Given how Locke said "Property" becomes "Private", is there any logic to believing in owning people?
"Born in England in 1652, Samuel Sewall moved to America at the age of nine and obtained two degrees from Harvard before marrying into a wealthy family. As a prominent member of the merchant class, Sewall was selected by Governor Phips to sit as a judge for the witchcraft trials on the Court of Oyer and Terminer. Five years after the trials concluded, Sewall issued a public confession demonstrating personal remorse, taking in his words the "Blame and Shame" for his part in condemning innocent people. He was the only judge to do so."
The Selling of Joseph was written 8 years after the witchcraft trials of 1792. Massachusetts recovered from the witchcraft panic, and never again was a person tried as a witch in that colony. In Pennsylvania there was a witchcraft trial after 1800.
Sewall was not afraid to speak his mind. Slavery was perfectly legal at the time he wrote his memorial, and his position did not win him any friends among his wealthy friends. What reasons does he give against the practice of slavery? Note them as you mark up your reading. Which are the most convincing to you?
He kept a diary for most of his life, and it is quite interesting. You can take a look at it by clicking on the picture to the left. John Woolman, whose picture appears below will join the conversation next class period.
Download, Read, and Annotate, from the Core Canon,
Fifty-Four years have passed since Samuel Sewall spoke out against slavery. Now it is John Woolman's turn. John Woolman was a member of the Society of Friends, otherwise known as the Quakers. They generally believed in equality of all. There were no priests or ministers. People would gather and sit silently until one felt inspired to speak. Yet some Quakers fell into the habit of becoming Slaveowners. Woolman believed this was against their general beliefs, and spoke out against it. It took some time, but some Quaker congregations followed his beliefs, and Slaveholders were told to free their slaves or be expelled from their congregations.
Compare Woolman's thoughts with those of Sewall, a half century earlier. In what ways do they seem the same, and in what ways different.? Note these differences in your markups and your sticky notes.
The video to the right is far too long to show in class. However, I would like to have you watch it over the next few weeks. As you watch it, write some reflections on it, and put them in your drop box.
This week we turn our attention from equal rights for women to equal rights for African-Americans. One thing you'll notice is that the centers of "abolitionism" and "women's suffrage" were similar. Many were descendants of New England Puritans, and many others were Quakers. This week we'll meet one of each. A Puritan on Tuesday and a Quaker on Friday
A pre-civil war picture of a punished slave. Think back to the question of obeying one's reason or obeying a human law. If you could have help this man escape, would you?
