Every saturday, at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Lectures in history is also available as a podcast. Find it where you listen to podcasts. Each week, American History tvs american artifacts explores the history of the United States through objects. Up next, we visit capitol hill to talk to house historian and curator about the history of africanamericans in congress and see a selection of artifacts from the collection. The story of how africanamericans come to congress is not one that a lot of people are familiar with. We had 22 africanamericans serve between 1870 and 1901. 20 in the house, two in the senate. Its largely a house story. And it has to do with the role of congress during the civil war and in the decade after. During the civil war, there were a group of radicals in congress, radicals because they believed in the equality of africanamericans and wanted to create a society in the south after the war that was a multiracial society. These were radicals in the house like Thaddeus Stevens
Tvs american artifacts we visit the Cannon House Office building to see artifacts that tell the story of africanamericans in congress in the 20th century. Im farar elliott. And im matt waz knsniewski. We wanted to talk about africanamerican representation in the 20th century. We have a lot of artifacts from the house collection that have to do with that and a lot of history to cover. And the last africanamerican to be elected in the 19th century leaves in 1901, george white of north carolina. And then its a long time before another africanamerican comes into the house. And that is Oscar Depriest from illinois. And we have a couple of really rare artifacts from Oscar Depriest from the 1920s and 30s. But before i launch into them, because i love them so much, matt, tell us a little bit about Oscar Depriest and how he got into congress. So, theres a long period, almost three decades, after George Henry White leaves congress where theres no africanamericans who serve in either the house or
Crow era. Of african andr African American studies at Washington University in st. Louis. The world war i memorial hosted this event and provided the video. Is my pleasure and honor to introduce dr. Geoff ward. Geoffs Research Examines racial of social control including dynamics of racial violence, conflict and inequality. He looks at areas of race and youth justice and social movement, labor and policy racial to advance justice. His work appears in numerous journals and anthologies and has been supported by the national foundation, the National Institute of justice, the ford mellonion and the foundation. He is the author of the black democracyrs, racial and juvenile justice, an Award Winning book on the rise, fall haunting remnants of jim crow juvenile justice. His current projects examine historical racial violence, its reckonings today. He is also a curator. You might have a chance to see encouragend i would you all to do so, catch the train, go to the other side of to another art m
Ellis island. This island for Many Americans is the place where their american story began. 12 to 13 million americans came to this island and to this building in order to be given the okay to go out and start their lives in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Now, a lot of people dont know about ellis island before that time. Im going to talk briefly about ellis island itself. Today were 27 acres in size. But in the original form this island was, it was three acres. A small island in the middle of the harbor. Barely above sea level at high tide. It was a military installation first as a fort during the war of 1812 and eventually during the 1800s as a storage depot. Around 1890 it was decided by the federal government this would be the place they would institute the first building specifically constructed for the processing of immigrants. They did construct the building between 1890 and 1892. The building here is not the first processing center. Its the second. The first was a large wooden
Taking time to be here we are so delighted to have professor Margaret Mcmillon with us today. It really is a delight. Thank you so much for traveling to be with us on this important conversation and who will help us with that is better equipped than Margaret Mcmillon, americas Professor International history at oxford, professor of history at the university of toronto, she serves in a many and varied roles. Trustee of the Central European university and more recently, at the Imperial War Museum. We are second only here at the National World War One Museum and memorial to the Imperial War Museum in terms of history. They began collecting a 1917 and we began collecting in 1920. We are further delighted that they are having their world war ii gatherings reinstalled by the gallery designs over the World War One Museum so they are very wise, i might say. Margarets research specializes in British Imperial history and the International History of the 19th and 20th centuries and she is written