I.Greetings As Willie Lynch approach the James River to speak amongst his peers he smelt a dead slave hanging from a tree. He witnessed problems that the slave masters were encountering. They were losing “valuable stock”, their slaves were running away, their crops were abandoned, their plantations suffered from occasional fires and their animals were killed. This became a big problem that Willie Lynch had a solution for. He presented to slave owners in the South a full proof method for “controlling their black slaves” and he guaranteed the slave masters that this method would control the slaves for at 300 years.
As a young man, Ball was sold and separated from his wife and children to a slave trader. After this, he describes his journey through personal accounts in an autobiography called, Narrative of the Life and Adventure of Charles Ball. He explains several situations that occurred as he was sold from one place to another. At one point he managed to escape but was later on recaptured and placed into slavery again. His story is atypical because unlike others he managed to keep his composure.
Another example of his viewpoint on the effects of the institution of slavery is found when Solomon is observing the son of Mr. Epps, his last master, dealing with Uncle Abram, one of the slaves, “The child is father to the man…The influence of the iniquitous system necessarily fosters an unfeeling and cruel spirit, even in the bosoms of those who, among their equal, are regarded as humane and generous.” Pg. 261. Northup makes other similar observations throughout the book, which also help convey his viewpoint on slavery as an
This man’s garden people come from all over just to see it. While slaves are working in his field, they cannot help but eat some of his fruit. To stop them he puts tar on the fence and any slave found with tar on them will be whipped. He also has a stable with horses and carriages. That stable is run by two slaves named old Barney and young Barney.
EQUIANO DISREGARDS HIS PAST Olaudah Equiano’s, The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings, portrays the life of a little boy who is enslaved early in life until the time when he is capable to buy his own freedom from his masters. Many critics who have read his biography have said that he detaches himself from his own people; he betrays other Africans by condoning slavery. Equiano’s life was lived in slavery, serving others, taking orders, being beaten and not having the life of a “free” man. He talks about the life of an enslaved man, the various experiences, tragedies, hangings, beatings, and cruelties. Although, when Equiano is awarded his freedom, he acts as if he never lived an enslaved life.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is very historically accurate because the social events really happened for this was told from the perspective of a slave. I really liked Uncle Tom’s Cabin because without giving facts, it describes what it was like to be a slave. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is about Tom living life as a slave and how he fights for his morals and beliefs. Mr.
Slavery has been a part of our history for hundreds of years. Eventually abolitionist movements helped outlaw slavery, but still today it is a controversial topic in society. Gary Collison, who is a Caucasian English professor at Pennsylvania State University, wrote the novel Shadrach Minkins: From Fugitive Slave to Citizen. He wrote this book to voice the truth about hardships of slavery and discrimination. Collison follows Minkins throughout the continent as he is a slave in Norfolk, VA, a fugitive in Boston, and a free black man in Montreal.
When the slave owner found about this he strongly disapproved, because he thought that if the slaves learn to then the slaves would want to escape. Still, Douglass taught himself how to read in secret and eventually taught other slave how to read the Bible. Here, he understood where and why inequality within the US was thriving. Free labor brought profits for southern plantation owners and the ideology that “non-whites” were considered not to be equal. “Frederick Douglass was the most important African American leader and intellectual of the nineteenth century.
It is here that I think Douglass makes another significant step, that is when he creates protections for himself and his clan, or as I like to think of it, their own declaration of independence from the slave community. But, like all things thus far in Douglass’s life, things fell through, and he suffered the mean hand of a relentless slave system. Although Douglas had burned his fake protection papers in order to save himself and his allies, the declaration was still clear in his mind. Like a true revolutionary, he stuck to it and eventually experienced life unrestrained by the horrid slave community in which he came from. It truly is amazing how much Douglass went through in order to experience life outside of his own community.
Knowledge is Power Harriet Beecher Stowe understand and shows the enlightenment this book offers. She understand that slaves have been faithful for many years even though under terrible conditions. The slave owner taught the slave George Harris how to read, but soon the knowledge overcame the suppression. The knowledge overtime that once locked their minds down to slavery is also given George’s mind bail to be free. The knowledge to know that someone can be equal, but not treated equally can be discouraging to most.