PART 1 Rresistanceesistance to Sslaverylavery
PART 1 RResistanceesistance to SSlaverylavery
A Ride for Liberty, or The Fugitive Slaves, 1862. J. Eastman Johnson. 55.9 x 66.7 cm. Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York.
“You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.”
—Frederick Douglass Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave
329 J. Eastman Johnson/The Bridgeman Art Library
0329 U3P1-845481.indd 329 4/6/06 9:00:01 PM BEFORE YOU READ
Three Spirituals
WHO WROTE THE SPIRITUALS?
he spirituals featured here came out of the oral tradition of African Americans Tenslaved in the South before the outbreak of the Civil War. These “sorrow songs,” as they were called, were created by anonymous artists and transmitted by word of mouth. As a result, several versions of the same spiritual may exist. According Some spirituals served as encoded messages by to the Library of Congress, more than six thousand which enslaved field workers, forbidden to speak spirituals have been documented, though some are to each other, could communicate practical infor- not known in their entirety. mation about escape plans. Some typical code African American spirituals combined the tunes words included Egypt, referring to the South or the and texts of Christian hymns with the rhythms, state of bondage, and the promised land or heaven, finger-snapping, clapping, and stamping of tradi- referring to the North or freedom. To communi- tional African music. The spirituals allowed cate a message of hope, spirituals frequently enslaved Africans to retain some of the culture of recounted Bible stories about people liberated from their homelands and forge a new culture while fac- oppression through divine intervention. The spiri- ing the hardships of captive life in the United tual “Keep Your Hand on the Plow,” for example, States. Many spirituals followed a call-and- tells the story of Paul and Silas, who were released response pattern in which a leader sang the verses from prison after God sent an earthquake to free and was answered by a group of singers. The sing- them. ers often improvised the songs by changing words The spirituals were saved from obscurity after the or adding new verses. Civil War by the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. To raise money for the school during a time of financial hardship, the small university choir sang spirituals to church “Every tone [in the spirituals] was a groups around the country. The Jubilee Singers testimony against slavery, and a prayer were soon in demand and eventually performed to God for deliverance from chains.” the spirituals for President Ulysses S. Grant and England’s Queen Victoria. —Frederick Douglass The spirituals became a part of American pop cul- ture, paving the way for other musical forms including blues and jazz and influencing poets such Enslaved African Americans sang spirituals both as James Weldon Johnson. When Martin Luther in worship and while laboring in the field. Many King Jr. led the march in Washington, D.C., for of the songs have a dual meaning, expressing both civil rights in March 1963, he quoted from the religious faith and a hunger for freedom. The New spiritual “Free at Last”: “You can hinder me here, York Tribune published “Go Down, Moses” after but you can’t hinder me there.” Reverend Lewis Lockwood heard African Americans singing it on September 3, 1861, and submitted the lyrics.
330 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation / Art Resource, NY
0330-0335 U3P1APP-845841.indd 330 1/9/07 1:03:30 AM LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW
Connecting to the Spirituals Reading Strategy Analyzing Historical Many people find listening to, singing, playing, or even Context composing music to be a comfort in times of stress or Understanding the context in which the spirituals were loss. As you read, think about these questions: created can help you better appreciate them. The era • Why was it important for oppressed people to create that gave birth to the spirituals was an intensely diffi- these songs? cult one for enslaved African Americans. They toiled What music do you turn to for inspiration or comfort? long hours, were barred from communicating with • each other, and were frequently threatened with vio- Building Background lence. They were also subjected to damaging stereo- For many enslaved African Americans, the situation of types about their supposed lack of intelligence and the Jews in the Bible was especially poignant. responsibility. Spirituals gave African Americans much- According to the Bible, the Jews were forced into slav- needed encouragement, information about escape, ery by a pharaoh, or ruler, of Egypt. Moses, a leader of and a chance to define themselves. In spirituals, the Jews, asked the pharaoh to free his people, warn- African Americans were depicted as the beloved chil- ing that otherwise God would send ten plagues upon dren of a just and mighty God, destined for freedom. the Egyptians. The plagues came, and the pharaoh According to travelers in the South and the slaves released the Jews. After Egyptian soldiers chased the themselves, spirituals were a fundamental part of slave Jews to the shores of the Red Sea, Moses called upon life. They were sung during worship, rest, work, and God to part the waters so his people could cross. The play. As you read the spirituals, jot down your thoughts sea rolled back for the Jews to pass but closed in on about how they reflect the hopes and beliefs of slaves. the Egyptian soldiers. When the Jews “reached the other shore,” they were free people once again. Reading Tip: Taking Notes Use a chart to record Setting Purposes for Reading your thoughts about the spirituals. Big Idea Resistance to Slavery Example from text How it reflects hope As you read, consider the role spirituals played in the African American struggle for freedom. But still my soul feels Even though life can be heavenly bound very difficult, the speaker believes his or Literary Element Refrain her soul will find joy. A refrain is a line or lines repeated in a poem or song. For example, the line “Let my people go” is repeated in every stanza of the spiritual “Go Down, Moses.” As you read, think about how the refrains in each spiritual help to emphasize a central idea. • See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R15.
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
OBJECTIVES In studying this selection, you will focus on the following: • understanding the influence of historical context on a work • relating literature to a historical period • understanding the use of refrain in a poem or song
THREE SPIRITUALS 331
0330-0335 U3P1APP-845841.indd 331 1/9/07 1:04:02 AM Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home, Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home.
5 I looked over Jordan1 and what did I see, Coming for to carry me home? A band of angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home.
If you get there before I do, 10 Coming for to carry me home, Tell all my friends I’m coming too; Coming for to carry me home.
