According to an interesting article by Alvin M. Josephy, Jr. entitled, “I Will Fight No More Forever,” after the Civil War, white pioneers conquered and exploited the huge frontier between California and the Mississippi River. They began building towns, creating local and state governments, and laid out farms and cattle ranches. The white pioneers who …
I didn’t learn about Venture Smith until I was an adult. He was born Broteer Furro around 1729, in a place called Dukadarra, in West Africa. Reportedly, his father was a local leader and prince. His mother was one of several wives. He spent his early years in Guinea, West Africa. As a child, he …
Resurrection Sunday will be on April 17th this year. This is the time for me to reflect on the history of the Black church and early Christians. My siblings and I were raised in a Christian household. Our parents and maternal grandparents grew up attending church and attended until their deaths. My siblings and first …
The United States Supreme Court is the highest federal court in the country. It was established by the U.S. Constitution and serves as the head of the judicial branch of government. It has the ultimate jurisdiction over all laws in the U.S. and is responsible for evaluation of the constitutionality of those laws. It’s currently …
When I was a growing up, I remember my Dad and Lil Bro, my historian brother, teaching me about The Great Depression. It didn’t seem much different from how we were living. Our shack was cold in the winter and scorching hot in the summer. Spring and fall brought relief. Dad was still trying …
The Missouri Compromise After the war of 1812, thousands of Americans moved into western territories. When new states entered the Union, antislavery and proslavery advocates clashed on how far slavery would be allowed to spread. In 1817, Missouri residents petitioned for statehood. There were approximately ten thousand enslaved people in the territory. When Alabama …
According to the book, The Negro Pilgrimage In America, by C.L. Lincoln, in March, 1867, Congress passed the First Reconstruction Act. The goal was to defeat the conservative reconstruction policies of President Andrew Johnson. The act provided military rule in the South, and the states were divided into five military districts. State governments recognized by …
In 1854, the senator from Illinois, Stephen A. Douglas revisited the question of slavery in the territories. He felt that the local people were in a better position to determine the needs of the region. He proposed a bill to organize the territory of Kansas. The crisis started when a plan was developed to bring …
After the Civil War, Southern states passed a series of laws that enforced racial segregation. A civil rights activist named Homer Plessy, a 36 year old mixed race shoemaker, challenged one law in Louisiana. He agreed to take part in an act of civil disobedience planned by a local civil rights organization. He was chosen …
The year was 1857 and James Buchanan was president of the United States. Three years prior, a case was brought before the Supreme Court. Slavery in the territories was a hot political issue. When I was a child, I vaguely remember hearing about The Dred Scott case from my Dad and older brother. As much …