DOCSLIB.ORG

Frederick Douglass and Public Memories of the Haitian Revolution James Lincoln James Madison University

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Frederick Douglass and Public Memories of the Haitian Revolution James Lincoln James Madison University James Madison University JMU Scholarly Commons Masters Theses The Graduate School Spring 2015 Memory as torchlight: Frederick Douglass and public memories of the Haitian Revolution James Lincoln James Madison University Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019 Part of the Cultural History Commons, Intellectual History Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Lincoln, James, "Memory as torchlight: Frederick Douglass and public memories of the Haitian Revolution" (2015). Masters Theses. 23. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/master201019/23 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the The Graduate School at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Memory as Torchlight: Frederick Douglass and Public Memories of the Haitian Revolution James Lincoln A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Arts History May 2015 Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………......1 Chapter 1: The Antebellum Era………………………………………………………….22 Chapter 2: Secession and the Civil War…………………………………………………66 Chapter 3: Reconstruction and the Post-War Years……………………………………112 Epilogue………………………………………………………………………………...150 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………154 ii Abstract The following explores how Frederick Douglass used memoires of the Haitian Revolution in various public forums throughout the nineteenth century. Specifically, it analyzes both how Douglass articulated specific public memories of the Haitian Revolution and why his articulations changed over time. Additional context is added to the present analysis as Douglass’ various articulations are also compared to those of other individuals who were expressing their memories at the same time. Methodologically, the following is based on the notion that memory is fundamentally a social construct that is shaped by individual agency as well as broader structural patterns. Moreover, in the case of public memories presented in a civic forum the goal is not to understand how memory relates to identity but rather to uncover the various ways that memories were used as rhetorical tools. The analysis found herein reveals that over the course of his life Douglass intentionally altered the way that he presented public memories of the Haitian Revolution in response to his own personal experiences as well as those of African-Americans as a group. During the antebellum era Douglass relied on memories of the Haitian Revolution that focused on presenting those of African descent as capable of being productive citizens who, if emancipated, would contribute economically to their respective communities. Once the Civil War began, Douglass altered his articulations so that memories of the Haitian Revolution were obscured in favor of nationalistic memories that argued for a conception of African-Americans as being perpetually loyal to the United States. In the decades after the Civil War, Douglass presented various strains of Haitian iii memory depending on whether or not he perceived his fellow Americans to be actively preserving the revolutionary legislation bequeathed by the Civil War. On the whole, this paper seeks to contribute to on-going discussions regarding the culturally and politically constructed legacies of specific historical phenomenon. More to the point, it argues in favor of viewing memory as a constantly evolving entity that is forever being shaped and re-shaped by those who present it to the public or utilize it in their political battles. iv 1 Introduction: “They have a right to their liberty.”1 Though it may be hard to imagine now, Frederick Douglass trembled with fear when he first spoke to a Northern audience. Douglass, of course, had spoken to audiences before but in the past he was speaking to his fellow slaves and he was usually reading aloud from a newspaper or some other printed material. When, sometime in October of 1841, he stood for the first time before an audience that was comprised mostly of European-Americans he was no longer a slave and the words he shared with his listeners were his alone. Just three years prior to standing nervously before an audience in Lynn, Massachusetts, Douglass would have had very little to claim as his own as he stood before his fellow slaves and read to them from a local newspaper or perhaps a pilfered book.2 Though the speech Douglass gave that October day in 1841 was unpolished and brief it contained numerous hints of the themes that Douglass would expound upon throughout his career. Perhaps his audience was a bit taken aback when he chose to mention the frustratingly high levels of racial prejudice present in the North. No doubt, some were shocked to learn his opinion that "Prejudice against color is stronger north than south..."3 Less surprisingly to his audience, Douglass argued for the immediate emancipation of slaves by offering evidence of the intelligence and humanity of the 1 Frederick Douglass, "I Have Come to Tell You Something About Slavery: An Address Delivered in Lynn, Massachusetts, in October 1841," in The Frederick Douglass Papers, Series One. Speeches, Debates and Interviews: Volume I: 1841-46, ed. John Blassingame (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1979), 3. 