In the past few decades, African Americans have begun to uncover a history that was largely discarded, overlooked, and ignored. It is usually the case that history books are written by and for those in power and reflect their point of view.

European exploration of the New World in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries revealed both alien peoples thought to be in need of civilizing and vast tracts of underutilized land. As European traders tapped into the centuries-old internal African slave trade, they began to realize the potential benefits of slavery. They could draw on the tropical farming experience and disease resistance of Africans and work enormous tracts of land for only the upkeep of the slave population. In the process of developing the New World, Europeans transported millions of people from Africa. And as they sought to justify this practice and retain their advantages, they also created a racial system that would define social relationships throughout the world.

Despite all this, Africans and African Americans after them would rise above the positions to which they had been relegated. They created poetry, drama, literature, and film, they sang the blues, they invented jazz, and they fought for justice and equality. Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Black History represents an effort to trace the African American experience and achievements in the United States and elsewhere.

Select a link on the left to begin exploring.