Task 1: Sentence Responses: Comparing perspectives on Slavery William Ford and Edwin Epps were both ‘slave owners’ in the 1900’s, with sharply contrasting views and philosophies on how slaves were to be treated. William was Solomon’s first slaver owner, who considered his slaves to be more like employees rather than his property. These are some examples that highlight this perspective; He brought Solomon a violin as a gift, to help pass time and bring enjoyment to others. He also tried to keep families together when buying and/or selling slaves, and saved Solomon’s life when one of his own employees tried to hang him. William was a sympathetic slave owner, who considered his slaves as human beings. On one occasion, Solomon confronted Tibeat, one of William’s other employees, about the care he gave towards the slave’s sanitary conditions, particularly Patseys. Tibeat decided that Solomon deserved to punished for his comments so he started whipping him. It was only when Solomon retaliated, that Wiliam was forced to move him to Edwin Epps plantation. Edwin had a very different outlook on the slave trade as to what William did. Epps stated that “They ain’t hired help. They’re my property,” basically dehumanising and materialising them as objects or livestock. Epps forced …show more content…
his slaves to perform at inhumane hours, rather than sleep, and sentenced his slaves to 100 lashes of the whip, if they disobeyed him or his employees. He also excessively referred to his slaves as “niggas”. William Ford and Edwin Epps both had very different approaches to slavery and the slave trade. William, under the circumstances, provided his slaves with comfort and care, whilst doing his best to protect them from the inevitable pitfalls that occurred. I believe there was a mutual understanding of the slave trade between William and his slaves, as there was respect established. Edwin had quite the opposite belief of the slave trade; deprivation and torture brought Edwin joy. Edwin interpreted the slave trade as something similar to the buying and selling of livestock. Even though William agreed with the slave trade, he still treated his slaves with dignity and respect, unlike Edwin, he agreed with it and his cruel approach was shown in the lack of care given. Edwin considered his slaves as objects, using them to his pleasure, depriving them of basic human needs, even engaging in sexual behaviour when he raped Patsey. Edwin had no regard for their health and well-being, which was highlighted when Patsey stole soap as she hadn’t washed herself in weeks, and forced Solomon to lash her as a consequence. William and Edwin both had very different perceptions of what it meant to be a slave owner, and how the role was to be fulfilled. William cared about the slaves, whereas Edwin blatantly refused to understand the meaning of care. Task 2: Paragraphs: Coping mechanisms a.
Slaves endured hard and cruel tasks each and every day, so music made it more bearable. Music was one of the only pastimes slaves could partake in. It gave them normality, a sense of freedom and they weren’t punished for it. For a slave, keeping memories was important, so music played a big role in the retention of their memoirs, as it provided a way to escape and reminisce on all the time they spent with their loved ones. Solomon played the violin on various occasions which gave him a way to pass time and bring enjoyment to others. All the slaves sung while picking cotton, which gave everyone a sense of belonging and equality. Music played a big role in helping the slaves get through tough
times. When families were separated in the stages of buying and selling, Solomon played the violin to bring some peace to what was a terrible situation. Solomon’s violin gave him something to come back to at the end of hard day. It was his solace, but he also shared that love when he was forced to perform in front of other guests at the plantation. Slave’s lives were taken quite frequently for unfair reasons, so songs were sung and instruments were played to honour and commemorate them. Music brought some light to what was a constant dark nightmare. It brought everyone together in tough times, and in times when they commemorated other lives. All the slaves loved singing in the cotton fields, as it was the only thing they weren’t punished for. b. For slaves to cope with the demands of their challenging day to day ‘job’, they used methods to survive and tolerate their role. Telling their captors as little as possible was very important, if they wanted to stay alive. Solomon said on many occasions that he couldn’t read or write, which kept him alive. They were made to change their identity, and if they didn’t obey, they would be killed, which occurred on the ship before they were delivered at the plantation. Singing in the cotton fields provided a way to cope with the continually challenging tasks they were fronted with each day. Suicide was an option many considered to escape the terror. Patsey woke Solomon in the middle of the night begging for him to mercy-kill her, but he refused. Solomon stated “I don’t want to survive, I want to live”, in the sheer hope that he would see his family again. Solomon hoped to pass this view of his onto Patsey, so she could see that there was more to life than this ill behaviour, and one day it would end. Task 3: Extended Response (handwritten or verbal presentation): Source Accuracy Activity chosen: a In the film, 12 Years a Slave, there are many differences between the memoir written by Solomon Northup, and the film version of his life. Understandably, many events that occurred in Solomon’s memoir couldn’t be shown in the movie, as films are generally a condensed, generalised version of a historical event that has occurred. Meaning many key parts to the memoir were not where to be seen in the film, which potentially mislead people towards what actually occurred during the 19th century. So the question is, does Solomon’s original memoir offer that kind of insight on American slavery? Or does it foremost strive to document the traumatising events that Solomon bore witness to, as stated in his memoir. Are the intents of the movie and memoir one the same, or vastly different. Mr. Epps – the man who owned Solomon for over a decade, is described in Solomon’s memoir as being just as detestable and menacing as he is portrayed in the film. However, the details given in the memoir about their relationship, and the detail given in the film is questionable. When Solomon describes Edwin in his memoir, he paints him to be neurotic, pompous and disillusioned, and even [bizarrely] gratified by his hard work and polite manner. Also, Solomon reveals that – in a twisted way – he formed a personal relationship with Mrs. Epps, by running her errands. Mrs Epps even seems genuinely sad and moved to tears at having to farewell Solomon, when he is finally rescued. In the film, however, it is a different story. We are only shown how the Epps’ tormented and brutalised Solomon along with his fellow slaves, out of jealousy, anger and lust. There are many pros and cons in portraying historical events in a film/movie. For a movie to succeed, you have to allow room for some creative leeway and exaggeration/changes for a dramatic effect. But the differences between 12 Years a Slave the book and the movie add up in a way that shouldn’t be overlooked. Majority of the time, movies are focused towards events that draw attention. Similarly, this is shown in the film, as all we saw was the Epps’ tormenting Solomon, however, in the memoir, there was a relationship. This is the problem with portraying historical events in the form of a movie. They miss important parts, that lead us to misperceptions of what actually occurred.