2 Douglass, "I Have Come to Tell You Something About Slavery…The Frederick Douglass Papers, Series One… Volume I…3. For a brief summary of Douglass' escape from slavery see, William McFeely, Frederick Douglass (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1991), 67-73. 3 Douglass, "I Have Come to Tell You Something About Slavery...," in The Frederick Douglass Papers, Series One...Vol. I...5. 2 millions of African-Americans enslaved throughout the United States at the time. He attempted to dispel any notions that those of African descent were simply brutish creatures as he informed his audience of the physical and emotional pain and agony that slaves often experienced. Moreover, he painted a picture of the typical slave as someone whose mental faculties had not been extinguished by years of servitude and who was acutely aware of national events, especially those relating to abolition. As he would throughout his career, Douglass referenced slave insurrections and implied that slavery itself, and not the inherent barbarity of those being enslaved, was the fundamental cause of slave revolts. He even warned his audience that the possibility of a political solution to slavery was the only thing that prevented untold violence being the tool of choice for the millions of slaves who "...know that they have a right to their liberty."4 Finally, in order to clarify many of his arguments Douglass relied on a tool that he would use for the rest of his life, in countless speeches, articles and essays: historical memory. Perhaps it was simply a function of his innate personality or maybe it had to do with having learned to read by perusing excerpts of famous speeches by the likes of William Pitt, George Washington, and Cicero but whatever the reason Douglass rarely spoke to an audience without manipulating historical memory in some fashion. That fall day in Massachusetts he paraphrased from the Bible's Book of Luke in order to simultaneously reveal the hypocrisy of Christian slave owners while also revealing the depth of his own understanding of the Gospels. Then, perhaps aware of the geographic location of his speech, he referenced a more recent memory. In order to prove to his 4 Frederick Douglass, "I Have Come to Tell You Something About Slavery...,"…The Frederick Douglass Papers, Series One...Vol. I...4. 3 audience that slaves were aware of abolitionist agitation on their behalf, Douglass claimed that while still a slave he had obtained a copy of one of John Quincy Adams' anti-slavery speeches and read it to his fellow slaves. Curiously, though each of Douglass’ three autobiographies mentioned his early predilection for reading and his efforts to educate his fellow slaves, never once in the pages of those three life histories did he mention John Quincy Adams by name. Perhaps, that day in October, when he stood anxiously before a small audience of abolitionists and their allies he made the strategic decision to include Adams’ name in order to create a personal bond between his experiences as a slave and the anti-slavery efforts of one of New England’s leading families. As that first speech in Lynn, Massachusetts gave way to thousands of others, not to mention countless published pamphlets and newspaper articles, Douglass would not forget the way that he had marshalled historical memories to make his arguments that day. When examining the way that Frederick Douglass relied on various public articulations of historical memories in his career, scholars are presented with quite a few options. One could examine Douglass’ use of Biblical imagery and millennialism, or one could examine how Douglass relied on violent imagery in order to make his rhetorical points.5 Rather than follow these more well-tread paths, the following will explore how 5 For studies that examine the theme of religion in Douglass’ writing/speaking see, David Blight, Frederick Douglass’ Civil War: Keeping Faith in Jubilee (Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1989; William Van Deburg, “Frederick Douglass: Maryland Slave to Religious Liberal,” Maryland Historical Magazine, LXIX (Spring, 1974), 27-43. For studies that address Douglass and themes of violence see, Leslie F. Goldstein, “Violence as an Instrument for Social Change: The Views of Frederick Douglass,” Journal of Negro History, LXI (1976), 61-72; Stephen Weisman, “Frederick Douglass, Portrait of a Black Militant: A Study in the Family Romance,” Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, XXV (1975), 725-751. 4 Douglass articulated a variety of public memories of the Haitian Revolution in his decades-long struggle against both slavery and racial oppression.6 Few nineteenth century events reverberated with such fervor as the Haitian Revolution.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Social Studies Mini-Unit the Reconstruction Era
