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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2014 BLACK HISTORY MONTH By Laurie Triefeldt PART ONE OF FOUR — COLLECT ALL FOUR AND MAKE A GIANT POSTER SLAVERY AND EMANCIPATION Annual observance Black History Month is celebrated in the United States and Canada in February. The United Kingdom observes Black History Month in October. The idea of honoring the accomplishments of African-Americans began with Negro History Week in 1926. Before this time, AfricanAmericans had largely been ignored by the history books and the education system. The observance became known as Black History Week in the early 1970s. In 1976, February became Black History Month. Handbill advertising a slave auction in Charleston, S.C., in 1769. End of freedom Africa The first African slaves arrived in Virginia in 1619. Slaves were used as labor on plantations. Most slaves worked in the fields, where they endured long, hot hours, often under the eye of brutal overseers. In general, black slaves were thought to be subhuman and inferior to whites. Shackles People who wanted to abolish slavery were called abolitionists. The antislavery movement in the United States began in the late 1600s, when Pennsylvania Quakers took a moral stand against slavery. The abolitionist movement was at its height in the 1800s. The railroad The Underground Railroad was made up of free blacks and whites who aided escaped slaves with food, clothing, guides, information on safe routes and places to hide. Aided by a secret network of “stations” and “conductors,” thousands of blacks escaped slavery. Fugitives Most runaways were men between the ages of 16 and 35. These fugitives usually traveled (alone or in small groups) at night, guided by the North Star. Most headed to the Northern states and Canada, where slavery was illegal. But runaways also headed for the Western Territories, Mexico and the Caribbean. Trim here and attach to part two Harriet Tubman (c. 1820–1913) has gone down in history as one of the most well-known conductors on the Underground Railroad. After escaping slavery, she dedicated her life to helping other runaway slaves find their way north to freedom. During the Civil War, Tubman volunteered as a Union spy and scout. She personally helped more than 300 fugitives find their way north. Harriet’s nickname was “Moses.” As many as 20 million Africans were brought to the Americas by ship. Slave ships were large cargo ships converted for the purpose of transporting slaves. Conditions on a slave ship were horrible. The people were chained together and packed so tightly they could barely move. Food was in short supply, and sanitary conditions were appalling. Many slaves committed suicide or died of disease before the journey ended. When Lincoln was elected president, the slave-holding states in the South declared that they were leaving the Union and forming their own nation, the Confederate States of America. The U.S. federal government (the Union) considered this an act of treason. The war began on April 12,1861, when Confederate forces attacked and took control of Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C. President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862, freeing all slaves living in states that were fighting the Union. This document fell short of banning slavery throughout the United States. When the South was defeated in 1865, Congress passed three amendments to the Constitution. The 13th Amendment banned slavery, the 14th protected the rights of blacks as citizens, and the 15th gave blacks the right to vote. Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–1895) is one of the most famous leaders of the abolitionist movement. Douglass was born a slave in Maryland. He escaped in 1838. A brilliant speaker, he toured the North with a series of antislavery lectures. Douglass established an antislavery newspaper called the North Star in Rochester, N.Y., which he edited for 17 years. He also served as an adviser to President Lincoln during the Civil War. Seceding states Union states In 1793, the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada (today’s Ontario), John Graves Simcoe, presented a bill to abolish slavery. When that bill became law, Canada became a place of freedom. Canada declared that any blacks who came to Canada would be free citizens. Canada also refused to return runaway slaves to their Southern masters or to allow American slave hunters into the country. A slave could be free in the Northern states, but there was the risk of recapture and a return to slavery. For this reason, many fugitives headed for Canada. It is estimated that more than 30,000 blacks emigrated to Canada through the Underground Railroad between 1830 and 1865. Most settled in the Great Lakes region. The Civil War Cotton plant House slaves tended to have better food and clothing and often developed close relationships with their owners. Abolitionists Slaves were taken from this region. The African-American experience is full of great accomplishments and sacrifices. There is much to celebrate among these people, past and present, from overcoming slavery, social and civil injustice to the nurturing of bright minds and great talents. Safe in Canada Border states Seven states declared secession before Lincoln took office: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina seceded after the war began. How would you feel? Confederate states VT NH MN WI IO KS MO AR TX LA IL NY MI IN KY TN MS AL PA OH WV VA NC SC GA FL ME MA RI CT NJ DE MD Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) was the 16th President of the United States. Prior to becoming president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln spoke against the spread of slavery and proposed antislavery laws for new U.S. territories. Can you imagine life as a slave? How would you feel if you were forced to work with only the bare minimum of food, clothing and shelter? You would not be allowed to learn to read or write. If you got sick, no doctor would be called. Your parents or siblings might be sold far away, and you would never see them again. Your owner could punish you as often and as severely as he liked. Can you imagine having no rights or freedoms, being treated like a beast of burden rather than a human being? To understand how wrong slavery is, you only have to imagine it happening to you. SOURCES: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc.; Association for the Study of African American Life and History; www.americaslibrary.gov; Like us on Facebook — www.facebook.com/worldofwonder2014 © 2014 Triefeldt Studios, Inc. Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS LEARN ABOUT BLACK HISTORY IN THE NEXT THREE INSTALLMENT OF WORLD OF WONDER