Slavery was a defining event in the history of African-Americans, an institution, which has left its legacy on successive generations. Most slaves lived under brutal and inhumane conditions. Besides being denied their humanity and treated as property, society often stripped the slave of his or her culture and heritage. After slavery ended, African-Americans faced both subtle and open discrimination in housing, education, and employment. Despite these obstacles, they have made monumental contributions to American culture. A determined spirit to survive and succeed is at the foundation of African-American culture today.
An examination of African-American culture from 1850-1990 begins with blacks still in slavery. Although the slave trade was outlawed in 1807, slavery itself existed until the 1860s, leaving a legacy of poverty and racial injustice. Slavery was not limited to the South, although it was most widespread there. However, conditions in the South, where the vast majority of colonial African-Americans lived, were more severe than in other regions. Laws known as slave codes made it illegal to teach a slave to read or write, helping a slave better himself. In addition, these slave codes also made it illegal for slaves to gather in large groups, carry weapons, marry whites, protect their spouses, or defend themselves against whites. Harsh punishment was common. A former slave recalls a beating by an overseer, ôWith a steady hand and practiced eye he would raise the instrument of torture . . . and with fearful force the rawhide descended upon the quivering flesh. It cut the skin, raised great welts, and the warm blood trickled down my backö (Keckley 35). Masters also used incentives such as holidays or extra food to induce slaves to obey them. Slavery took many forms. Besides life on large plantations, some slaves lived in towns, while others lived on small family farms.
The end of the Civil War meant the e...