    Social Studies Mini-Unit The Reconstruction Era Goal: These lessons focus on both national and local personal narratives from the Reconstruction Period. Let these stories help you decide what characteristics a community, a leader or an individual would need during this time period. Materials: Computer with internet, writing materials Instruction: Following the Civil War, the Reconstruction Period began within our country an immense new chapter for social reform with the definition of freedom for debate. People began to rebuild the South and try to unite the states, but newly freed persons were seeking ways to build their own futures in a still hostile environment. Dive into these lessons to learn more about individuals of the time. Lesson 1: Lincoln Originals This online exhibition features digital scans of primary historical documents in Abraham Lincoln’s hand, or signed by him, drawn from the diverse manuscript holdings at Cincinnati Museum Center. 1. Explore the Lincoln Originals Online Exhibit 2. Read the Emancipation Proclamation Fact Sheet [linked here] a. Extension: Review the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments which are considered the Reconstruction Amendments. 3. Journal Entry: What characteristics defined President Lincoln? a. Write a persuasive argument in the form of a letter addressed to a past president (or the current administration) outlining an important issue and what you believe the correct course of action is and why. Cite evidence to support your case. 4. Extension Option: Research Lincoln’s Ten-Percent Plan, a plan for reconstruction, versus the Wade-Davis Bill, which was a Radical Republican plan for reconstruction. Explore the similarities and differences of these two documents.
    [Show full text]
  • H.Doc. 108-224 Black Americans in Congress 1870-2007
    “The Negroes’ Temporary Farewell” JIM CROW AND THE EXCLUSION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM CONGRESS, 1887–1929 On December 5, 1887, for the first time in almost two decades, Congress convened without an African-American Member. “All the men who stood up in awkward squads to be sworn in on Monday had white faces,” noted a correspondent for the Philadelphia Record of the Members who took the oath of office on the House Floor. “The negro is not only out of Congress, he is practically out of politics.”1 Though three black men served in the next Congress (51st, 1889–1891), the number of African Americans serving on Capitol Hill diminished significantly as the congressional focus on racial equality faded. Only five African Americans were elected to the House in the next decade: Henry Cheatham and George White of North Carolina, Thomas Miller and George Murray of South Carolina, and John M. Langston of Virginia. But despite their isolation, these men sought to represent the interests of all African Americans. Like their predecessors, they confronted violent and contested elections, difficulty procuring desirable committee assignments, and an inability to pass their legislative initiatives. Moreover, these black Members faced further impediments in the form of legalized segregation and disfranchisement, general disinterest in progressive racial legislation, and the increasing power of southern conservatives in Congress. John M. Langston took his seat in Congress after contesting the election results in his district. One of the first African Americans in the nation elected to public office, he was clerk of the Brownhelm (Ohio) Townshipn i 1855.
    [Show full text]
  • Fair Treatment? African-American Presence at International Expositions in the South, 1884 – 1902
    FAIR TREATMENT? AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESENCE AT INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITIONS IN THE SOUTH, 1884 – 1902 BY SARA S. CROMWELL A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN LIBERAL STUDIES December 2010 Winston-Salem, North Carolina Approved By: Anthony S. Parent, Ph.D., Advisor Jeanne M. Simonelli, Ph.D., Chair John Hayes, Ph.D. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks to my friends, family, and coworkers for their support, encouragement, and patience as I worked on my thesis. A special thank you to the Interlibrary Loan Department of the Z. Smith Reynolds Library for their invaluable assistance in my research. And finally, thanks to Dr. Parent, Dr. Simonelli, and Dr. Hayes for their helpful advice throughout the process. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE WORLD‘S INDUSTRIAL AND COTTON CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION AT NEW ORLEANS, 1884-85 .............................................................................. 17 CHAPTER TWO A DECADE OF CHANGES .................................................................................. 40 CHAPTER THREE COTTON STATES AND INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION
    [Show full text]
  • The Rhetoric of Education in African American Autobiography and Fiction
    University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 8-2006 Dismantling the Master’s Schoolhouse: The Rhetoric of Education in African American Autobiography and Fiction Miya G. Abbot University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Abbot, Miya G., "Dismantling the Master’s Schoolhouse: The Rhetoric of Education in African American Autobiography and Fiction. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2006. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/1487 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Miya G. Abbot entitled "Dismantling the Master’s Schoolhouse: The Rhetoric of Education in African American Autobiography and Fiction." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of , with a major in English. Miriam Thaggert, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Mary Jo Reiff, Janet Atwill Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Miya G.
