American Police Timeline by Alyssa Skipworth

Mid-1600s Boston Watch

alyssapskipworth — 2025-01-30 18:42:11 UTC

Before America became a country, there was a watch group called the Boston Watch. They were volunteers who would watch over Boston at night. They were especially used to watch over the African American slaves. Their age range was from around 21 to 45. This was soon turned into slave patrol. This is important because this is the first official policing group in America.

1835 Written Into Law

alyssapskipworth — 2025-01-30 19:03:04 UTC

In 1835, Louisiana wrote Slave Patrol into their laws. This meant that any slave found in the woods or forrest with any type of fire could be arrested by the slave patrol and punished severally, whether they had their permit or not. The patrol was allowed to whip any slave they found wandering around the plantations. This has a part in America's policing because it shows the inequality that we first started out with and still deal with today in 2025.

1829 Metropolitan Police Act

alyssapskipworth — 2025-01-31 01:34:47 UTC

In 1829, the British Parliament adopted the Metropolitan Police Act. This was the first modern police force to oversee London. They would protect and control their communities, and have a code of demand and discipline. These ideas of policing didn't take long for them to migrate overseas to America, where they started to adapt them to their communities.

1894 Police Brutality

alyssapskipworth — 2025-01-31 23:15:30 UTC

In 1894 was the first case of police brutality witnessed by the community in America. This was the first major investigation into the police and police violence. At the end of the trials, they found that the police were beating up people, to the point that they were found to be charged with 45 counts of assault in the second degree. When looking at policing, we can see that this was only two generations ago. However, we still have many fatal flaws into policing in society.

1900s to 2000s Policing

alyssapskipworth — 2025-02-01 00:35:18 UTC

In the 1900s we start to see enforcement of the segregation laws. The idea of policing racial means and the idea of white supremacy was starting in the north. Over time, we see more and more African American migrants come over to America. With that being said, whites started to feel pressured and competitive over the thought of the Migrants. This caused whites to fight and be violent against African Americans. During the time, policing had no protection towards African Americans. In America today, we still see how police tend to protect whites more than African Americans, rather if thats speeding violations or having rougher conditions when being with African Americans and seeing them as criminals and a threat rather than when dealing with whites.

1917 - 1919 Riots

alyssapskipworth — 2025-02-01 00:35:28 UTC

In 1917 we start to see racial riots break out. The riots typically looked like innocent blacks getting jumped and attacked by angered whites, and when the blacks would go the police about their attacks, the officers would refuse to help. Two bigger riots were seen first in Philadelphia and then in Chicago. There was one incident where a young black man was killed in a lake for accidentally going past the colored line. Whites on the beached then stoned him to death. When blacks went to the police with this situation, they officers just ignored them and refused to help. In America today, we have grown to the point that police officers are better than not doing anything and just ignoring the situation.

1935 Statement

alyssapskipworth — 2025-02-01 02:23:33 UTC

In 1935, a statement was published by Kelly Miller. He published this statement explaining what police officers meant to them in the black communities. He believes that police officers are the reason that society and black's as well believe that their lives don't matter, to them, each other, and the community. In America, this will shape the ideas and the norms of blacks being seen as criminals and are taken with more precaution than whites. Today in America, we still do it.

1954 End of Legal Segregation

alyssapskipworth — 2025-02-01 02:43:23 UTC

In 1954, it was the overturn of legal segregation. Kenneth Clark was a social scientist who was studying racial discrimination over the years with policing. When looking back at the cases of the riots in 1919 and 1943 you can see the same out comes and the same resolutions. It is the same situations being shown over and over again. In America today, we have the same fundamental problem of policing and that is racial. This problem is due to having the same conversations over and over against, which is coming over to the same results and no positive changes.

19th Century

alyssapskipworth — 2025-02-01 02:50:37 UTC

In the 19th Century, there were many situations where people would call the police on innocent blacks to get them in trouble. This would cause innocent black men to get lynched for crimes they never committed, communities being destroyed and burnt down, and absolute hate acts being committed towards the innocent people. In America, we recognize and we prioritize white fear and worry, and protect whites, even when they are the ones creating the scene and lies. This is still an issue today, in America with police officers arresting the wrong people based on what the color of their skin is.

Current Time

alyssapskipworth — 2025-02-01 02:54:49 UTC

Today in America, we are still having the same problems as we did in the past. A great example of this is George Floyd. When he needed medical attention and assistance because he couldn't breathe, the police officer didn't save and protect, and instead he was killed. If we want a change in how our police help and assist all of America equally, we need to have those uncomfortable conversations to help aid a difference and to push a difference on America. We need to demand a change for a better outcome.