The Evolution of the African American Experience America has come a long way regarding the acceptance of African Americans as true members of society. Though there is still a long way to go before complete social equality is achieved, the implementation of groundbreaking pro-integration legislation has created a much more tolerant environment for modern African Americans. Despite the suppression of African American freedoms via brutal acts of terrorism by the Ku Klux Klan, the Great Migration, the Brown v. Board of Education verdict, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have proved substantial in creating a more balanced society for African Americans. Originally formed in 1866- just one year after the abolition of slavery- the Ku Klux Klan’s primary goal as a terrorist organization was to deter African Americans from exercising their newly acquired rights as free people (especially voting rights). In order to achieve this, Klan members routinely terrorized African Americans as well as black sympathizers with various acts of violence- most notably lynching. Although lynching is among the most famous of their vile methods, they employed a variety of tactics ranging from “threats and intimidations to… killing” (Constructing the American Past 13) in an effort to preserve white supremacy. Perhaps the most striking truth about the Klan is that its members were really everyday citizens. As explained by Pierce Harper in an 1871 testimony of Ku Klux Klan victims, “you deal wit’ ‘em in de stores in de day time” (Constructing the American Past 7). Though the organization was banned in the late 1870s, it was later re-established in 1915, in part as a response to the Great Migration. Lasting from 1900 to 1970, the Great Migration was a period of African American migration to the Northern US that was primarily inspired by the desire for industrial work, especially “steel mills, mines, construction, and meat-packing” (US History 549). During this period, approximately 6 million African Americans moved to the largely unfamiliar North, lowering the percentage of blacks in the South by around 37%. This rapid increase in the population of this somewhat foreign demographic did not bode well with the Northern whites. Aside from racially-motivated acts of violence and the re-emergence of the Ku Klux Klan, blacks were systematically sectioned off via a process known as redlining. In this process, certain areas were marked on the map as bad investments, and this was used as an excuse to “deny home loans to qualified buyers” (US History 550). The effects of this can still be felt today, as many cities in the North and Midwest are extremely segregated by race. However, despite the initial backlash from whites, the sudden convergence of different regional groups resulted in vast exchanges in culture throughout the African American community. In addition to the Great Migration, the Supreme Court verdict in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas case also fac.

1. The Evolution of the African American Experience
America has come a long way regarding the acceptance of
African Americans as true members of society. Though there is
still a long way to go before complete social equality is
achieved, the implementation of groundbreaking pro-integration
legislation has created a much more tolerant environment for
modern African Americans. Despite the suppression of African
American freedoms via brutal acts of terrorism by the Ku Klux
Klan, the Great Migration, the Brown v. Board of Education
verdict, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have proved
substantial in creating a more balanced society for African
Americans.
Originally formed in 1866- just one year after the abolition
of slavery- the Ku Klux Klan’s primary goal as a terrorist
organization was to deter African Americans from exercising
their newly acquired rights as free people (especially voting
rights). In order to achieve this, Klan members routinely
terrorized African Americans as well as black sympathizers with
various acts of violence- most notably lynching. Although
lynching is among the most famous of their vile methods, they
employed a variety of tactics ranging from “threats and
intimidations to… killing” (Constructing the American Past 13)
in an effort to preserve white supremacy. Perhaps the most
striking truth about the Klan is that its members were really
everyday citizens. As explained by Pierce Harper in an 1871
testimony of Ku Klux Klan victims, “you deal wit’ ‘em in de
stores in de day time” (Constructing the American Past 7).
Though the organization was banned in the late 1870s, it was
later re-established in 1915, in part as a response to the Great
Migration.
Lasting from 1900 to 1970, the Great Migration was a
period of African American migration to the Northern US that

2. was primarily inspired by the desire for industrial work,
especially “steel mills, mines, construction, and meat-packing”
(US History 549). During this period, approximately 6 million
African Americans moved to the largely unfamiliar North,
lowering the percentage of blacks in the South by around 37%.
This rapid increase in the population of this somewhat foreign
demographic did not bode well with the Northern whites. Aside
from racially-motivated acts of violence and the re-emergence
of the Ku Klux Klan, blacks were systematically sectioned off
via a process known as redlining. In this process, certain areas
were marked on the map as bad investments, and this was used
as an excuse to “deny home loans to qualified buyers” (US
History 550). The effects of this can still be felt today, as many
cities in the North and Midwest are extremely segregated by
race. However, despite the initial backlash from whites, the
sudden convergence of different regional groups resulted in vast
exchanges in culture throughout the African American
community.
In addition to the Great Migration, the Supreme Court
verdict in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
case also facilitated a mixing of cultures- this time via the
integration of schools. This controversial ruling effectively
undid Plessy v. Ferguson by establishing that ‘separate but
equal’ schools were unconstitutional as they made African
American students feel inferior to their white counterparts. This
was met with much public backlash, inspiring various acts of
resistance, including Orval Faubus’ response to the Little Rock
Nine- a group of nine African American students who planned
to attend the formerly segregated Central High School in Little
Rock, Arkansas. Despite the Supreme Court explicitly stating
that the students had the right to attend the school, Faubus
ordered Arkansas troops “to prevent the students from attending
classes” (US History 848). In response to Faubus’ defiance,
President Dwight Eisenhower enforced the ruling, even
providing the students with military escorts to ensure that they
made it to class safely. This sudden federal backing for the

