When Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963, he spoke about the need for justice and equality for all people, regardless of race. King understood that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. This is just as true today as it was then. Slavery is one of the … Read more
When Malcolm X was in prison, he decided to educate himself. He started by teaching himself how to read. Learning to read was a difficult process for Malcolm X, as he had never received any formal education. However, he persevered and eventually became an accomplished reader. Malcolm X’s experience of learning to read is significant … Read more
The sugar trade was driven by the demand for sugar in Europe. Sugar was a luxury item in Europe, and the Caribbean had a monopoly on sugar production. The sugar trade was also driven by the demand for slaves. Slaves were needed to work the plantations in the Caribbean, and the majority of slaves came … Read more
Over the past Decade the word racism has become one of the most argued words since the civil rights movement. Only the difference is the black population didn’t have the same rights as the white population. There were peaceful protest all throughout the country, and the police force responded with brutal and unnecessary violence. There … Read more
The dirt was laced with sour weeds and writhing earthlings. I wasn’t sure if it was a worm I had swallowed, or just the stems of dewy Petunia; either would leave my stomach in somersaults after lunch. If I survived until then, that is. “Get up,” a pig snorted from behind. My ears twitched. Electricity … Read more
During the American revolution, Patrick Henry’s cry, “Give me liberty or give me death,” was a philosophy adopted by many as they aimed to separate themselves from the British, but this statement is problematic due to the fact that it suggests liberty is something opposing, or simply different, from death. As a country we continue … Read more
Chapter 1 In this section of the book, before we became homo sapiens, we evolved from past ancestors who weren’t up to par on further knowledge on life as modern humans today. The author suggests that humans come from a long past of ancestry from Africa that has been spread all around various parts of … Read more
In William Blake’s work, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, there is a smaller poem within lasting only 28 lines, but still somehow managed to make a global impression; this work is called The Little Black Boy. This poem made an impact in a variety of ways, some of which being its contribution to the … Read more
Frederick Douglass’s autobiography is quite interesting. It touches many readers’ heart deeply to learn about slavery and I am not an exception. I learn a lot about slavery through Douglass’s story. To further understand the slave and slavery system, as a reader, I need to study his whole life since he was born as a … Read more
Although the days of slavery are decades in the past, cruel and tragic abuse of people continues to this day. Across the world, vicious transactions have led to the movement of thousands of innocent persons. These citizens are then subjected to intensive work, ranging from prostitution to mining. Sadly, this type of enslavement is most … Read more
Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a Victorian poet that is renowned for her poetry that focuses on the social conscience of people in western culture. One of Browning’s most controversial poems is called “A Curse for a Nation,” which is a didactic poem that aims to persuade its target audience to speak out against the slave … Read more
People would never believe that love, which would appear to be the most content feeling ever, is actually a destructive perpetual nightmare. Destruction leads to fear, and is everlasting. Light in that individual’s life suddenly darkens and then hatred possesses the soul. How is it that such positivities appear to be negative? Well, such is … Read more
Ever since the birth of The United States, we have shown resilience and determination, starting with the Revolutionary war. As years passed and national division became evident there was discussion on who would win the fight between the free and enslaved states. Over time it has become apparent that the colonies and the confederacy have … Read more
Thomas Jefferson became one of the wealthiest men in America through the “ownership of land and slaves”(Takaki 56). The value of slaves and land doubled in approximately twenty years due to the “multiplication of [his] slaves…the extension of culture, and increased demands for lands”(Takaki 56). The main source of Thomas Jefferson’s wealth was derived from … Read more
The Homestead Act was signed on May 20, 1862 by Abraham Lincoln. The Homestead Act was proposed by northern republicans. Southern representatives in congress kept voting against the Homestead Act because they saw it as an opportunity for the development of Free states that would tip the scale in the free vs. slave states. It … Read more
In a Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, religion was a common theme discussed. Christianity shaped Douglass personal views about being a Christian and living in a predominately Christian place. Though Douglass disagreed with the way Christianity was used to validate slavery and the torturous treatment of slaves, he found himself religious himself. Throughout … Read more
Why did Reconstruction Fail for freedmen? After the Civil war, Congress wanted to change america so that another Civil war won’t happen again, so they started the Reconstruction era in the south. From 1865 to 1877, Congress had made new laws and programs that had helped freemen from being enslaved again. Laws such as ratifying … Read more
Frederick Douglass was a slave born around the year 1818, never knowing his when he was born, and died in 1895. Douglass was born into slavery, but his determination proved to overcome his situation, as he persistently resisted the peculiar Institution. He favored resistance through the mind mostly, writing his first work called A Narrative … Read more
One hot summer night, Promise, Brown, Mumba, Gazee, Parri’mae, Junebug and Willie all came to an agreement that it was time for a change on the plantation. They decided to meet up with an old head slave name Django . Django was given a shed on the plantation years back, he has worked on the … Read more
The book Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina is historical fiction which is loosely based on real people. The book discusses the trials and tribulations of the Coal War in West Virginia and the surrounding areas. The book takes place during the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Storming Heaven is written from perspectives of different … Read more