I’m sometimes up, I’m sometimes down, Coming for to carry me home, 15 But still my soul feels heavenly bound; Coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,1944. William H. Johnson. Oil on board, 1 1 Coming for to carry me home, 28 /2 x 26 /2 in. National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC. Swing low, sweet chariot, 20 Coming for to carry me home.
1. Jordan refers to the Jordan River. In the Book of Exodus in the Bible, when the Jews were fleeing from slavery in Egypt, they had to cross the Jordan to reach their Promised Land.
Literary Element Refrain How does the refrain func- tion in the spiritual?
332 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC/Art Resource, NY
0332-0333 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 332 1/9/07 3:49:21 AM Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Virginia
Harriet Tubman Series No. 11, 1939-40. Jacob Lawrence. Casein tempera on gessoed hardboard, 7 12 x 17 /8 in. Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VA.
Go down, Moses, The Lord told Moses what to do, ’Way down in Egypt’s land; Let my people go; Tell ole Pharaoh 15 To lead the children of Israel thro’, Let my people go. Let my people go.
5 When Israel was in Egypt’s land, When they had reached the other shore, Let my people go; Let my people go; Oppressed so hard they could not stand, They sang a song of triumph o’er. Let my people go. 20 Let my people go.
Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said, Go down, Moses, 10 Let my people go; ’Way down in Egypt’s land; Let them come out with Egypt’s spoil, Tell ole Pharaoh Let my people go. Let my people go.
Big Idea Resistance to Slavery How does this biblical allusion reflect the enslaved people’s desire to escape slavery?
THREE SPIRITUALS 333
0332-0333 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 333 4/6/06 9:11:53 PM
Mary wo’ three links of chain, Ev’ry link was Jesus’ name. Keep your hand on the plow, Hold on.
CHORUS Smithsonian American Art American Museum, DC Art Smithsonian Washington, / Resource, NY 5 Hold on, hold on, Keep your hand on the plow, Hold on.
Paul and Silas bound in jail,1 Had nobody for to go their bail, 10 Keep your hand on the plow, Going to Church, 1940–1941. William H. Johnson. Oil on burlap, 1 1 Hold on. 38 /8 x 45 /2 in. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, U.S.A.
Paul and Silas began to shout, Jail doors opened and they walked out . . .
Peter was so nice and neat,2 15 Wouldn’t let Jesus wash his feet . . .
Jesus said, “If I wash them not, You’ll have no father in this lot” . . .
Peter got anxious and he said, “Wash my feet, my hands and head,” . . .
20 Got my hand on the gospel plow, Wouldn’t take nothin’ for my journey now, . . .
1. In the Bible (Acts 16:16 – 40) the Apostle Paul and his companion Silas are imprisoned, but an earthquake shakes the prison and releases them. 2. In the Bible (John 13:4 – 20) the Apostle Peter objects at first when Jesus wants to wash his feet.
Big Idea Resistance to Slavery How might these lines have helped singers and listeners endure slavery?
Reading Strategy Analyzing Historical Context Why might enslaved people have connected with these lines in the spiritual?
334 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA
0334 U3P1SEL-845481.indd 334 4/6/06 9:20:15 PM AFTER YOU READ
RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY Respond Analyze and Evaluate 1. Which phrases or lines from these spirituals did you 6. Enslaved African Americans highly valued, and find most comforting or inspiring? frequently retold, stories from the Gospels. (a)In light of this, what do you think is the meaning Recall and Interpret of lines 1–3 of “Keep Your Hand on the Plow”? 2. (a)What might the chariot in “Swing Low, Sweet (b)In what way do these lines illuminate the Chariot” represent? (b)Who or what might be the theme, or overall message, of the song? Give “band of angels” in line 7? details from the song to support your answer. 3. (a)What feelings does the speaker express in 7. Describe the mood, or overall feeling or emotion, lines 13–16? (b)Why do you think the speaker’s created by each of the spirituals. Use specific “soul feels heavenly bound”? examples from each song to support your response. 4. (a)In lines 1–8 of “Go Down, Moses,” what is the speaker asking Moses to do? (b)What might these lines say about the experiences and hopes of Connect enslaved African Americans? 8. Big Idea Resistance to Slavery What elements 5. (a)Summarize the two Bible stories retold in “Keep of the spirituals helped singers and listeners endure Your Hand on the Plow.” (b)Why do you think these and overcome slavery? Include details from the particular stories were included in a spiritual? Explain. spirituals in your answer.
LITERARY ANALYSIS READING AND VOCABULARY
Literary Element Refrain Reading Strategy Analyzing Historical Spirituals usually contain at least one refrain that Context emphasizes the central idea, or theme, and that also Spirituals often combined phrases from English hymns helps establish the mood. In addition, refrains help with harmonies and rhythms found in African music. create rhythm. 1. How do spirituals reflect the history of African 1. What mood is created by the refrain in “Swing Low, Americans? Sweet Chariot”? 2. Why do you think people still sing spirituals today? 2. The words “Let my people go” are repeated in every stanza of “Go Down, Moses.” What impact does this repetition create? Academic Vocabulary Here are two words from the vocabulary list on Interdisciplinary Activity page R86. These words will help you think, write, and talk about the selections. Music Trying to imagine how a song sounds based on reading it is a little like trying to explain the taste of a specific (spi sif ik) adj. definite; particular strawberry to someone who’s never eaten one. Working with a group, locate and listen to recordings of all three rely (ri l¯) v. to be dependent spirituals. Then work together to prepare a performance of one of the spirituals for the class. Practice and Apply 1. What is a specific example of farm imagery in the spirituals? Web Activities For eFlashcards, 2. Which code words did runaway slaves rely on Selection Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to to communicate secret messages? www.glencoe.com.