Hammond’s voice was very loud when it came to the issue of slavery. He was not ashamed to let everyone know how much he supported it. In 1831, Hammond became the owner of a cotton plantation called Silver Bluff. There were 147 slaves at Silver Bluff when Hammond arrived to take possession of it. They were eager to meet their new master. “Hammond had acquired seventy-four females and seventy-three males, a population with a median age of twenty-five. He would certainly have noted that forty-six, nearly a third of these slaves, were not yet fifteen, too young to be much use in the fields but a good foundation for a vigorous future labor force. Undoubtedly, too, he observed that sixty-four of the slaves were between fifteen and forty-five, the prime work years. These were the individuals upon whom Hammond would rely to plant, cultivate, and harvest the cotton and corn that would generate most of his yearly income” (Faust, 71). The rest were older slaves that couldn’t really do a lot of hard labor in the field, but they could do chores that didn’t require such demanding work ethics like watching over the children whose parents are out working in the fields.
During a period of time, the world lost its values due to ambition. Blacks were enslaved for being different. Races became a huge part of people’s everyday talk and to succeed, farmers and business owners had to make African Americans do their dirty work for them. During this period of time, people like Joe Starks from “The Eyes Were Watching God” and people like Frederick Douglass’s slavemasters became abundant in the world. The belief that they were superior to everyone else lead them to impose power in a way that even themselves could not tolerate. Even though “The Eyes Were Watching God” was written after slave abolition, Joe Starks and Douglass’s slavemasters have many characteristics in common and differences which are worthy to be noticed.
Saiba Haque Word Count: 1347 HUMANITIES 8 RECONSTRUCTION UNIT ESSAY Slavery was a problem that had been solved by the end of the Civil War. Slavery abused black people and forced them to work. The Northerners didn’t like this and constantly criticized Southerners, causing a fight. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Lincoln to free all the slaves in the border states. “
“He would whip her to make her scream, and whip her to make her hush.” (5) From the following quote, we can see how Douglass made use of a paradox to show how the slave owners used more brutal force to subjugate and hush the slave. It shows an irony as well to the fact that the slave owners used a more brutal force to silence the slave from further moanings or complaints. Douglass uses this to show how the slave owners had a sense of pleasurement from the punishment they gave to the slaves, as the slave owners viewed the slaves as tools, not even considered to be a human being. Colonel Llyod Douglass’s slave owner is shown in this example for the punishments the conditions he treated his slaves with. Colonel Llyod is shown to have no sympathy in which shows how the minds corrupted by slavery could influence the human mind to believe the slaves as nothing more than just dispensable tools to only work for the benefits. Douglass then uses his past experience to depict the harshness of slavery “Their songs revealing the highest joy and the deepest sadness.” (13) Douglass uses a sadistic diction, to further persuade the reader to show how the slaves were trapped in their illusion without education. During this time, slaves only knew a common language to use singing as a form of entertainment. Without education, it prevented several great people and thinkers to develop and arise, but Frederick Douglass being the special case has given the reader a first-hand viewpoint on his experience and opinion on
In Northup's own words "There my be humane masters, as there certainly are inhuman ones - there may be slaves well-clothed, well-fed, and happy, as there surely are those half-clad, half-starved and miserable" (207). Slave owners as a father figure would be far from the description that Solomon would have given or agreed upon in his time in servitude. Slave owners as good or bad owners of animals would be a much better description of the relationship between a slave and a master. Even in the worst accounts of parental abuse, it is rare that the child is kept like an animal to serve the parents needs and work to for them to just be allowed to stay alive.
