Summary Of James M. Mcpherson's Escape And Revolt In Black And White

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In his work “Escape and Revolt in Black and White,” James M. McPherson discusses the lives of now famous black and white defenders of the black population and how society’s views of these individuals changed over time. The majority of his essay focused on the stories of Harriet Tubman, Harriet Jacobs, and John Brown, each of whom impacted their own immediate surroundings, even if only on a small scale, in an attempt to improve the condition of blacks. He investigates whether these now famous individuals became famous due to their own merits or as another piece of propaganda to support either side of the fight over civil rights. However, this overall point was very unclear and jumbled as he focused too heavily on just his narrative of these …show more content…

He implies that her sudden fame of her tremendous efforts to overcome her racial oppression was strategically planned to help support the movements for equality in labor and civil rights. Tubman gave these social fighters a symbol for their cause. For Tubman, McPherson also investigated the level of truthfulness in her legend, as discussed by her biographers. The author grappled with her medical history of seizures documented through her dictations to those around her who were literate and also through the accounts of others working close to her, saying that these extreme medical issues conflict the writings on her physical and mental strength. Furthermore, comparing Tubman’s seemingly miraculous ability not to get caught with another fugitive slave of the time, Harriet Jacobs, McPherson further suggests that the legend of Harriet Tubman may be nothing more than that. Questioning the validity of Tubman’s “primary” sources allows McPherson to show that her popularized image could feasibly have been exaggerated for political …show more content…

This would create a productive discussion between readers, not the sporadic, vague, non-committal suggestions the author currently included. McPherson only begins to touch upon an idea for an argument in the last two pages, where he looks into the suggestion of whether or not John Brown was a terrorist or not. However, he leaves this answer up in the air with the statement that what one person believes counts as terrorism, another believes is an act of heroism – yet another open-ended thought with no assertions as to what a firm answer may be. For me, this was the only part in which I was truly made to think deeper into the impact of an individual’s actions as a symbol beyond the Civil War. It was only after that I was able to look back and dig through the essay to find the vague assertion of the broader impact that was woven through the narratives of these individuals’ lives. I understand that these topics are incredibly subjective and sensitive, but that is why, more than any other reason, that McPherson should be writing towards a clear answer in this hotly debated topic as opposed to subtle

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