THREE SPIRITUALS 335
0330-0335 U3P1APP-845841.indd 335 4/6/06 9:03:18 PM Comparing Literature Across Time and Place
Connecting to the Reading Selections What characteristics are vital in someone who battles oppression? The three authors compared here—Frederick Douglass, Robert Hayden, and Quincy Troupe—portray people struggling against limitations placed on them by society. The works of these writers show both the stubbornness
of racial oppression and the potential for individuals to overcome oppressive traditions. (t)Corbis, (c)Art Resource, (b)David Muench/CORBIS
Frederick Douglass from My Bondage and My Freedom ...... autobiography ...... 339 The power of knowledge
Robert Hayden Frederick Douglass ...... poem ...... 345 Realizing the dream of freedom
Quincy Troupe In Texas Grass ...... poem ...... 346 Lapses in the path to equality
COMPARING THE Big Idea Resistance to Slavery The struggle against slavery has shaped African American culture. Literature about slavery and its legacy illustrates the resilient spirit that has helped African Americans endure hard times with dignity, overcome slavery, and resist the lingering effects of racism and discrimination.
COMPARING Portrayals of People A portrayal reveals the essential qualities of an individual or group. By taking an individual as the subject, the writer of a literary portrayal explores that individual’s character and personality, in addition to the social and cultural forces that shaped his or her life. A group portrayal reveals the traits that members of the group have in common. Douglass, Hayden, and Troupe create vivid portrayals of individuals and groups in the selections you are about to read.
COMPARING Historical Context Works of literature often reflect the historical events that shape the way people see the world and live their lives. Recognizing the historical backdrop of a selection can increase your under- standing of its themes and messages, as well as the author’s purpose. Douglas, Hayden, and Troupe write within the historical context of slavery and its legacy of racism and discrimination.
336 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA
0336-0347 U3P1APP-845481.indd 336 4/6/06 9:26:09 PM BEFORE YOU READ from My Bondage and My Freedom
MEET FREDERICK DOUGLASS
Of all of the voices raised against slavery, few were National Portrait Gallery, National Smithsonian Portrait Institution/Art Gallery, Resource, NY as powerful as that of Frederick Douglass’s. He was, as women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote, “conscious of his dignity and power, grand in his proportions, majestic in his wrath.”
“Where justice is denied, where
poverty is enforced, where ignorance Author Search For more about AuthorSociety. Name, While go toDouglass www.literature.glencoe.com toured for the society,. his prevails, and where any one class is reputation quickly grew. made to feel that society is in an Public Life In 1845 Douglass wrote his autobiog- organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, raphy, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an and degrade them, neither persons nor American Slave. Because Douglass identified his for- property will be safe.” mer owner in the book, he sailed to Great Britain to avoid capture. Abolitionists welcomed Douglass —Frederick Douglass and raised money to enable him to buy his freedom and return home in 1847. That same year he started publishing a newspaper, The North Star. The paper’s From Bondage to Freedom Douglass was born masthead read: “Right is of no Sex—Truth is of no on a Maryland plantation and given the name Color,” proclaiming both Douglass’s abolitionism Frederick Bailey. When Frederick was eight years and his support for women’s rights. old, he went to work as a house servant for the At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Auld family in Baltimore. Mrs. Auld decided to President Lincoln appointed Douglass one of his teach Frederick how to read, which violated a advisers. After the war, he remained a staunch sup- Maryland state law. When her husband discovered porter of civil rights for formerly enslaved people. what was happening, he forbade any further read- Before his death in 1895, Douglass served as the ing lessons. Frederick then secretly continued marshal and recorder of deeds in Washington, D.C., his education on his own. At the age of twenty, and as consul general to Haiti. He also revised and Frederick Bailey finally escaped to freedom. Soon republished his autobiography as My Bondage and after, Frederick changed his last name from Bailey My Freedom in 1855, and then again as Life and to Douglass to avoid capture and a forced return Times of Frederick Douglass in 1882. Douglass’s auto- to slavery. biography remains one of the most important In 1841 Douglass’s life took a remarkable turn. He chronicles of the enslaved person’s experience and was asked to speak at an antislavery convention in displays the brilliance of Douglass’s literary mind. Nantucket, Massachusetts. Although he was ner- Frederick Douglass was born around 1818 and died vous about speaking, Douglass’s speech about his in 1895. experiences as a slave was so eloquent that it
prompted abolitionist leaders to ask him to work Author Search For more about as an agent for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Frederick Douglass, go to www.glencoe.com.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS 337
0336-0347 U3P1APP-845481.indd 337 4/6/06 9:26:15 PM LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW
Connecting to the Autobiography Reading Strategy Analyzing Cause and Do you agree with the saying “knowledge is power”? Effect In Douglass’s autobiography, he reflects on his struggle When you analyze a literary work, you use your knowl- to learn to read and write in a society that made it a edge of separate parts to form an overall judgment. crime for enslaved persons to attain knowledge Analyzing cause-and-effect relationships means fig- through literacy. As you read the autobiography, think uring out how a writer arranges details to show that about the following questions: certain events and ideas can cause, or bring about, • How can newfound knowledge make it necessary certain results or effects. As you read, ask yourself the to change one’s life? following questions: • Is knowledge gained through reading essential to • What are the major events that Douglass writes personal freedom? Why or why not? about in this excerpt? Building Background • What effects were caused by these major events? As a result of slave codes, or restrictive laws against Reading Tip: Taking Notes Use a chart to record the enslaved people, Douglass had to improvise to find cause-and-effect relationships you find in the selection. ways of improving his reading and writing skills. For example, while running errands for workers in the Baltimore shipyards, he observed carpenters who were Cause Effect painting signs on boards. Mrs. Auld introduces Douglass determines The original version of Douglass’s life story became a Douglass to reading. to attain knowledge at best seller when published in 1845. One reviewer any cost. called it “a specimen of powers of the black race, which prejudice persists in disputing.” Douglass spent time with many other abolitionists during the 1850s, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Vocabulary Cabin. His revised autobiography My Bondage and My benevolent (bə nev ə lent) adj. doing or Freedom includes more of his philosophy and personal desiring to do good; kind; p. 339 The benevolent feelings toward the essential problems of slavery. girl helped the woman who was struggling to carry Setting Purposes for Reading bags of groceries. depravity (di prav ə te¯) n. the state of being Big Idea Resistance to Slavery morally bad or corrupt; p. 339 The brutal tactics In this excerpt, Douglass reveals his inner, day-to-day of slave traders showed a depravity that has shocked thoughts about his life as an enslaved African modern audiences. American. As you read, notice how Douglass asserts induce (in do¯¯o¯ s) v. to lead by persuasion or his belief that education can fight slavery. influence; p. 340 The powerful speaker tried to induce the members of his audience to change their Literary Element Autobiography minds on the issue.
