African american history - Essay Example

African American History Introduction Timbuktu It is a town in West Africa, in the western region of Mali. Timbuktu was founded by the Tuareg Imashagan in the 11th century. Because of its geographical location, which is situated uniquely, it was used as a meeting point for the Wangara, Songhai, Fulani, Tuareg and the Arabs. Timbuktu flourished from trade, which was between West Africa and North Africa. The main trade items were gold, salt, ivory and slaves. Slave trade flourished because of the existence of the Arabs.

Timbuktu was brought under the French rule in 1893, up until Mali’s independence in 1960 (Franklin, John H, and Alfred, 68).Phillis Wheatley She was a victim of slave trade and was sold at the young age of 8 to the wealthy Wheatley family in Boston. The family gave her the name Phillis, and Wheatley was mandatory for her as a surname. They taught her how to read and write, and after seeing her talent in poetry, they encouraged her to pursue it. Many praised her work, amongst them white colonists who could not believe that a slave could write such excellent poetry.

She was the first African American woman and poet to publish a book. Her downfall began with the death of her master, John Wheatley, and afterwards the death of her two infant children, then came the imprisonment of her husband, Peter. This made her succumb to illness, and passed away in 1784 due to disease and poverty (Franklin, John and Alfred, 131).Negro Election Day This originated from West Africa in 1741. It was a day for slaves to elect black people who would be placed to rule the black communities in power.

Those elected by the slaves would include kings, judges, governors and other high officials to rule over them. The slaves were given a day off by their masters to join others in dances and parties. Slaves were made to dress well, as when they dressed badly it would be a bad image for the masters. The selected official was not legally recognized as a leader, but he acted as a go-between between the black people and the whites. He also ensured that the law was upheld in his area of jurisdiction (Melish, 122).

Three-Fifths compromise It originated from the Southern and Northern states and was an accord reached for the period of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. This agreement stated that three-fifths of the slaves were considered for taxation and representation in the Congress. It meant that slaves would be considered as human beings and part of the population and not as property. It stated as a dispute as the Northern States did not want slaves to be taken as a section of the population, rather they should be considered property.

The Southern State on the other hand wanted slaves to be considered, and as such as an agreement was reached for three-fifths to be counted for taxation and representation (Melish, 134).Works CitedFranklin, John H, and Alfred A. Moss, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (McGraw-Hill, 9th edition,2010) Melish, Joanne P, Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and “Race” in New England, 1780- 1860 (Ithaca, New York and London, England: Cornell University Press, 1998)