Stephani Townes
African Americans in the South during Reconstruction
After the civil war, the union won and the african americans rapidly moved into Atlanta. Between 1860 and 1870 the black population increased tremendously. It went from 20 percent to 46 percent, from nineteen hundred to merely ten thousand in numbers. Majority if this growing population was black women. Women that had been sold off to slave owners and relocated in different cities, came back to find family members, husbands, and friends. One lady in particular Kate Bowie, was sold to a plantation owner in Alabama at the age of 14 and after the war she eagerly returned to Atlanta hoping to find her family. Other women and men newly free would escape to the cities because of …show more content…
Ellen had no one to talk to about her feelings. She was a young girl that did not know much about the world. She had no family around her and she would feel as though the Swanton’s were her family, but she knew that something wasn't exactly normal about their family because she lived separately from them. Ellen knew she was beneath them in class and socially. She wondered a lot about her family and where they were. She did remember them only for the fun times they shared before the devastating tragedy of slavery that took them away from one another. The Swanton’s that lived at the home by 1880’s were Ben the patriarch of the family, Sarah his wife, John their son, and Josephine, John;s wife, and of course the children they shared. Ellen’s everyday duties consisted of her doing the laundry, cooking, preparing the dinner table, watching after the children, and cleaning the entire house. Aside from what anyone would ask her to do outside of her regular chores. Ellen was exceptionally strong because she had to raise herself and become self sufficient and had others relying on her. She’d grown fond of the the Swanton family especially the children shed bonding with, but she moved on and found her own way and she was never heard of
African Americans in the South during Reconstruction
After the civil war, the union won and the african americans rapidly moved into Atlanta. Between 1860 and 1870 the black population increased tremendously. It went from 20 percent to 46 percent, from nineteen hundred to merely ten thousand in numbers. Majority if this growing population was black women. Women that had been sold off to slave owners and relocated in different cities, came back to find family members, husbands, and friends. One lady in particular Kate Bowie, was sold to a plantation owner in Alabama at the age of 14 and after the war she eagerly returned to Atlanta hoping to find her family. Other women and men newly free would escape to the cities because of …show more content…
Ellen had no one to talk to about her feelings. She was a young girl that did not know much about the world. She had no family around her and she would feel as though the Swanton’s were her family, but she knew that something wasn't exactly normal about their family because she lived separately from them. Ellen knew she was beneath them in class and socially. She wondered a lot about her family and where they were. She did remember them only for the fun times they shared before the devastating tragedy of slavery that took them away from one another. The Swanton’s that lived at the home by 1880’s were Ben the patriarch of the family, Sarah his wife, John their son, and Josephine, John;s wife, and of course the children they shared. Ellen’s everyday duties consisted of her doing the laundry, cooking, preparing the dinner table, watching after the children, and cleaning the entire house. Aside from what anyone would ask her to do outside of her regular chores. Ellen was exceptionally strong because she had to raise herself and become self sufficient and had others relying on her. She’d grown fond of the the Swanton family especially the children shed bonding with, but she moved on and found her own way and she was never heard of