Frederick Douglass 12 Years Slavery

Superior Essays
Africans Were the Animals in a Barn Remember when times were rough for those of a different race who had no rights like white men and women. Slavery began when African Slaves were brought into Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. The staple crops of tobacco, sugar, and cotton were high in demand from the people, which meant those on plantations down South need laborers. As time went on, Northern states became free states, but as you go further South, slavery is in the deepest darkest moments for the Africans. One amazing abolitionist named Frederick Douglass wrote a narrative about himself as a slave and wanting to learn how to read and write. Even when you are a freed slave and then captured again as a slave, you mustn’t worry. In the movie “12 Years …show more content…
Cruelty places a crucial role in both the movie and in history of slavery, because most of the cruelty in both history and in the movie was whippings and sexual abuse. The movie accurately portrays cruelty because in the movie Solomon was forced to whip Patsey, slaves were being raped, and punishments for not following instructions were very cruel. Colonel Lloyd would beat his slaves with a whip and a cowskin. He would whip his slave until the blood ran fast down their backs. In the movie Patsey was forced to be whipped by Solomon because she wanted to take a bath. His master said whip her until her skin was split and red with lashes. During slavery many slaves were rapped by their masters and forced to reproduce. Many women slaves were never comfortable because they were always watching their back with fear. Patsey wanted Solomon to kill her because she felt as if she could not be at ease. The movie does accurately portray slavery due to the harsh cruelty that went on during the time of …show more content…
They worked all day long in the blazing hot sun and they never had a second to spare. Working conditions were very harsh towards the slaves; picking cotton all day or running errands. If the rain were to fall hard from the sky and thunder was crashing, no one was allowed to stop working. Even through the worst weather conditions of the South all adult slave must work unless it is a Sunday. The movie “12 Years a Slave” displays the working conditions very well by portraying the way the slaves were working in the fields picking cotton with their fingers all day long. Master Epps own Solomon and Patsey and would make them pick a certain amount of cotton or more. If you are unable to do so you will be punished by your master under his conditions. Slave’s working conditions were well portrayed in the movie “12 Years a

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