An autobiography is a narrative that a person writes vanquish (van kwish) v. to defeat; p. 342 about his or her life. Douglass wrote about his own life President Lincoln decided that military force would in the wider historical context of slavery. As you read, be the only way to vanquish slavery in the South. determine Douglass’s purposes in writing an account of his experiences in the form of an autobiography. censure (sen shər) v. to express disapproval of; to find fault with; to blame; p. 343 The writer • See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R2. decided to censure the government policy in her report. Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
338 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA
0336-0347 U3P1APP-845481.indd 338 4/6/06 9:26:29 PM Frederick Douglass
7 Series No. 8. Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000). Casein tempera on gessoed hardboard, 12 x 17 /8 in. Hampton University Museum, VA.
lived in the family of master Hugh, at me—was suddenly checked in her benevolent I design, by the strong advice of her husband. In Baltimore, seven years, during which time—as the almanac1 makers say of the weather—my faithful compliance with this advice, the good condition was variable. The most interesting fea- lady had not only ceased to instruct me, herself, ture of my history here, was my learning to read but had set her face as a flint against my learning and write, under somewhat marked disadvan- to read by any means. It is due, however, to my tages. In attaining this knowledge, I was com- mistress to say, that she did not adopt this course pelled to resort to indirections by no means in all its stringency at the first. She either thought congenial to my nature, and which were really it unnecessary, or she lacked the depravity indis- humiliating to me. My mistress—who, as the pensable to shutting me up in mental darkness. It reader has already seen, had begun to teach was, at least, necessary for her to have some train- ing, and some hardening, in the exercise of the 1. An almanac is a reference book that is published yearly. slaveholder’s prerogative, to make her equal to It includes calendars with weather forecasts and forgetting my human nature and character, and to astronomical information. treating me as a thing destitute of a moral or an Vocabulary intellectual nature. Mrs. Auld—my mistress—was,
benevolent (bə nev´ ə lent) adj. doing or desiring to do good; kind Reading Strategy Analyzing Cause and Effect What is depravity (di prav´ ə te¯) n. the state of being morally the cause of the change in Mrs. Auld’s attitude toward bad or corrupt Douglass’s reading instruction?
FREDERICK DOUGLASS 339 Hampton University Museum, Hampton, Va
0339-0343 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 339 1/9/07 1:22:26 AM as I have said, a most kind and tender-hearted and feeling—“that woman is a Christian.” There woman; and, in the humanity of her heart, and was no sorrow nor suffering for which she had not the simplicity of her mind, she set out, when I a tear, and there was no innocent joy for which first went to live with her, to treat me as she sup- she had not a smile. She had bread for the hungry, posed one human being ought to treat another. clothes for the naked, and comfort for every It is easy to see, that, in entering upon the mourner that came within her reach. Slavery soon duties of a slaveholder, some little experience is proved its ability to divest her of these excellent needed. Nature has done almost nothing to pre- qualities, and her home of its early happiness. pare men and women to be either slaves or slave- Conscience cannot stand much violence. Once holders. Nothing but rigid training, long persisted thoroughly broken down, who is he that can repair in, can perfect the character of the one or the the damage? It may be broken toward the slave, other. One cannot easily forget to love freedom; on Sunday, and toward the master on Monday. It and it is as hard to cease to respect that natural cannot endure such shocks. It must stand entire, love in our fellow creatures. On entering upon the or it does not stand at all. If my condition waxed career of a slaveholding mistress, Mrs. Auld was bad, that of the family waxed not better. The first singularly deficient; nature, which fits nobody for step, in the wrong direction, was the violence such an office, had done less for her than any lady done to nature and to conscience, in arresting the I had known. It was no easy matter to induce her benevolence that would have enlightened my to think and to feel that the curly-headed boy, young mind. In ceasing to instruct me, she must who stood by her side, and even leaned on her begin to justify herself to herself; and, once con- lap; who was loved by little Tommy, and who senting to take sides in such a debate, she was loved little Tommy in turn; sustained to her only riveted to her position. One needs very little the relation of a chattel.2 I was more than that, knowledge of moral philosophy, to see where my and she felt me to be more than that. I could talk mistress now landed. She finally became even and sing; I could laugh and weep; I could reason more violent in her opposition to my learning to and remember; I could love and hate. I was read, than was her husband himself. She was not human, and she, dear lady, knew and felt me to be satisfied with simply doing as well as her husband so. How could she, then, treat me as a brute, with- had commanded her, but seemed resolved to bet- out a mighty struggle with all the noble powers of ter his instruction. Nothing appeared to make my her own soul. That struggle came, and the will poor mistress—after her turning toward the down- and power of the husband was victorious. Her ward path—more angry, than seeing me, seated in noble soul was overthrown; but, he that overthrew some nook or corner, quietly reading a book or a it did not, himself, escape the consequences. He, newspaper. I have had her rush at me, with the not less than the other parties, was injured in his utmost fury, and snatch from my hand such news- domestic peace by the fall. paper or book, with something of the wrath and When I went into their family, it was the abode consternation which a traitor might be supposed of happiness and contentment. The mistress of to feel on being discovered in a plot by some dan- the house was a model of affection and tender- gerous spy. ness. Her fervent piety and watchful uprightness Mrs. Auld was an apt woman, and the advice of made it impossible to see her without thinking her husband, and her own experience, soon demon- strated, to her entire satisfaction, that education 2. An article of movable, personal property, such as furniture or and slavery are incompatible with each other. livestock, is chattel. Enslaved people were sometimes When this conviction was thoroughly established, referred to as chattel.
