History of African American Farm Families During the Industrial Age
Documentaries
•
3m 55s
Through the lens of historic photographs, we learn a story of African American history. Today, African Americans in United States agriculture are virtually non-existent, and in a world of mechanized industrial farming, it is easy to forget the hands-on physical labor required in the past. The rich historical resources at The Henry Ford help us learn about the African American farm families who labored in forests and fields. Their hard work helped meet consumer demand during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Curator of Agriculture and the Environment Debra Reid shows stereographic views of African American farm families working in three important agricultural industries that helped satisfy consumer needs during this time: forestry, sugar, and rice.
The artifacts seen in this video are called stereographs, which are two offset photos that have three-dimensional depth when viewed through a stereoscope viewer -- similar to the View-Master of today.
Up Next in Documentaries
-
WW1: Battle of the Somme
This is the story of the first day of the Somme Offensive, 1 July 1916 - the single bloodiest day in British military history. 57,000 British soldiers became casualties, most within a few hours of the initial attack. The offensive was part of a doomed attempt to break the deadlock of trench warfa...
-
The Compact
The Compact is the story of 12 Union Soldiers from the American Civil War. Raised across the country, they met in a hospital in Pennsylvania. They are drawn to make a compact to better their lives and meet 20 years later at Niagara Falls, NY. Meet the men and hear their stories.
-
Battle of Waterloo, 1815
