AP African American Studies Flashcards: Black Pride, Identity, and the Question of Naming
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What two key factors influenced the evolution of terms used by African Americans to identify themselves?
Changing demographics, such as the declining percentage of African-born people, and popular debates, like the response to colonization efforts, influenced self-identification.
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What two key factors influenced the evolution of terms used by African Americans to identify themselves?
Changing demographics, such as the declining percentage of African-born people, and popular debates, like the response to colonization efforts, influenced self-identification.
What 1808 event caused a demographic shift in the African American population?
In 1808, the United States banned the international slave trade, which led to a decline in the percentage of African-born people in the population.
What was the most common term for people of African descent in the U.S. until the late 1820s?
Until the late 1820s, the most common term used for people of African descent in the United States was “African.”
Did the 1808 ban completely stop the importation of enslaved Africans?
No, despite the official ban on international slave trading, the importation of enslaved Africans continued illegally.
How did the 1808 ban on the international slave trade influence Black identity in the U.S.?
The ban decreased the percentage of African-born people, strengthening the argument for a distinct American identity among the Black population born in the U.S.
How did many Black people respond to the American Colonization Society's agenda?
In response, many Black people emphasized their American identity by rejecting the term “African,” asserting their right to live in the United States.
List three examples of ethnonyms used by African Americans from the nineteenth century onward.
Examples of ethnonyms used include Afro American, African American, and Black.
What was the primary goal of the American Colonization Society?
The American Colonization Society was founded by white leaders with the goal of exiling the growing free Black population to Africa.
What is an ethnonym?
An ethnonym is a name used to refer to an ethnic group, racial group, or nationality.
Why did many Black people begin to reject the term "African" in the late 1820s?
They rejected the term to emphasize their American identity in direct opposition to the American Colonization Society's efforts to exile them to Africa.