1. We can say that the first excerpt here is from the point of view of a Federalists who supported the ratification of the Constitution and the establishment of a stronger federal government. Publius was a pseudonym used be Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay which they used to write Federalist Papers whose main purpose was the to educate the public and gain support for the ratification of the Constitution. One of the main issues they address here is to reassure the people that with the checks and balances their freedom would be protected and the federal officials would work in their best interest.
2. The second excerpt here we can is from the point of view of an anti-federalists who opposed the ratification of the Constitution. Centinel was a pseudonym of Samuel Bryan who opposed the ratification of the Constitution as he and his compatriots believed that a strong federal government would lead to a loss of freedom and the tyranny of the government.
3. Shay's Rebellion is an excellent example that would support the the view of the Federalists and the need for a stronger federal government. Shay's Rebellion showed that the government outlined in the Articles of Confederation was ineffective as it could not put down the Rebellion as it lacked the authority to do so. So the need for a stronger federal government that could maintain peace and order was justified.
4. I will start with the most significant event related to the African Americans in this period and that is the American Civil War (1861-1865). Before that most of the African American population were slaves and most of them were in the South as their economy depended on them. After the War and the gaining of freedom, the number of them left the south and that could explain the rise in population in other areas. But the overall decline in population by 1930s can be explained again by the ending of the slave trade.
5. The other development that could explain these numbers is the passage of the Jim Crow laws in some states that were aimed at keeping the African Americans in subordinate position in relation to the Whites. Again South was leading in this kind of laws and it is no surprise that the number declined most dramatically.
6. The importance of the time period is that it encompass the time from the beginning of African American's battle for freedom and against slavery, and the beginning of their ultimate battle against the discrimination. In 1850's the battle for freedom was brewing and in 1930s the battle against the Jim Crow laws and for the eventual passage of the Equal Rights began.