Big Idea Resistance to Slavery What does this state- Literary Element What is Douglass say- ment say about the institution of slavery? Autobiography ing here about the effects of slavery on his own life?
Vocabulary Big Idea Resistance to Slavery How does this incompat- induce (in doo¯¯¯ s´) v. to lead by persuasion or influence ibility motivate Douglass to resist the institution of slavery?
340 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA
0339-0343 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 340 4/6/06 11:24:24 PM cessful, was that of using my young white play- mates, with whom I met in the street, as teachers. I used to carry, almost constantly, a copy of Webster’s spelling book in my pocket; and, when sent of errands, or when play time was allowed me, I would step, with my young friends, aside, and take a lesson in spelling. I generally paid my tuition fee to the boys, with bread, which I also carried in my pocket. For a single biscuit, any of my hungry little comrades would give me a lesson more valuable to me than bread. Not every one, however, demanded this consideration, for there were those who took pleasure in teaching me, whenever I had a chance to be taught by them. I am strongly tempted to give the names of two or three of those little boys, as a slight testimonial of the gratitude and affection I bear them, but pru- dence forbids; not that it would injure me, but it might, possibly, embarrass them; for it is almost an unpardonable offense to do any thing, directly or indirectly, to promote a slave’s freedom, in a slave state. It is enough to say, of my warm-hearted lit- tle play fellows, that they lived on Philpot street, very near Durgin & Bailey’s shipyard. Although slavery was a delicate subject, and very cautiously talked about among grown up peo- The Life of Frederick Douglass #29: The war was over. The slaves were literally ple in Maryland, I frequently talked about it—and turned out by their masters into a world unknown to them. They had ceased to that very freely—with the white boys. I would, be slaves of man and became slaves of nature, 1939. Jacob Lawrence. Casein sometimes, say to them, while seated on a curb tempera on hardboard, 17 x 12. Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VA. stone or a cellar door, “I wish I could be free, as you will be when you get to be men.” “You will be I was most narrowly watched in all my move- free, you know, as soon as you are twenty-one, and ments. If I remained in a separate room from the can go where you like, but I am a slave for life. family for any considerable length of time, I was Have I not as good a right to be free as you have?” sure to be suspected of having a book, and was at Words like these, I observed, always troubled once called upon to give an account of myself. All them; and I had no small satisfaction in wringing this, however, was entirely too late. The first, and from the boys, occasionally, that fresh and bitter never to be retraced, step had been taken. In condemnation of slavery, that springs from nature, teaching me the alphabet, in the days of her sim- unseared and unperverted. Of all consciences, let plicity and kindness, my mistress had given me me have those to deal with which have not been the “inch,” and now, no ordinary precaution could bewildered by the cares of life. I do not remember prevent me from taking the “ell.”3 ever to have met with a boy, while I was in slav- Seized with a determination to learn to read, at ery, who defended the slave system; but I have any cost, I hit upon many expedients to accom- often had boys to console me, with the hope that plish the desired end. The plea which I mainly something would yet occur, by which I might be adopted, and the one by which I was most suc-
Literary Element Autobiography How does Douglass’s 3. An ell is an old English measure of length used mainly for choice of the genre of autobiography enhance the impact of cloth. It is equal to forty-five inches. Douglass is referring to this statement? the adage “give him an inch, and he’ll take an ell.”
