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The Changing Face of theAmerican Family: Early History

both parentsworkedsotheir children
couldattain an education.
Constitutional Amendments.Three
important amendmentsaffectingAfrican-
AmericanswereaddedtotheConstitution.
The13thAmendment(1865)endedslavery
in theUnitedStates.The14thAmendment
(1868)allowedblackstohavethesame
rightsaswhites.The15thAmendment
(1870)allowedblack malestovote.While
restrictionsstillpreventedmany black
malesfrom voting,youwillseein thenext
chapter theseamendmentswerevery
important for thecivilrightsmovement in
the 1950s and 1960s.
Christianity and Blacks.In the early
decadesofthe1800s,therewaslittleattempt
to evangelize slaves.The reasons were
varied,but most were based on fear—fear
theslavesmighttaketheExodusliterally,
or fear of what some considered the
“strange rituals and dogmas”which
characterized many of the slaves’worship
patterns.Someslaveowners,unfortunately,
did not consider slaves as havingsoulsto
besaved.Anotherdilemma surfaced
regarding baptism.If a slave was baptized,
how could a Christian slaveowner justify
holding a Christian slave?
Thefirstrealinterestintheevangelization
ofAfrican-Americanscamefrom the
Quakers, who taught friendship of all
humanity. By the late 1700s and early
1800s, traveling missionaries developed
among the Baptists and Methodists, and
later the Presbyterians, preached to

blacks and whites alike, winning over

most African-Americans by attacking all

evils, including slavery. Because most

African-Americans already believed in a

Supreme Being, drew a distinction

between good and evil, and saw creation

as the handiwork of a Supreme Being,

conversion to Christianity was not

particularly difficult.As the slaves began

to accept Christian beliefs, similarities

and differences arose between blacks and

whites in the practice of religion. One of

the most noticeable differences still

evident today is the expressiveness of

black religion (Matthews, 1995).

The early 1800s witnessed the birth of

the independent-black-church movement,

which grew out of Methodism and

Baptism. One reason the conversion of

blacks was so successful was the

emphasis on plain doctrine and having

good discipline. The black church grew

rapidly.An example is the African

Methodist Episcopal Church whose

membership was nearly 10,000 only 8

years after it was organized (Woodson,

1921).

Asian-American Families in the 1800s

The earliestAsian immigrants were

wealthy Chinese businessmen and their

families who found a welcome reception

among the wealthy in the youngAmerica.

This changed when a series of droughts,