The Africans in America Web site is a companion to Africans in America, a six-hour public television series. The Web site chronicles the history of racial slavery in the United States -- from the start of the Atlantic slave trade in the 16th century to the end of the American Civil War in 1865 -- and explores the central paradox that is at the heart of the American story: a democracy that declared all men equal but enslaved and oppressed one people to provide independence and prosperity to another. Africans in America examines the economic and intellectual foundations of slavery in America and the global economy that prospered from it. And it reveals how the presence of African people and their struggle for freedom transformed America. [...] The site is structured into four parts, corresponding to the periods covered by the episodes of the companion television series. For each part, there is a Narrative, which relates the history of the period and provides links to specific entries in the Resource Bank. The Resource Bank is a compilation of over 400 items, comprised of People and Events entries (in-depth biographies and historical notes), Historical Documents (annotated visual materials and texts), and Modern Voices (commentaries excerpted from the original interviews with experts who appear on-camera in the television series). The Teacher's Guide provides a context for teachers and students to use the Web and the television series in and out of the classroom. There are two lessons included in each part, providing a suggested structure for using several of the primary source materials in the Resource Bank.