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What Role Does Race Play In American History

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The study of American literature and history must take into account the roles that race played in the history of the United States. Throughout history the viewpoints on race have been different. American Literature will take you through time and inform you on how certain people viewed race and that must be understood when studying literature and history because of the fact that the way we think in this era is different. Nowadays, Racism and ethnic discrimination in the United States is highly frowned upon, but back in history different races were discriminated as “good or bad” playing significant, historical roles.
The role that race plays in history has usually been a major issue. Color and race have been the focus of some of the most significant events in American experience. Race has affected the United States since the Slave era. Primarily White Americans were the powerful. They were above all ethnicities. Race played along with social and legal rights, privileges, and freedoms. All Black, …show more content…

172) In this section from the Journal, she mentions racial interactions between slaves and their owners. Knight believes its unusual and disgusting to share with a slave, referring to a black slaves hand to a Black hoof. Another occurrence of the role of race occurs in her description of her encounters with Native Americans. "There are everywhere in the towns as I passed a number of Indians the natives of the country, and are the most savage of all the savages of that kind that I had ever seen: little or no care taken (as I heard upon inquiry) to make them otherwise.” (Pg. 172) She refers to the natives as the most savages of all savages, meaning Unchristian. She clearly puts herself above and beyond all colored

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