Week of 03/29/2016

Download, Annotate according to the Prompt below, the document(s) from Core Canon, and then upload into your Drop Box...

The Selling of Joseph by Samuel Sewall (1700)

On the Keeping of Negroes, by John Woolman (1754)

Letters between Abigail and John Adams (1776)

Taken together the three documents are a little less than 20 pages long (quite a bit less if one considers that the Woolman document contains several fore pages before the actual document begins). I don't think you should have too much trouble reading and annotating them by Tuesday

Considering Sewall

Being anti-slavery didn't mean that a person was pro African-American. The phrase Caveat Emptor translates from Latin into "let the buyer beware" So respond to the prompts below with markups and annotations:

Note that the first two paragraphs use many references from the Old Testament, particularly from the first five books. known as the Pentateuch. Find at least two reasons why, in this section, Sewall considers slavery a bad thing. Are the quotations powerful? What do you think?

In the next section, however, he goes on to make several strong statements about Africans, none of which are complimentary. Interpret one or two of these into "modern" English -- for example what might he mean in the section beginning "And there is such a disparity in their Conditions, Color & Hair,"?

What reason does he give suggesting that the importation of slaves might decrease the number of English colonists?

As we've seen in other documents (such as those by Roger Williams and John Winthrop) he tries to think of objections to his arguments in the minds of his readers and to answer these in advance. Which do you consider strongest and why? If there are any you don't understand, make sure to mark them for class discussion.

Considering Woolman

Do you think that Woolman's arguments are in some ways more "humane" than Sewall's are? If they are, what might be the reason for this? You might want to look up the religious society of friends.

Woolman makes an argument that slavery is as harmful to Slave owners as it is to slaves themselves. In what way does it harm them?

Starting on p. 5, Woolman makes arguments concerning "brotherhood" and how treating persons of one nation differently from those of another may lead to both prejudice and to a sense of inferiority, saying, for example Suppose then that our ancestors and we had been exposed to constant servitude, in the more servile and inferior employments of life ; that we had been destitute of the help of reading and good company; that amongst ourselves we had had but few wise and pious instructors; that the religious amongst our superiors seldom took notice of us ; that while others in ease had plentifully heaped up the fruit of our labour, we had received barely enough to relieve nature ; and being wholly at the command of others, had generally been treated as a contemptible, ignorant part of mankind. should we, in that case, be less abject than they now are? This somewhat like asking another person to "walk a mile in my shoes." Is this a valid argument today as it was in Woolman's day?

Consider the Conclusion on p. 12. Is Woolman right that paying too much attention to wealth is not the way to true happiness? What amount of "wealth" does Woolman thing is sufficient. Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

The Declaration of Independence may be the most famous American document (The Gettysburg Address might run a close second). In times gone by it was common for children in schools to memorize parts of it--typically the first two paragraphs. Here, as in other documents we've studied, the shape of the document gives a clue to its organization. In this case, note that there are two large paragraphs at the beginning, then a series of very small paragraphs, some not more than a sentence or two, followed by another fairly large paragraph. Consider these as your do your analysis and prepare your document for marking up and dropping into your dropbox:

First create a title for the first two paragraphs--use a sticky note or writing text for this.

Second consider the second paragraph--especially the unalienable rights. How many are there? (Does Jefferson leave room to there to be others? (highlight the word which does if if you believe he does). Are any of these rights what one might call "potential" rather than equal. Underline the word which indicates this. Do you agree that this "right" needs a qualification. Think of what the right would be without that word.

Third is there a bit of a lie buried among these "truths"? Underline it and write a sticky note if you find one.

Fourth Consider the middle section. If you had to create a title for this, What would it be? Is guilt being assigned? If so, who to?

Fifth Consider the last section. What were they pledging as the colonies went to war? Think about the number of the persons who were delegates to this meeting. Was it fair for them to speak for every one else? There were Loyalists who favored remaining part of the British Empire, many of whom migrated to Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada after peace was concluded? Should everyone have had a say? What do you think? A final sticky note or text-type can consider this.

The Articles of Confederation, on the other hand, is one of the least well known documents in American History. The American Revolution was fought under these articles, though Independence was declared earlier by nearly a year. There are a number of discussions online analyzing the "strengths" and "weaknesses" of the Articles of Confederation. Use one of the popular search engines, Google probably the best, search for Articles of Confederation using this phrase "articles of confederation strengths and weaknesses". Remember that there will be more than one page of links. If you can, find something which discusses these article by article. Then, to prepare your document for your drop box,

Compare the articles with the critiques of the articles one by one. Using markup tools of different colors indicate whether you agree or disagree with each critique.

Using a sticky not or text add-on, indicate why you agree or disagree with each.