FREDERICK DOUGLASS 341 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation / Art Resource, NY
0339-0343 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 341 4/6/06 10:10:01 PM made free. Over and over again, they have told which he has performed toward the slave, and me, that “they believed I had as good a right to be tells him he is permitted to speak for himself. free as they had”; and that “they did not believe Thus invited to the debate, the quondam5 slave God ever made any one to be a slave.” The reader made a spirited defense of himself, and thereafter will easily see, that such little conversations with the whole argument, for and against slavery, was my play fellows, had no tendency to weaken my brought out. The master was vanquished at every love of liberty, nor to render me contented with turn in the argument; and seeing himself to be my condition as a slave. thus vanquished, he generously and meekly When I was about thirteen years old, and had emancipates the slave, with his best wishes for succeeded in learning to read, every increase of his prosperity. It is scarcely necessary to say, that knowledge, especially respecting the FREE a dialogue, with such an origin, and such an end- STATES, added something to the almost intoler- ing—read when the fact of my being a slave was able burden of the thought—“I AM A SLAVE FOR a constant burden of grief—powerfully affected LIFE.” To my bondage I saw no end. It was a ter- me; and I could not help feeling that the day rible reality, and I shall never be able to tell how might come, when the well-directed answers sadly that thought chafed my young spirit. made by the slave to the master, in this instance, Fortunately, or unfortunately, about this time in would find their counterpart in myself. . . . my life, I had made enough money to buy what I had now penetrated the secret of all slavery was then a very popular school book, viz:4 the and oppression, and had ascertained their true “Columbian Orator.” I bought this addition to foundation to be in the pride, the power and the my library, of Mr. Knight, on Thames street, avarice of man. The dialogue and the speeches Fell’s Point, Baltimore, and paid him fifty cents were all redolent of the principles of liberty, and for it. I was first led to buy this book, by hearing poured floods of light on the nature and character some little boys say that they were going to learn of slavery. . . . Nevertheless, the increase of some little pieces out of it for the Exhibition. knowledge was attended with bitter, as well as This volume was, indeed, a rich treasure, and sweet results. The more I read, the more I was led every opportunity afforded me, for a time, was to abhor and detest slavery, and my enslavers. spent in diligently perusing it. Among much “Slaveholders,” thought I, “are only a band of other interesting matter, that which I had successful robbers, who left their homes and went perused and reperused with unflagging satisfac- into Africa for the purpose of stealing and reduc- tion, was a short dialogue between a master and ing my people to slavery.” I loathed them as the his slave. The slave is represented as having been meanest and the most wicked of men. As I read, recaptured, in a second attempt to run away; and behold! the very discontent so graphically pre- the master opens the dialogue with an upbraid- dicted by Master Hugh, had already come upon ing speech, charging the slave with ingratitude, me. I was no longer the light-hearted, gleesome and demanding to know what he has to say in boy, full of mirth and play, as when I landed first his own defense. Thus upbraided, and thus called at Baltimore. Knowledge had come; light had upon to reply, the slave rejoins, that he knows penetrated the moral dungeon where I dwelt; how little anything that he can say will avail, and, behold! there lay the bloody whip, for my seeing that he is completely in the hands of his back, and here was the iron chain; and my good, owner; and with noble resolution, calmly says, “I submit to my fate.” Touched by the slave’s answer, the master insists upon his further speak- 5. Quondam means “that once was” or “former.” ing, and recapitulates the many acts of kindness Reading Strategy Analyzing Cause and Effect What effect did reading this anecdote about the slave and his 4. Viz is an abbreviation for the Latin word videlicet, meaning master have on Douglass? “namely” or “that is.” Vocabulary Reading Strategy Analyzing Cause and Effect What was the ironic effect of Douglass’s learning to read? vanquish (vang´ kwish) v. to defeat
342 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA
0339-0343 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 342 4/6/06 11:19:11 PM kind master, he was the author of my situation. angel stood in the way;7 and—such is the rela- The revelation haunted me, stung me, and made tion of master and slave—I could not tell her. me gloomy and miserable. As I writhed under the Nature had made us friends; slavery made us ene- sting and torment of this knowledge, I almost mies. My interests were in a direction opposite envied my fellow slaves their stupid content- to hers, and we both had our private thoughts ment. This knowledge opened my eyes to the and plans. She aimed to keep me ignorant; and I horrible pit, and revealed the teeth of the fright- resolved to know, although knowledge only ful dragon that was ready to pounce upon me, increased my discontent. My feelings were not but it opened no way for my escape. I have often the result of any marked cruelty in the treatment wished myself a beast, or a bird—anything, I received; they sprung from the consideration of rather than a slave. I was wretched and gloomy, my being a slave at all. It was slavery—not its beyond my ability to describe. I was too thought- mere incidents—that I hated. I had been cheated. ful to be happy. It was this everlasting thinking I saw through the attempt to keep me in igno- which distressed and tormented me; and yet rance; I saw that slaveholders would have gladly there was no getting rid of the subject of my made me believe that they were merely acting thoughts. All nature was redolent of it. Once under the authority of God, in making a slave of awakened by the silver trump6 of knowledge, my me, and in making slaves of others; and I treated spirit was roused to eternal wakefulness. Liberty! them as robbers and deceivers. The feeding and the inestimable birthright of every man, had, for clothing me well, could not atone for taking my me, converted every object into an asserter of liberty from me. The smiles of my mistress could this great right. It was heard in every sound, and not remove the deep sorrow that dwelt in my beheld in every object. It was ever present, to young bosom. Indeed, these, in time, came only torment me with a sense of my wretched condi- to deepen my sorrow. She had changed; and the tion. The more beautiful and charming were the reader will see that I had changed, too. We were smiles of nature, the more horrible and desolate both victims to the same overshadowing evil— was my condition. I saw nothing without seeing she, as mistress, I, as slave. I will not censure her it, and I heard nothing without hearing it. I do harshly; she cannot censure me, for she knows I not exaggerate, when I say, that it looked from speak but the truth, and have acted in my oppo- every star, smiled in every calm, breathed in sition to slavery, just as she herself would have every wind, and moved in every storm. acted, in a reverse of circumstances. I have no doubt that my state of mind had something to do with the change in the treat- ment adopted, by my once kind mistress toward 7. Douglass is referring to a biblical tale (Numbers 22:21–35) me. I can easily believe, that my leaden, down- in which an ass (donkey), despite being beaten by its master, Balaam, cannot obey and move on because its way cast, and discontented look, was very offensive is blocked by an angel whom Balaam cannot see. to her. Poor lady! She did not know my trouble, and I dared not tell her. Could I have freely Literary Element Autobiography What does this state- made her acquainted with the real state of my ment tell the reader about Douglass’s priorities in life? mind, and given her the reasons therefor, it might have been well for both of us. Her abuse Big Idea Resistance to Slavery What does this state- ment say about the institution of slavery? of me fell upon me like the blows of the false
prophet upon his ass; she did not know that an Vocabulary
censure (sen´ shər) v. to express disapproval of; to find fault with; to blame 6. Trump is a trumpet.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS 343
0339-0343 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 343 4/6/06 10:10:08 PM AFTER YOU READ
RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY Respond Analyze and Evaluate 1. How did this narrative affect your appreciation of 5. (a)From his reading, what conclusion does Douglass your personal freedom? draw about the foundation of slavery? (b)Do you agree with his analysis? Explain. Recall and Interpret 6. In your opinion, who is hurt more by the system of slavery—Douglass or the Auld family? Explain. 2. (a)How does Mrs. Auld treat Douglass when he first arrives? (b)What does Douglass infer from her Connect initial attitude toward him? 7. Douglass shows in his autobiography that his mind 3. (a)How does Mrs. Auld’s behavior toward Douglass and spirit still remained free while he was physically change? (b)What does Douglass infer from these held captive. In what ways might a person held in changes? captivity keep his or her mind free? Explain.