3. rights of African Americans helped set the stage for the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
Proposed by President John F. Kennedy and enacted by
President Lyndon Johnson, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 served
as the “most far-reaching civil rights act yet” (US History 866)
at the time of its passing, further dismantling systematic racial
segregation and providing African Americans with more
freedoms. Among other things, the act banned segregation in
schools and public facilities, banned employment
discrimination, and gave black people voting rights- primarily
by banning fraudulent literacy tests. However, this act was met
with white resistance, not unlike the resistance that African
Americans faced with the abolition of slavery, the Great
Migration, and the Brown v. Board verdict. In Southern states,
for example, it was not uncommon for white people to prevent
black people from registering to vote, and “protests against this
interference [were] often met with violence” (US History 866).
Despite the public’s aversion to forced integration, this act
ultimately served as the stepping stone for future pro-equality
legislation such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil
Rights Act of 1968.
Though true racial equality has yet to be achieved in the
US, the country has undeniably seen substantial progress since
the abolition of slavery in 1865- though not without a few
barriers along the way. From the barbaric actions of the Ku
Klux Klan, to white resistance during the Great Migration and
following the Brown v. Board verdict and Civil Rights Act of
1964, African Americans have faced significant amounts of
hardship to obtain the level of respect that they now possess.
Each of these events, in particular, has served a vital role in
creating a modern society that is closer to universal impartiality
than ever before.

4. Works Cited
Corbett, Scott P., et al. US History. 2014. Openstax. Web. Oct.
2018.
https://d3bxy9euw4e147.cloudfront.net/oscms-
prodcms/media/documents/USHistory- OP_tkj0lZo.pdf.
Accessed 7 Mar. 2019.
Gorn, Elliott J., et al. Constructing the American Past: a
Sourcebook of a People's History . 8th ed., vol. 2,
Oxford University Press, 2018.
https://platform.virdocs.com/r/s/0/doc/590207/sp/4557885
4/mi/187332006. Accessed 7 Mar. 2019.
A-Maze-Ing Multiples
Multiplication facts lead the way through a number maze.
37
DIRECTIONS
1. Do students think they can find their way through the paths
of a
maze? Explain to students that they will find numbers that are
multiples of 4 to complete a multiple maze. Review the concept
of a multiple: a number that is a product of some specified
number and another number. Orally review with the class the
multiples of 4, from 4 x 1 through 4 x 12. Then distribute
reproducible page 38.
2. When students have completed the activity, review it
together.
Have volunteers read the numbers they followed in their path

5. from Start to Finish. What generalizations can students come up
with for finding the path? Is there more than one path to a
solution? If numbers chosen as multiples are challenged, ask the
student giving the number to verify with pictures or counters.
ASSESSMENT
This activity is self-assessing. It takes 10 steps to get from
START to FINISH, and there is only one path to get there that
consists of connected multiples of 4: 8, 20, 32, 28, 4, 12, 40,
48,
16, 36, 24.
VARIATION
Students can make up their own multiplication mazes for
multiples
of other numbers.
EXTENSION
Have students make a second path that will work by changing
other
numbers to multiples of 4.
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38
Name
A-Maze-Ing Multiples
How will you get from Start to Finish?
Follow only the numbers that are multiples of 4.
Multiplication
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The Transformation of American Women
The lives of women in America in the twentieth century
drastically shifted in comparison to the nineteenth century.
American women in the nineteenth century were traditionally
born into their role of being a caregiver at home for her entire
family without being able to contest that. Women were expected
to produce children rapidly without much time in between each
pregnancy. However, the late nineteenth century and early
twentieth century forged an alternative, contemporary lifestyle
for women. The permeating masculinity ingrained within
America’s society sparked the radical transition from the
traditional female role to a lifestyle the individual woman chose
for herself. Women began to advocate for equal rights and more
choices. Feminism in the late nineteenth century, the
Progressive Era, and the 1960s set the foundation for women to
overcome patriarchal restraints in an effort to live with their
own intent, as women during this era pressed for the rights to
vote, to control their appearance and be sexually liberated, have
access to birth control, and have a career.
Women in America have been subjected to the ideals of men for
most of America’s existence. The first signs of feminism began
to show during the Antebellum era, the early to mid 1800s,
when women spoke against their frustration of living in a
society dominated by men (Corbett, pg. 382). Yet men ignored
this and continued to push their own agendas upon women. In
1899, Theodore Roosevelt once noted that women who fear
motherhood should “vanish from the earth” (Gorn, pg. 100), as
they are not brave enough for this world. The exemplary
American woman would be a child-bearing housewife, and the
man took care of money (Gorn, pg. 100). However, this was not