Slavery had been going on for hundreds of years in the Caribbean. The European powers dominated and exploited the region for its riches, resources, and its people and provided an oppressed servile class of Africans to use as a labor resource. The slaves would work on plantations against their will without any regard for their … Read more
One of the ways that slaves defied slavery was to run away. Nat, like every other slave, was prone to this sort of rebellion. One of the first of a series of shocks in Nat Turner’s life was when his father ran away from Benjamin Turner’s place and supposedly escaped to the North. Apparently, no … Read more
Throughout history many governments have had a strong hold on the economy and their practices. Slavery was a very inhuman practice that greatly affected the US. Back during The New Nation Era, not even the government could resist against the practice of slavery. The institution of slavery was stronger than the US government. The institution … Read more
Even in the early years of the United States, resistance efforts took place in order to protest taxes, debt, and other issues. One of the largest groups of unfree people in the United States, the slaves, also performed their own acts of resistance in hopes of freedom. While ultimately none of them destroyed the system … Read more
Clara Brown: A Determined Philanthropist Clara Brown was an African-American woman who was a born a slave in the early 1800s. Although she was separated from her family in her mid-30’s due to a slave auction, Brown’s kindhearted nature drove her to serve as a well-respected community leader. She was the first African-American woman to … Read more
Andrew Jackson, a man who famously expanded the power of presidency during the 1830‘s once stated, “you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. ” Frederick Douglass mirrored this quotation throughout his life; being a man who was bred into slavery, transported like property, was beaten down, yet still had the … Read more
The period I chose to focus on was the Antebellum Period of 1789-1812. From this period the three things I chose to touch upon were the Cotton Gin, Early Industrialization and the Rise in Manufacturing in the North, and the canal system during the Antebellum Period in American history. This period is considered to be … Read more
The American of independency or the revolutionary war was make a big difference when to built the strong nation with sustainable of democracy in human history in this world. All about the independency war and revolutionary war can be briefly explained by Zinn from the chapter Tyranny is Tyranny in a people’s history of the … Read more
Society telling those who feel positively about the confederate flag that they do not have the right to display it, because it “is a symbol of racism and slavery”, is an issue throughout America that causes unwanted and unnecessary problems. This issue requires education on the topic, and the people of America to have an … Read more
There is an incredible array of different historical writings and interpretations of slavery in America in the Antebellum period. One could be mistaken into thinking that there is nothing left to research and debate. Yet, what is rarely mentioned in the annals of American history are the profound effects slavery has had on the Native … Read more
“It was useless to talk any more about negro courage. The men fought like tigers, each and every one of them” (Ford 7). For centuries, African-Americans were thought of as man and women who could not survive without a master. When they were allowed to fight, many still thought that African-Americans were not as brave … Read more
As many people know, Harriet Tubman was one of the most widely known leaders of The Underground Railroad. In her time working on The Underground Railroad, Harriet rescued over 300 slaves, making her an extraordinary heroine. Harriet was lucky to have a small amount of family members on the same plantation as her. She was … Read more
Cuffy was a man who was very powerful and he took his strengths and expanded on them when he led the Berbice Slave Rebellion of 1763. While being under the Dutch colonization, Cuffy successfully took control of over eight plantations during the eleven-month long revolution. Dutch Governor Van Hoogenheim found out and grew frantic, alerting … Read more
John brown the radical abolitionist who believed in the violent overthrow of slavery. Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut and he spent most of his childhood in Ohio. Brown’s father, was a very religious man, whose Calvinism formed the pillars of this family’s household. His professional life and some business failures which made him go … Read more
Sunday, September 9th, 1739 was a pivotal day in history in the climb towards freedom for enslaved African Americans. On this day, what became known as the Stono Rebellion, was led by Jemmy, an Angolan literate slave. He was most likely owned by the Cato family, who lived just north of the Stono River, so … Read more
Mary Ann Shadd Cary was born into an elite free black community in the 19th century. Due to her economically privileged upbringing, she was able to occupy positions of power and became a teacher, abolitionist and activist to diminish poverty among black Canadians. She left the United States in 1851 to flee to Canada in … Read more
During the 1800’s, slavery took over the South, making it a time of sorrow for the United States. White southerners bought African Americans so that they could work for them. Frederick Douglass was a slave that achieved freedom through hard work. In Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass talks about … Read more
The Underground Railroad was not a real railroad. It didn’t have train cars, tracks, or any form of a schedule. The Underground Railroad was a secret network of people all over the United States, who operated in the dark of the night. Their mission was a risky one_ to help runaway slaves escape from slavery … Read more
In “How Different from Each Other Were the Antebellum North and South”, Edward Pessen argues that the North and South were similar but fundamentally different. They were similar in most of the aspects of common life such as; economy, social structure, and politics. The North and South were both centered around agriculture. They were both … Read more
The tale of Uncle Tom’s Cabin begins in the parlor of the Shelby household, as Mr. Shelby discusses how many slaves he will need to sell to Mr. Haley, a slave trader, to relieve him of his debts after falling upon hard times. Shelby ultimately decides to sell Tom, a “good, steady, sensible, pious fellow” … Read more
The Bissagos Islands on the Atlantic coast of Guinea-Bissau are home to the Bidjogo peoples. Similar to other African peoples, the Bidjogo possess unique forms of art. The dugn’be “the ox raised in the village” mask is a rather intriguing piece of art. The mask is commonly used in initiation ceremonies. This mask, made in … Read more