4. (a)Who later helps Douglass learn to read? 8. Big Idea Resistance to Slavery Why do you (b)Compare these teachers’ attitudes toward think that slave narratives such as Douglass’s were slavery with Mrs. Auld’s attitude. an important part of the antislavery effort?
LITERARY ANALYSIS READING AND VOCABULARY
Literary Element Autobiography Reading Strategy Analyzing Cause and Douglass’s autobiography recounts his experiences Effect both during his enslavement and as a free man, but it Sometimes a cause can have more than one effect. has another purpose—to provide a persuasive argu- Also, an effect can have multiple causes. ment against slavery. 1. What effects did gaining knowledge through read- 1. What do you think is Douglass’s main idea or pur- ing have on Douglass’s ideas and behavior? What pose in this excerpt from his autobiography? effect did his learning have on U.S. society? 2. Do you think Douglass presents himself as he 2. What were the causes of the alienation between really was, or might he be presenting a biased, or Mrs. Auld and Douglass? one-sided, view? Explain. Listening and Speaking Vocabulary Practice Role Play Imagine Frederick Douglass meeting Mrs. Practice with Word Parts The words on the Auld again later in life, when he is a famous writer and right share a word part with the vocabulary words a free man. In a group, discuss what they might talk on the left. Use a dictionary to do the following: about. Then write a dialogue between these two char- (a)name the part of the word that is shared in each acters and have two members of your group perform example; (b)identify the type of word part and its the dialogue for the class. meaning; and (c)define each word on the right. 1. benevolent malevolent 2. depravity demote 3. induce produce
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to www.glencoe.com.
344 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA
0336-0347 U3P1APP-845481.indd 344 4/6/06 9:26:33 PM BEFORE YOU READ Building Background Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1913, Robert Hayden during the height of the civil rights movement in the later worked as a researcher for the Federal Writers’ 1960s when political poetry was in vogue. However, Project in Michigan, one of the government’s many Hayden’s poetry does confront racial issues and New Deal programs intended to provide a livelihood features prominent African American historical figures for victims of the Great Depression. Hayden viewed such as Nat Turner, Frederick Douglass, and Malcolm X. history “as a long, tortuous, and often bloody Hayden taught at the university level for more than process of becoming, of psychic evolution.” He thirty years, although he said that he considered created elegant, well-crafted poetry, much of it himself to be “a poet who teaches in order to earn a concerned with African American history. living so that he can write a poem or two now and then.” In 1976 he was the first African American poet Hayden wanted to be known as a poet rather than as to be appointed poetry consultant to the Library of a black poet. He believed that racial labeling restricted Congress. Hayden died in 1980. African American poets, placing them “in a kind of literary ghetto,” where the standards of other writers were not applied to them. Many African American Author Search For more about writers disagreed with Hayden’s position, especially Robert Hayden, go to www.glencoe.com.
Robert Hayden
When it is finally ours, this freedom, this liberty, this beautiful and terrible thing, needful to man as air, usable as earth; when it belongs at last to all, when it is truly instinct, brain matter, diastole,1 systole,2 5 reflex action; when it is finally won; when it is more than the gaudy mumbo jumbo of politicians: Quickwrite this man, this Douglass, this former slave, this Negro From reading this poetic beaten to his knees, exiled, visioning a world portrayal, what did you learn where none is lonely, none hunted, alien, about Frederick Douglass? Write 10 this man, superb in love and logic, this man a paragraph explaining what you shall be remembered. Oh, not with statues’ rhetoric, learned about Douglass, using not with legends and poems and wreaths of bronze alone, examples from the text to but with the lives grown out of his life, the lives support your points. fleshing his dream of the beautiful, needful thing.
1. Diastole (d¯ as tə le¯´) is the period of normal relaxation of the heart between beats. 2. Systole (sis tə le¯) is the period of normal contraction between diastoles.