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave details the progression of a slave to a man, and thus, the formation of his identity. The narrative functions as a persuasive essay, written in the hopes that it would successfully lead to “hastening the glad day of deliverance to the millions of [his] brethren in bonds” (Douglass 331). As an institution, slavery endeavored to reduce the men, women, and children “in bonds” to a state less than human. The slave identity, according to the institution of slavery, was not to be that of a rational, self forming, equal human being, but rather, a human animal whose purpose is to work and obey the whims of their “master.” For these reasons, Douglass articulates a distinction between the terms ‘man’ and ‘slaves’ under the institution of slavery. In his narrative, Douglass describes the situations and conditions that portray the differences between the two terms. Douglass also depicts the progression he makes from internalizing the slaveholder viewpoints about what his identity should be to creating an identity of his own making. Thus, Douglass’ narrative depicts not simply a search for freedom, but also a search for himself through the abandonment of the slave/animal identity forced upon him by the institution of slavery.
[Slaves] seemed to think that the greatness of their master was transferable to themselves” (Douglass 867). Consequently, slaves start to identify with their master rather than with other slaves by becoming prejudiced of other slaves whose masters were not as wealthy or as nice as theirs, thereby falling into the traps of the white in which slaves start to lose their
Slavery was the main resource used in the Chesapeake tobacco plantations. The conditions in the Chesapeake region were difficult, which lead to malnutrition, disease, and even death. Slaves were a cheap and an abundant resource, which could be easily replaced at any time. The Chesapeake region’s tobacco industries grew and flourished on the intolerable and inhumane acts of slavery.
Music is an art and a wonderful gift to human race. It soothes, stimulates and makes us feel happy. It affects our moods in many different ways from lullaby to war cry for changes in the society. Music is actually distinct to different people. Above all, it has a transformational importance that is captured in its art and nature. Music draws our emotions and it has an impact of bridging different cultures across the continents. Slave songs were very vital channels through which all kind of information was conveyed both positive and negative.
In her lecture, Dr. Williams sets out to explain her writing process for her book “Help me to Find My People”, which is about the emotional and physical violence of slaves being separated from their families, and then attempting to reunite their families after slavery is abolished. Slaves were separated whenever their masters died, or wanted to sell their slaves or their slaves’ children. Sometimes masters fell in debt and had to sell some slaves, as in the case of an account that Dr. Williams gives. This slaveowner recognizes he’s doing something wrong, but feels little regret, as slaveowners deluded themselves into thinking that slaves didn’t feel as deeply. Marriage was not legally permitted for slaves as slaves were not allowed to sign legal contracts, and because the social system in place called for a husband providing for his family, which wasn’t a possibility in the case of slaves.
Solomon Northup, a free black man who was an educated and with a family who likes to play violin in places that he can make money from. To offer his family a better life he is given an offer to go to Washington with Hamilton and Brown to play the violin. His story talks about how he goes from a free man to a drugged and beaten down runway Georgia slave for 12 years working as a slave from one master to the next. The author of this story is telling the readers to abolish slavery based on his life experience as free black man to a runaway Georgia slave.
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slavery was cruelty at its best. Slavery is described as long work days, a lack of respect for a human being, and the inability for a man or a woman to have gainful employment. The slaves were victimized the most for obvious reasons. Next on the list would be the families of both the slave and slave owners. At the bottom of the list would be the slave owners. Slavery does in fact victimize slaves, slave owner and their families by repeating the same cycle every generation.
The word “slavery” brings back horrific memories of human beings. Bought and sold as property, and dehumanized with the risk and implementation of violence, at times nearly inhumane. The majority of people in the United States assumes and assures that slavery was eliminated during the nineteenth century with the Emancipation Proclamation. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth; rather, slavery and the global slave trade continue to thrive till this day. In fact, it is likely that more individuals are becoming victims of human trafficking across borders against their will compared to the vast number of slaves that we know in earlier times. Slavery is no longer about legal ownership asserted, but instead legal ownership avoided, the thought provoking idea that with old slavery, slaves were maintained, compared to modern day slavery in which slaves are nearly disposable, under the same institutionalized systems in which violence and economic control over the disadvantaged is the common way of life. Modern day slavery is insidious to the public but still detrimental if not more than old American slavery.
Williams’s scholarship begins with a little background information about his former life as a slave, being brought up at the Penhurst Plantation in St. Ann’s parish in Jamaica. He is reflecting upon his former life as a slave, when he was not so mistreated. Williams writes “when I was a slave, I never flogged- I sometimes was switched, but not badly, but since the new law begin, I have been flogged seven times, and put in the house of correction four times” . The dismal treatment faced by the apprentices was a prevalent through the narrative. A surmount of evidence was provided in accordance with the abuse and terror of the apprentice program.
There is a period of time in American history where slavery was not only allowed,