African Americans have had tremendous influence on the course of U.S. history and culture. Issues revolving around African Americans, such as the issue of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, were some of the most important in history. Significant African Americans such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, and Martin Luther King, were also some of the most influential Americans to ever live. I will be taking you on a whirlwind tour of some of the most important African-American heritage sites in each region of the United States.
Our first stop is at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Brunswick, Maine. Built in
1871, this house is where Stowe wrote many books until her death in 1896. She is most famous for writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, a novel that illustrates slavery’s effect on families and helped readers to empathize with slaves. Some think that the book was influential in causing the Civil War, as it changed the American public’s view about slavery. The influence of Uncle Tom’s Cabin was so great that Abraham Lincoln even greeted Stowe by saying “So you 're the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War” ("Harriet Beecher Stowe House."). Our next stop is at the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston, Massachusetts, which is a 221-foot tall granite obelisk. …show more content…
The famous Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, and was the first major battle of the American Revolution. Although the British ended up winning in the end, the battle symbolizes American bravery to confront a highly trained British Army. I have included this monument because a number of blacks fought alongside the colonists during the battle ("Bunker Hill Monument."). The Langston Hughes House is located in the Harlem area of New York City. Located on East 127th street, this is where Hughes spent the last 20 years of his life. Langston Hughes was one of the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance, a literary movement during the 1920s and 30s that focused on the question of African American identity. Most of his poetry and prose focused on Harlem culture, and he was a pioneer of the poetry-to-jazz movement ("Langston Hughes House."). Next, we go to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Cambridge, Maryland. The park, which was created by President Barack Obama in 2013, commemorates the life of Harriet Tubman. A former slave, Tubman was one of the best known conductors on the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and houses to help slaves escape to the free states and Canada. She dedicated and risked her own life to free nearly 70 African American slaves ("Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument."). The Martin Luther King Historic District is located in Atlanta, Georgia. It consists of several buildings, including King’s boyhood home and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he and his father were pastors. Martin Luther King was the most prominent leader of the American Civil Rights Movement during the 1950’s and 60’s, which had the goal of ending racial segregation and discrimination against blacks. King advocated peaceful protest and civil disobedience …show more content…
It is located in the historically African-American Central District neighborhood within a former school building. The most famous exhibit features the works of Jacob Lawrence and James W. Washington, Jr., two famous African American artists who lived in Seattle (Wikipedia contributors).
Our final stop is the Bridget “Biddy” Mason Monument in Los Angeles, California.
The memorial, located between Broadway and Spring streets, is dedicated to Biddy Mason, a Black midwife and former slave. She petitioned the court for her freedom in 1856, and later became a wealthy landowner, philanthropist,and entrepreneur. The mural includes inscriptions, images of deeds and maps, and photographs of Biddy Mason (Wallach, Ruth).
So, that is the end of our whirlwind tour of some of the most important African-
American heritage sites in each region of the United States. We have visited the monuments of important events such as the Battle of Bunker Hill, the case Brown v. Board of Education, and the Battle of Palmito Ranch. We have also visited the memorials of important people such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, and Martin Luther King. I hope you can understand now the tremendous influence that African Americans have had on the course of U.S. history and
Our first stop is at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Brunswick, Maine. Built in
1871, this house is where Stowe wrote many books until her death in 1896. She is most famous for writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, a novel that illustrates slavery’s effect on families and helped readers to empathize with slaves. Some think that the book was influential in causing the Civil War, as it changed the American public’s view about slavery. The influence of Uncle Tom’s Cabin was so great that Abraham Lincoln even greeted Stowe by saying “So you 're the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War” ("Harriet Beecher Stowe House."). Our next stop is at the Bunker Hill Monument in Boston, Massachusetts, which is a 221-foot tall granite obelisk. …show more content…
The famous Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, and was the first major battle of the American Revolution. Although the British ended up winning in the end, the battle symbolizes American bravery to confront a highly trained British Army. I have included this monument because a number of blacks fought alongside the colonists during the battle ("Bunker Hill Monument."). The Langston Hughes House is located in the Harlem area of New York City. Located on East 127th street, this is where Hughes spent the last 20 years of his life. Langston Hughes was one of the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance, a literary movement during the 1920s and 30s that focused on the question of African American identity. Most of his poetry and prose focused on Harlem culture, and he was a pioneer of the poetry-to-jazz movement ("Langston Hughes House."). Next, we go to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Cambridge, Maryland. The park, which was created by President Barack Obama in 2013, commemorates the life of Harriet Tubman. A former slave, Tubman was one of the best known conductors on the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and houses to help slaves escape to the free states and Canada. She dedicated and risked her own life to free nearly 70 African American slaves ("Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument."). The Martin Luther King Historic District is located in Atlanta, Georgia. It consists of several buildings, including King’s boyhood home and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he and his father were pastors. Martin Luther King was the most prominent leader of the American Civil Rights Movement during the 1950’s and 60’s, which had the goal of ending racial segregation and discrimination against blacks. King advocated peaceful protest and civil disobedience …show more content…
It is located in the historically African-American Central District neighborhood within a former school building. The most famous exhibit features the works of Jacob Lawrence and James W. Washington, Jr., two famous African American artists who lived in Seattle (Wikipedia contributors).
Our final stop is the Bridget “Biddy” Mason Monument in Los Angeles, California.
The memorial, located between Broadway and Spring streets, is dedicated to Biddy Mason, a Black midwife and former slave. She petitioned the court for her freedom in 1856, and later became a wealthy landowner, philanthropist,and entrepreneur. The mural includes inscriptions, images of deeds and maps, and photographs of Biddy Mason (Wallach, Ruth).
So, that is the end of our whirlwind tour of some of the most important African-
American heritage sites in each region of the United States. We have visited the monuments of important events such as the Battle of Bunker Hill, the case Brown v. Board of Education, and the Battle of Palmito Ranch. We have also visited the memorials of important people such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, and Martin Luther King. I hope you can understand now the tremendous influence that African Americans have had on the course of U.S. history and