Home
The
African Presence in the Americas --
An
Introduction to African Migration
| Subject: | Race |
| Curriculum Area: | Language Arts |
| Materials: | Cassette Player, with pre-recorded cassette of reading, copies of reading passage for students, notebooks and pens for students, world map |
| Activity: | Discussion |
General Questions
Q.1 Before Columbus, what kind of people inhabited this hemisphere?
A.1 Indigenous peoples inhabited the hemisphere long before Columbus arrived and they had great empires and civilizations. They are known as Native Americans, Amerindians, and Indians.
Q.2 How were the indigenous peoples organized?
A.2 The indigenous peoples were organized into communities, nations, and empires.
Q.3 Name at least four European countries that colonized the Americas.
A.3 France, Britain, Spain, Holland, Portugal, Denmark.
Q.4 How many nations comprise the present day Americas?
A.4 Forty?nine nations make up the Americas.
Q.5 What four parts have the Americas been divided into?
A.5 North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Interpretive Questions
Q.1 What does the term indigenous mean?
A.1 The term indigenous means native; of a region or country.
Q.2 Were there other people who visited the Americas before 1492? If so, who were they?
A.2 The Americas were visited by people from Africa, Asia, and Europe before 1492.
Q.3 What effect did Columbus's voyages have on the Americas?
A.3 Columbus's voyages ushered in an era of colonization, slavery, conquest, and settlement in the Americas.
A.3 Columbus's voyages led to the formation of the 49 nations that make up North and South America, Central America, and the Caribbean today.
Application Questions
1. In what way has the African presence in the Americas affected your life? Explain.
2. The African experience in the Americas has shaped the way some people view African Americans today. The view of some individuals is that African Americans are lazy and simple?minded. Would you agree or disagree with this view? Explain your answer, using evidence from the reading.
3. If you were one of the 10 million Africans brought to the New World against your will, how would you react?
4. If slavery was once again made legal and you were a slave owner, how would you treat your slaves? and why? Explain your answer.
Richard Dillon
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Davis, F. James. Who is Black? One Nation's Definition. State College, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1991.
Degler, Carl. Neither Black nor White. New York: Macmillan, 1971.
Forbes, Jack D. Black Africans and Native Americans. New York: Basil Blackwell, 1988.
Hoetink, H. Slavery and Race Relations in the Americas. New York: Harper, 1973.
Jones, Rhett. Brazilian Race Relations in Hemispheric Perspective. Boston: Trotter Institute Review, University of Massachusetts, 1990.