    [Show full text]
  • Rochester's Frederick Douglass, Part
    ROCHESTER HISTORY Vol. LXVII Fall, 2005 No. 4 Rochester's Frederick Douglass Part Two by Victoria Sandwick Schmitt Underground Railroad From History of New York State, edited by Alexander C. Flick. Volume 7. New York: Columbia University Press, 1935 Courtesy of the Rochester Museum & Science Center, Rochester, NY 1 Front page from Douglass’ Monthly, Courtesy of the Rochester Museum & Science Center, Rochester, NY ROCHESTER HISTORY, published by the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County. Address correspondence to Local History and Genealogy Division, Rochester Public Library, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604. Subscriptions to Rochester History are $8.00 per year by mail. Foreign subscriptions are $12.00 per year, $4.00 per copy for individual issues. Rochester History is funded in part by the Frances Kenyon Publication Fund, established in memory of her sister, Florence Taber Kenyon and her friend Thelma Jeffries. CONOLLY PRINTING-2 c CITY OF ROCHESTER 2007 2 2 Douglass Sheltered Freedom Seekers The Douglass family only lived on Alexander Street for four years before relocating in 1852 to a hillside farm south of the city on what is now South Avenue. Douglass’ farm stood on the outskirts of town, amongst sparsely settled hills not far from the Genesee River. The Douglasses did not sell their Alexander Street house. They held it as the first of several real estate investments, which were the foundation of financial security for them as for many enterprising African American families. 71 The Douglasses’ second residence consisted of a farm with a framed dwelling, orchard and barn. In 2005, a marker in front of School 12 on South Avenue locates the site, near Highland Park.
    [Show full text]
  • ©2013 Luis-Alejandro Dinnella-Borrego ALL RIGHTS
    ©2013 Luis-Alejandro Dinnella-Borrego ALL RIGHTS RESERVED “THAT OUR GOVERNMENT MAY STAND”: AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICS IN THE POSTBELLUM SOUTH, 1865-1901 By LUIS-ALEJANDRO DINNELLA-BORREGO A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in History written under the direction of Mia Bay and Ann Fabian and approved by ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey May 2013 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION “That Our Government May Stand”: African American Politics in the Postbellum South, 1865-1913 by LUIS-ALEJANDRO DINNELLA-BORREGO Dissertation Director: Mia Bay and Ann Fabian This dissertation provides a fresh examination of black politics in the post-Civil War South by focusing on the careers of six black congressmen after the Civil War: John Mercer Langston of Virginia, James Thomas Rapier of Alabama, Robert Smalls of South Carolina, John Roy Lynch of Mississippi, Josiah Thomas Walls of Florida, and George Henry White of North Carolina. It examines the career trajectories, rhetoric, and policy agendas of these congressmen in order to determine how effectively they represented the wants and needs of the black electorate. The dissertation argues that black congressmen effectively represented and articulated the interests of their constituents. They did so by embracing a policy agenda favoring strong civil rights protections and encompassing a broad vision of economic modernization and expanded access for education. Furthermore, black congressmen embraced their role as national leaders and as spokesmen not only for their congressional districts and states, but for all African Americans throughout the South.
