African Americans c.1945-1954 - OCR AThe abolition of slavery

Slavery and the Jim Crow laws

Between 1500 and 1800, between 12 million and 15 million people were taken by force from Africa and used as enslaved labour in the Caribbean and in North, Central and South America.

The exploitation of millions of enslaved people as part of the transatlantic slave trade made many Europeans extremely wealthy. British monarchs and governments encouraged the creation of plantations in the Caribbean and the southern states of America, where enslaved people were forced to work.

The USA broke away from British rule in 1776 and the US Constitution was completed in 1788. This document set out the laws that all Americans had to follow. It stated that slave ownership was legal. Millions more Africans were enslaved and brought to America for a life of forced work, no pay and no civil rights as a result of the continuation of the transatlantic slave trade.

During the early 1830s, popular entertainment saw white men dress up as African Americans, painting their faces black and performing on stage. Writer and performer Thomas Dartmouth Rice created the character Jim Crow. The character was used to portray and spread many racist stereotypes about black people.

The 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and constitutional amendments

President Abraham Lincoln signed the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. This formed the 13th amendment. Slavery was abolished in America via the 13th Amendment in 1865. African Americans were given citizenship in 1868, and in 1870 African American men gained the right to vote. However, laws, the justice system, social customs and violence continued to be used against African Americans, denying them full access to these rights and freedoms.

It appeared that equality was to become a reality. However, in 1877, the American government withdrew the troops in the South who were monitoring the actions of local governments. This meant that the racist views and behaviour of many white people in the South could continue unchecked. The growth of violence against African Americans by these people and organised groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, often went unpunished.