African Americans: A Concise History, Combined Volume Book Analysis

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African Americans: A Concise History, Combined Volume Book Analysis

1. The authors’ purpose in this book is to illustrate what it has meant to be African American by looking at the long journey from slavery to current time. This is illustrated by careful explanations of events that have shaped their culture that has also contributed to American culture.
2. The key question posed by the authors of this book is how the African Americans’ long treacherous journey in quest for freedom has contributed to the history of America. The question and purpose of this book are directly related, which is illustrated by explanations of cultures, music and art that have continued to shape American culture.
3. The most important information presented by the authors is the character of slavery and slaves. The author uses explanations of events as evidence for this information. It is very accurate considering some of the events are historical accounts of people living during that time. This information directly relates to the question by showing how African Americans contributed to American culture and economy especially in cotton plantations.
4. The most fundamental concept presented in this chapter is slaves as property. We need to understand that slaves were considered a man’s property, giving them rights to punish, reward and sell them.
5. The authors assume that slavery took place in the southern states. However, the authors do not show sensitivity to what they are assuming because despite slavery occurring in the northern states, it was not comparable to the southern part. This means that their assumption is true to a larger extent.
6. The most interference conclusion made in the book is how African Americans shaped and continue to contribute to the American culture. This conclusion follows directly from the main issues addressed in the book. Despite complexity in addressing the main issue, the authors have managed to relate the conclusions to information and evidence provided in the chapters.
7. The main point of view presented in this textbook is that African Americans just like other Americans have contributed to the economy and culture of the entire country from when they were brought in as slaves.
8. If people take the book seriously, it means African Americans would be recognized as equal to white people, which would end racism and oppression completely. It not take seriously, it implies people will continue to have the same assumptions about how African Americans contributed to the shaping of the country.