    [Show full text]
  • And He Was No Soft-Tongued Apologist: Fredrick Douglass As a Constitutional Theorist 1865-1895
    Providence College DigitalCommons@Providence Theology Faculty Publications Theology 10-1988 And He Was No Soft-Tongued Apologist: Fredrick Douglass as a Constitutional Theorist 1865-1895 Gabriel Pivarnik Providence College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/theology_fac Part of the Religion Commons, and the United States History Commons Pivarnik, Gabriel, "And He Was No Soft-Tongued Apologist: Fredrick Douglass as a Constitutional Theorist 1865-1895" (1988). Theology Faculty Publications. 5. https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/theology_fac/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Theology at DigitalCommons@Providence. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Providence. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AND HE WAS NO SOFT-TONGUED APOLOGIST: FREDERICK DOUGLASS AS A CONSTITUTIONAL THEORIST, 1865-1895 A Paper Presented to the National Endowment for the Humanities for the Younger Scholars Grant Program 1988 by Robert George Pivarnik October, 1988 And he was no soft-tongued apologist; He spoke straightforward, fearlessly uncowed The sunlight of his truth dispelled the mist, And set in bold relief each dark-hued cloud; To sin and crime he gave their proper hue, And hurled at evil what was evil's due. Paul Lawrence Dunbar, "Frederick Douglass" Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge the work of Waldo E. Martin on the psychology of Frederick Douglass. If it were not for Martin's research, this project would never have gotten underway. I would also like to thank Elizabeth Ackert and the staff of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Research Library who were instrumen­ tal in helping me obtain the necessary resources for this work.
    [Show full text]
  • In Memoriam Frederick Dougla
    Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection CANNOT BE PHOTOCOPIED * Not For Circulation Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection / III llllllllllll 3 9077 03100227 5 Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection jFrebericfc Bouglass t Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection fry ^tty <y /z^ {.CJ24. Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection Hn flDemoriam Frederick Douglass ;?v r (f) ^m^JjZ^u To live that freedom, truth and life Might never know eclipse To die, with woman's work and words Aglow upon his lips, To face the foes of human kind Through years of wounds and scars, It is enough ; lead on to find Thy place amid the stars." Mary Lowe Dickinson. PHILADELPHIA: JOHN C YORSTON & CO., Publishers J897 Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection Copyright. 1897 & CO. JOHN C. YORSTON Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County · Historic Monographs Collection 73 7^ In WLzmtxtrnm 3fr*r**i]Ch anglais; "I have seen dark hours in my life, and I have seen the darkness gradually disappearing, and the light gradually increasing. One by one, I have seen obstacles removed, errors corrected, prejudices softened, proscriptions relinquished, and my people advancing in all the elements I that make up the sum of general welfare. remember that God reigns in eternity, and that, whatever delays, dis appointments and discouragements may come, truth, justice, liberty and humanity will prevail." Extract from address of Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of West African Slave Resistance from the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries
    History in the Making Volume 1 Article 7 2008 A Study of West African Slave Resistance from the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries Adam D. Wilsey CSUSB Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/history-in-the-making Part of the African History Commons Recommended Citation Wilsey, Adam D. (2008) "A Study of West African Slave Resistance from the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries," History in the Making: Vol. 1 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/history-in-the-making/vol1/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Arthur E. Nelson University Archives at CSUSB ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in History in the Making by an authorized editor of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 78 CSUSB Journal of History A Study of West African Slave Resistance from the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries Adam D. Wiltsey Linschoten, South and West Africa, Copper engraving (Amsterdam, 1596.) Accompanying the dawn of the twenty‐first century, there has emerged a new era of historical thinking that has created the need to reexamine the history of slavery and slave resistance. Slavery has become a controversial topic that historians and scholars throughout the world are reevaluating. In this modern period, which is finally beginning to honor the ideas and ideals of equality, slavery is the black mark of our past; and the task now lies History in the Making 79 before the world to derive a better understanding of slavery. In order to better understand slavery, it is crucial to have a more acute awareness of those that endured it.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction
