era of activism.
Today, African-American or Black history is celebrated in the United States every February. This month honours the struggles and achievements of African-Americans throughout US history. Pivotal events include slave rebellions, emancipation, the Great Migration, and the civil rights movement. It also highlights African-American contributions to politics, art and culture.
This self-guided course is designed for you to work through on your own using the resources and suggested learning activities provided.
Over the six lessons in the course, you'll learn about the origins of African History in America, slavery and the American Civil War, African-Americans during the Reconstruction Era, the era of the Civil Rights Movement, influential African-Americans & Black Lives Matter Movement.