20160102

Slavery began in the British Colonies almost from the beginning. The first African Americans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. new information published almost 400 years after they arrived was printed in the Washington Post. Originally slavery happened all up and down the East Coast. But the first arguments against it happened in the North--in Massachusetts Bay, by Samuel Sewall, and about a half century later in by John Woolman, who was born in New Jersey, but published this document in Philadelphia, with the consent of the annual meeting of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, as we now know them. You can click on the link in his name to read more about him, and about Quakers and Slavery. Click here for resources on the slave trade in the early years. For the Jamestowne Website, Click here.

Ain't I A Woman? Delivered 1851, Women's Convention, Akron, Ohio

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)

"What To The American Slave Is Your 4th Of July?"

Independence Day Speech by FREDERICK DOUGLASS July 4, 1852

As we move on, we'll notice that the Women's Rights Movement and the movement for freedom and civil rights for African Americans were often closely connected. Sojourner Truth (featured in the video to the left, was an activist in both movements. There were women in the period before the Civil War who were not in favor of equality for African Americans. She made a great impact with this speech. If we have time, we'll look at more from Women's Conventions later in the semester.

The life of Frederick Douglass is quite amazing. Born into slavery, he served in the government in civil service later in his life. Along the way he did many interesting things. He escaped slavery, lived in New Bedford for awhile, and finally wound up in upstate New York where he was safe because of the strength of abolitionist sentiment. He was a newspaper publisher and writer, and a very famous orator. One of the most interesting things, MHO, is that his British Supporters purchased his freedom. Reading that document will again give proof of the close relationship between Women's Rights and African American Rights. We'll read about the Seneca Falls Conference later in the semester.

As you mark up your texts,

Here we have two men of very different religious persuasions. Compare and contrast their arguments against slavery. Do you find them equally convincing?

Which arguments are most convincing.

As you finish, write an end note using a sticky mark to share your thoughts on what they think about conditions in today's world. Which persons in America would be the equivalent of the ones Sewall and Woolman wrote about? What do you think?

If you look a bit at Samuel Sewall's life, you'll see that he presided at trials for witchcraft in Massachusetts. He later apologized. Yesterday was Halloween. Should we Celebrate it? What would Sewall think?

As you mark up your texts,

As you read Sojourner Truth, think about why she uses slang phrases like "ain't"? She was educated and could write perfectly using the grammar of the day. Would her speech be more effective or less effective if she spoke "correctly"? Highlight places where she uses slang, and in a final sticky note, consider the question above, and answer it by sharing your thoughts.

Considering Douglass's speech, recognize first that he was a "free" man at the time he gave it so he must be speaking about those still held in slavery. But he's speaking to abolitionists.

Douglass remarks, "The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence bequeathed by your fathers is shared by you, not by me.". What do you suppose he means by this? Suppose he gave this speech in his latter career, after Lincoln abolished slavery. Would his sentiments change? How. (Don't forget segregation is still a factor in American life, though abolished as unconstitutional in 1954)--more about that later, if we have time.