Group F
Fabian Rios
1301-04
Essay Topic 4
The topic of slavery and its abolishment was on the horizon of becoming more and more prominent in the mid-1800’s. The citizens of the United States knew that the separation of the of the country was being divided into North and the South due to the constant altercations over the topic of slavery. During week 12 we looked at several primary documents, but the focus was drawn to just three documents because they were concentrated on the topic of slavery. The three Primary documents included Frederick Douglass and his Independence Day Speech, Harriet Beecher Stowe and an excerpt from her famous book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, and Benjamin Drews with his article titled, “Narrative of Escaped Slaves.” All …show more content…
The article presented in our Primary Documents is just a small excerpt from her published book that sold over one million copies, it gives us a conversation between the slave Tom and his master Legree. One sentence that stood was when Legree said, "What! Ye blasted black beast! Tell me ye don't think it right to do what I tell ye! What have any of you cussed cattle to do with thinking what's right? I'll put a stop to it! Why, what do ye think ye are?” Legree’s tone was very hostile, the assumption can be put forth that he often beats his slaves for disobedience given the fact that early on he beats Tom for not wanting to Strike another slave. He never once called them by their names, he calls them “Ye Black Beast” and, “You Cussed Cattle”. The article was effective for the purpose of giving the intended audience a representation of how vulgar and cruel slave masters were with their slaves. If this book was never published, the south would have never been in an uproar and the North would not have one of the key pieces of the …show more content…
The significance of his speech is beyond just the title, the analyzation of the text is the most important. Douglass explains the significance of the day which is that as the white citizens of the United States celebrate their Independence from Great Britain. Meanwhile, the black slaves that work sunrise to sunset have no reason to celebrate a day that has no significance when they are still chained man to a man hoping for the day they become free (Independent). Douglass states, “Go where you may, search where you will…search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.” This sentence alone summarizes the United States during the slavery era, the majority of slave owners in the south had no respect for African Americans. Slaves were just a disposable piece of equipment that could always be purchased again. Douglass’s emotional speech is by far the most empowering, beautiful, and descriptive pieces of art at the time. This speech without a doubt shocked the contemporary audience on an emotional level. The descriptiveness of Douglass’s speech altered the views in such a way that had to have made them think about themselves. Assumptions can be made to call US Citizens
Fabian Rios
1301-04
Essay Topic 4
The topic of slavery and its abolishment was on the horizon of becoming more and more prominent in the mid-1800’s. The citizens of the United States knew that the separation of the of the country was being divided into North and the South due to the constant altercations over the topic of slavery. During week 12 we looked at several primary documents, but the focus was drawn to just three documents because they were concentrated on the topic of slavery. The three Primary documents included Frederick Douglass and his Independence Day Speech, Harriet Beecher Stowe and an excerpt from her famous book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, and Benjamin Drews with his article titled, “Narrative of Escaped Slaves.” All …show more content…
The article presented in our Primary Documents is just a small excerpt from her published book that sold over one million copies, it gives us a conversation between the slave Tom and his master Legree. One sentence that stood was when Legree said, "What! Ye blasted black beast! Tell me ye don't think it right to do what I tell ye! What have any of you cussed cattle to do with thinking what's right? I'll put a stop to it! Why, what do ye think ye are?” Legree’s tone was very hostile, the assumption can be put forth that he often beats his slaves for disobedience given the fact that early on he beats Tom for not wanting to Strike another slave. He never once called them by their names, he calls them “Ye Black Beast” and, “You Cussed Cattle”. The article was effective for the purpose of giving the intended audience a representation of how vulgar and cruel slave masters were with their slaves. If this book was never published, the south would have never been in an uproar and the North would not have one of the key pieces of the …show more content…
The significance of his speech is beyond just the title, the analyzation of the text is the most important. Douglass explains the significance of the day which is that as the white citizens of the United States celebrate their Independence from Great Britain. Meanwhile, the black slaves that work sunrise to sunset have no reason to celebrate a day that has no significance when they are still chained man to a man hoping for the day they become free (Independent). Douglass states, “Go where you may, search where you will…search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.” This sentence alone summarizes the United States during the slavery era, the majority of slave owners in the south had no respect for African Americans. Slaves were just a disposable piece of equipment that could always be purchased again. Douglass’s emotional speech is by far the most empowering, beautiful, and descriptive pieces of art at the time. This speech without a doubt shocked the contemporary audience on an emotional level. The descriptiveness of Douglass’s speech altered the views in such a way that had to have made them think about themselves. Assumptions can be made to call US Citizens