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African Americans And Native Americans

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From the time of their first contact with the white settlers in the American colonies, both the African Americans and the Native Americans were faced with many years of racism, abuse, and other great injustices by the likes of not only the American public but also the American government. They were systematically discriminated against and their voices, along with those who supported them, were ignored by the government; those who were a part of the opposition were treated with no respect for speaking out for these people.

Slavery in the American colonies dates back as early as 1619. Not much is known about them before the mid 17th century, however during this time historians speculate that Africans made up a small number of indentured servants. This began to change starting around the 1660s, due to many reasons. There was a slowed birth rate in England. The great fire of London in 1666 kept most of the men in London to help with the rebuilding effort. Those that did cross the Atlantic to the colonies avoided Virginia, and went straight to Pennsylvania and the Carolinas, as there were better opportunities there. (Globalyceum, African American Source 1)

The Africans that arrived first in the colonies had a great amount of freedom. Their men and women could marry white men and white women. Those that were baptized could petition for their freedom, they could even own land. Starting in the mid-century, Virginia began to pass laws that codified slavery, forcing Africans into

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