African-American history is the portion of
American history that specifically discusses the
African-American or
Black American ethnic groups in the United States. Most African Americans are the descendants of captive Africans held in the United States (or territories that would become the United States) from 1619 to 1865. Blacks from the Caribbean whose ancestors immigrated, or who immigrated to the U.S., also traditionally have been considered African-American, as they share a common history of predominantly
West African or
Central African roots, the
Middle Passage and
slavery.
It is these peoples, who in the past were referred to and self-identified collectively as the American Negro, who now generally consider themselves African Americans. Their history is celebrated and highlighted annually in the United States during February, designated as
Black History Month, and it is their history that is the focus of this article.
Others who sometimes are referred to as African Americans, and who may self-identify as such in US government censuses, include relatively recent Black immigrants from Africa, South America and elsewhere who self-identify as being of African descent.