11. the ideal life that many women wanted for themselves.
Women desired more control over their own bodies and
wellbeing. Tired of the patriarchal society, women started the
suffrage movement to gain their right to vote. This right was
obtained in 1919 when Congress passed the Nineteenth
Amendment (Corbett, pg. 615). This amendment was a striking
contrast between women’s rights of the nineteenth and twentieth
century. The Nineteenth Amendment was a monumental
accomplishment for American women. For the first time in
America’s history, women were given a political voice. This
was imperative for twentieth century women to get the social
justice and other societal needs they desired.
Shortly after the Nineteenth Amendment passed, women
adopted a new style that was popular through the 1920s. In the
post-World War I era, many people were distraught over the
chaos of the war. Many of the white people sought out
entertainment to cope with their trauma (Braden, America in the
1920s Lecture). The carefree female flapper style developed
during this time. This appearance was a bold way of women
making their presence known in the social sphere of America’s
society (Corbett, pg. 708-709). The flapper look included the
heavy use of makeup, which was previously only associated
with prostitutes (Braden, America in the 1920s Lecture). This
movement contributed to the breakthrough of American
women’s appearance in contrast to the strict, patriarchal
expectations of the nineteenth century. The flapper also
supported the change of women’s sexuality due to its drastic
change from the previous expectations of traditional women.
Margaret Sanger, a female activist during the Progressive Era,
immensely advanced the right for women’s sexuality in a
different way. Sanger began to speak out for birth control in
1914, during a time when birth control was illegal due to the
Comstock Law of 1873. (Gorn, pg. 157). She also asserts that
instead of focusing on the laws of the unborn, focusing on those
who are born is important (Gorn, pg. 169). Of course, there was
a prominent rebuttal against her. In a debate against Sanger

12. herself, a New York City male attorney argued that birth control
went against the laws of nature and that sex and pleasure cannot
be had without paying for it with childbirth (Gorn, pg. 168).
The man responsible for the Comstock Law, Anthony Comstock,
believed that there was a reason God set natural barriers within
humans and that breaking those barriers would be utterly
devastating (Gorn, pg. 162). By virtue of Sanger’s efforts, the
topic of birth control caught the attention of many, including
medical professionals (Gorn, pg. 173). The movement gained
traction, so much so that in 1960 the birth control pill was
released by the FDA. This allowed much more freedom in a
woman’s life. Having the freedom to choose whether to have
children or not allowed more time for women to work and
obtain education (Corbett, pg. 881). In comparison with women
in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this drastically
changed women’s lifestyles by giving them multiple choices for
their direction in life.
Of course, women have a lengthy history of wanting to join the
work force. During the Gilded Age, the number of working
women tripled to five million (Corbett, pg. 523). Since then,
many men continued to suppress women. For example, in World
War I, women were used as a means of advertising on posters.
One poster for enlistment depicts a woman standing in a Navy
uniform saying that she wishes she were a man, with the
caption, “BE A MAN AND DO IT” underneath her (Gorn, pg.
141). Another similar poster for enlisting in the war shows an
interpretation of a German soldier holding a woman, making her
look as though she is a damsel in distress who needs to be saved
by the men of the United States (Gorn, pg. 143).
Contradictory to these images, women replaced men’s jobs
while they were overseas at war. Despite most women being
fired and expected to return to their home lives once the men
returned, this experience gave women a clear sense of what
their lives could be like with a career (Corbett, pg. 674). During
World War II, women were the majority of workers in industries
that were previously only known as being men’s industries

13. (Corbett, pg. 801). Women’s actions during this time period
affirmed their desire to be independent and have the same
opportunities as men. However, at the time of the civil rights
movement beginning in the 1960s, the role for women in
America’s society was somewhat brushed aside. Men assumed
that women’s issues would resolve themselves once all men
were given equality (Braden, 1960s Lecture). By a stroke of
luck, women were included in the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
which prohibited employers from discriminating against anyone
due to their sex (Gorn, pg. 281). Although this did not end
discrimination against women entirely, many women have
gained an abundance of career opportunities since the passage
of the Civil Rights Act.
America’s society during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
remained dominated by men in certain aspects. Nevertheless,
many women were courageous enough to stand up for their
fundamental rights beginning in the late nineteenth century. The
bravery and actions of these women and women in the early
twentieth century contributed to a more liberated society for
women in the twentieth century. Women advocated and
achieved changes in legislation regarding their personal lives
and choices. Women of the twentieth century and onward can
reflect upon the actions of women in the past and feel
empowered by their successes to continue the fight for equality.
Works Cited
Braden, April. “1960s Lecture.” North Lake College HIST 1302,
4 Mar. 2019.
Braden, April. “America in the 1920s Lecture.” North Lake
College HIST 1302, 11 Feb.
2019.
Braden, April. “Progressive Era Lecture.” North Lake College
HIST 1302, 4 Feb. 2019.
Corbett, P. Scott, et al. U.S. History. Houston: OpenStax
College, and OpenStax College
History, 2014. OpenStax. 1 Mar. 2018.

14. Gorn, Elliott J., et al. Constructing the American Past: A
Sourcebook of a People's
History. Vol. 2, Oxford University Press, 2018.