BLACK HISTORY FACTS

Introduction - Black History

Black history (African-American history) is a story of pain, suffering, and injustice; however it is also a story of great bravery, determination and perseverance. This site is dedicated to the great people in black history; people who first came to America in chains but who have risen to the level of holding the highest office in the United States; US president.

On this site you will find pages of interesting black history facts with all types of information about the people and events that have shaped Black history. There are facts about when African-Americans first came to America, who the great people in black history were, great events in African-American history, and how African-Americans struggled for freedom and then for civil rights. We hope this site will make an excellent resource for kids working on Black history month projects and for others who are simply interested in learning about the history of African-Americans.

Below you will find a list of some interesting historical information about African Americans; some of which are little known black history facts. Please visit the other pages of this site for information on important people in black history, important events in black history, and black slavery history.

Interesting - Black History Facts

• In 1773 Phillis Wheatley became the first African American to have a book published. The book "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" was published in England.
• The U.S. Declaration of Independence originally had a passage condemning slavery in it. After a debate among the signers of the Declaration the passage was removed.
• In 1827 the first African American newspaper, the Freedom's Journal, was published.
• In 1834 Henry Blair becomes the first black person to receive a U.S. patent. He invented the Seed-Planter which enabled farm workers to plant corn more efficiently.
• In 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was published. It becomes a bestseller and helped turn public opinion against slavery.
• In 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which stated all the slaves in the ten states of the Confederacy were freed.
• On December 6th 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed officially abolishing slavery in the United States.
• On April 9th 1866 the United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866. This law stated that all citizens, which included African-Americans, were equally protected by the law.
• 1880 is the year the first black person in history graduates the military academy at West Point; his name is Henry O. Flipper.
• In 1909 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded.
• At the 1936 Summer Olympics Jesse Owens won four gold medals. This angered Adolf Hitler who's Nazi Germany hosted the games.
• In 1941 the first training program for black military pilots was organized at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Many of the pilots from this program served bravely during World War Two.
• With incredible strength of character Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in baseballs major leagues; his first major league game was on April 15th 1947.
• On January 20th 2009 Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States; he is the first African-American U.S. President.
• On September 24th, 2016 the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture opened in Washington DC. President Barack Obama, speaking at the dedication, stated "The best history helps us recognize the mistakes that we've made, and the dark corners of the human spirit that we need to guard against."