African Americans

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African Americans

people

Also known as: Afro-American, Black American

Written by Hollis Lynch

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jan 5, 2025 • Article History

Key People:: Abraham Lincoln; Frederick O’Neal; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Dwight D. Eisenhower; John Quincy Adams

Related Topics:: African American literature; Black horror; Black Seminoles; Black life on Martha’s Vineyard; Garifuna

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African Americans, one of the largest of the many ethnic groups in the United States. African Americans are mainly of African ancestry, but many have non-Black ancestors as well. African Americans are largely the descendants of enslaved people who were brought from their African homelands by force to work in the New World. Their rights were severely limited, and they were long denied a rightful share in the economic, social, and political progress of the United States. Nevertheless, African Americans have made basic and lasting contributions to American history and culture. At the turn of the 21st century, more than ...(100 of 8311 words)

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