History of White People in America

This series of musical animations chronicles diverse experiences of how race has helped shape American culture. These shorts provide insight into the unique lived experiences of historical figures who played a role in the evolving definitions of identity. Since the 17th century ‛white’ has been core to the American identity — legally, socially, politically and economically. We will decode the meaning of that word ‛white’ and the centuries-long struggle to make ‛American’ more than just a synonym for ‛white’. The series’ building blocks follow U.S. historic chronology, so we will pick back up from where we left off from episode three, diving into the next pivotal moments in our nation’s early history in episodes 4 and 5. In these episodes we will give voice to non-white people within the land: Indigenous tribes, Africans, and, the newest immigrants of the nascent nation, Asians. These episodes are grounded in the question of citizenship and racial definitions in the 19th and early 20th century.