    Introduction R. J. Ellis One of the most influential books ever written, Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly was also one of the most popular in the nineteenth century. Stowe wrote her novel in order to advance the anti-slavery cause in the ante-bellum USA, and rooted her attempt to do this in a ‘moral suasionist’ approach — one designed to persuade her US American compatriots by appealing to their God-given sense of morality. This led to some criticism from immediate abolitionists — who wished to see slavery abolished immediately rather than rely upon [per]suasion. Uncle Tom's Cabin was first published in 1852 as a serial in the abolitionist newspaper National Era . It was then printed in two volumes in Boston by John P. Jewett and Company later in 1852 (with illustrations by Hammatt Billings). The first printing of five thousand copies was exhausted in a few days. Title page, with illustration by Hammatt Billings, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Vol. 1, Boston, John P. Jewett and Co., 1852 During 1852 several reissues were printed from the plates of the first edition; each reprinting also appearing in two volumes, with the addition of the words ‘Tenth’ to ‘One Hundred and Twentieth Thousand’ on the title page, to distinguish between each successive re-issue. Later reprintings of the two-volume original carried even higher numbers. These reprints appeared in various bindings — some editions being quite lavishly bound. One-volume versions also appeared that same year — most of these being pirated editions. From the start the book attracted enormous attention.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter I: the Supremacy of Equal Rights
    DIVISION OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91125 CHAPTER I: THE SUPREMACY OF EQUAL RIGHTS J. Morgan Kousser SOCIAL SCIENCE WORKING PAPER 620 March 1987 ABSTRACT The black and white abolitionist agitation of the school integ ration issue in Massachusetts from 1840 to 1855 gave us the fi rst school integ ration case filed in Ame rica, the fi rst state sup reme cou rt decision re po rted on the issue, and the fi rst state-wide law banning ra cial disc rimination in admission to educational institutions. Wh o favo red and who opposed school integ ration, and what arguments did each side make? We re the types of arguments that they offe re d diffe rent in diffe re nt fo ru ms? We re they diffe rent from 20th centu ry arguments? Wh y did the movement triumph, and why did it take so long to do so? Wh at light does the st ruggle th row on views on ra ce re lations held by membe rs of the antebellum black and white communities, on the cha racte r of the abolitionist movement, and on the development of legal doct rines about ra cial equality? Pe rhaps mo re gene rally, how should histo ri ans go about assessing the weight of diffe rent re asons that policymake rs adduced fo r thei r actions, and how flawed is a legal histo ry that confines itself to st rictly legal mate ri als? How can social scientific theo ry and statistical techniques be profitably applied to politico-legal histo ry? Pa rt of a la rge r project on the histo ry of cou rt cases and state and local provisions on ra cial disc rimination in schools, this pape r int roduces many of the main themes, issues, and methods to be employed in the re st of the book.
    [Show full text]
  • From African to African American: the Creolization of African Culture
    From African to African American: The Creolization of African Culture Melvin A. Obey Community Services So long So far away Is Africa Not even memories alive Save those that songs Beat back into the blood... Beat out of blood with words sad-sung In strange un-Negro tongue So long So far away Is Africa -Langston Hughes, Free in a White Society INTRODUCTION When I started working in HISD’s Community Services my first assignment was working with inner city students that came to us straight from TYC (Texas Youth Commission). Many of these young secondary students had committed serious crimes, but at that time they were not treated as adults in the courts. Teaching these young students was a rewarding and enriching experience. You really had to be up close and personal with these students when dealing with emotional problems that would arise each day. Problems of anguish, sadness, low self-esteem, disappointment, loneliness, and of not being wanted or loved, were always present. The teacher had to administer to all of these needs, and in so doing got to know and understand the students. Each personality had to be addressed individually. Many of these students came from one parent homes, where the parent had to work and the student went unsupervised most of the time. In many instances, students were the victims of circumstances beyond their control, the problems of their homes and communities spilled over into academics. The teachers have to do all they can to advise and console, without getting involved to the extent that they lose their effectiveness.
    [Show full text]