ROBERT HAYDEN 345
0345 U3P1SEL-845481.indd 345 4/6/06 10:15:01 PM BEFORE YOU READ Building Background Poet Quincy Troupe, born in St. Louis, Missouri, in In the following poem, “In Texas Grass,” Troupe alludes 1939, experienced firsthand the limitations that racial to a “promise of forty acres & a mule.” At the end of discrimination placed on generations of African the Civil War, General William T. Sherman promised Americans. Speaking of the inability of African that freed African Americans would receive forty acres Americans to achieve their potential, Troupe said, of land and a mule. However, few formerly enslaved “When I would look into my grandmother’s eyes, and African Americans ever received land, or even a mule, my uncle’s eyes, and my dad’s eyes, I would see from the government. As a result, that phrase came to these holes full of loss and sadness.” Thus, the subject represent the failure of Reconstruction to assist African matter of Troupe’s award-winning poetry, in addition to Americans emerging from slavery. celebrating the elation of seeing Magic Johnson play basketball or John Coltrane play the saxophone, also
explores darker subject matter, such as the brutality of Author Search For more about a slaughterhouse or the rage against racism. Quincy Troupe, go to www.glencoe.com.
Quincy Troupe
all along the railroad 25 thinking of the master & his long forgotten tracks of texas promise of forty acres & a mule old train cars lay & even now, if you pass across rusted & overturned this bleeding flesh 5 like new african governments ever changing landscape long forgotten by the people 30 you will see the fruited who built & rode them countryside, stretching, stretching till they couldn’t run no more & old black men & young black 10 & they remind me of old race horses men, sitting on porches, waiting who’ve been put out to pasture waiting for rusted trains amongst the weeds 35 silent in texas grass rain, sleet & snow till they die & rot away Discussion Starter 15 like photos fading Although this poem is set after the end of slavery in in grandma’s picture book the United States, it describes in vivid and poignant of old black men & women, in mississippi detail slavery’s legacy. With a small group, discuss texas, who sit on dilapidated porches the literal and figurative examples the poem gives of that fall away the conditions African Americans experienced after 20 like dead man’s skin slavery. What conclusions about the journey from like white people’s eyes slavery to equality can you draw from these exam- & inside the peeling photos ples? Share your group’s conclusions with the rest old men sit, sad eyed of the class. & waiting, waiting for worm dust
346 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA
0346 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 346 1/9/07 1:33:56 AM Wrap-Up: Comparing Literature Across Time and Place Art Library
• from My Bondage • Frederick Douglass • In Texas Grass and My Freedom
COMPARING THE Big Idea
Kaaria Mucherera/Private Collection/Bridgeman Resistance to Slavery Writing About Literature In the three selections you have read, each writer uses a different tone, or attitude toward his subject. How would you describe the tone used by each writer? Whose tone is most optimistic? Whose is most bitter? Write a brief essay in which you compare the tone used by each writer. Cite evidence from the selections to support your conclusions.
COMPARING Portrayals of People Partner Activity With a partner, read each of the following quotations aloud. Then discuss how each quotation reflects people’s struggling against slavery and its legacy of racial discrimina- tion. How are the three quotations related to one another? Cite evidence from the selections.
“How could she, then, treat me as a brute, without a mighty struggle with all the noble powers of her own soul.” —Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom
“. . . this Douglass, this former slave, this Negro beaten to his knees, exiled, visioning a world where none is lonely, none is hunted, alien, . . .” —Robert Hayden, “Frederick Douglass”
“. . . old black men, & young black men, sitting on porches, waiting waiting for rusted trains silent in texas grass” Be Free Three, 21st c. Kaaria Mucherera. Oil and acrylic on —Quincy Troupe, “In Texas Grass” canvas, 30 x 40 in. Private collection. Viewing the Art: How does this painting reflect the themes addressed by the three selections? COMPARING Historical Context Group Activity These selections treat both the progress and the setbacks in the journey of African Americans toward liberty and equality. With a small group, discuss the following questions.
1. What is the historical context that shapes each selection? 2. How effective is each writer’s use of historical background? Which author presents the most compelling rendition of historical events? 3. Which of the selections most sparked your interest in the historical context? Explain.
OBJECTIVES • Compare historical context in literary works. • Analyze cause-and-effect relationships. • Understand autobiography. • Role-play an interview.
COMPARING LITERATURE 347
0336-0347 U3P1APP-845481.indd 347 1/9/07 2:04:21 AM LITERARY HISTORY
Slave Narratives and Civil War Memoirs, Letters, and Diaries
N THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, MANY writers shared their personal accounts of the two Imajor issues of the day—slavery and the Civil War. These writings, which recount the emotions their authors felt, the details they saw, and the battles they fought, contribute much to the understanding of this tumultuous time in the United States.
Accounts of Slavery Nineteenth-century African American writers, such as Frederick Douglass (pp. 337–344) and Sojourner Truth (pp. 354–357), told variations of one compelling story—the story of life in slavery, escape from bondage, and life as a free person. These accounts, called slave narratives, were written as early as 1760 and continued to be written after the Civil War. The pre-war narratives were in part Sarah Gudger, age 121. North Carolina. Library of Congress intended to recruit Northerners to the abolitionist photo. cause, especially after the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850. BI From 1936 to 1938, during the Depression, writers and journalists from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) interviewed more than 2,300 “Reader, be assured this narrative is former slaves and recorded their memories of the past. These narratives are a rich source of details about life no fi ction. I am aware some of my on plantations and in cities. adventures may seem incredible; but Slave narratives have had an influence on modern they are, nevertheless, strictly true.” literature as well, in the works of such writers as Richard Wright (pp. 900–908), Ernest J. Gaines, —Harriet Jacobs Alice Walker (pp. 1153–1157), and Toni Morrison from Preface to Incidents in the Life (pp. 1302–1308). of a Slave Girl, 1861 Civil War Memoirs, Letters, and Diaries Many people who lived through the Civil War felt After the Civil War, emancipated slaves, such as that it was the central event of their lives. Writers on Elizabeth Keckley, who had worked for Mary Todd both sides of the conflict composed memoirs, letters, Lincoln as a dressmaker, continued to write and diaries. These accounts ranged from those of autobiographies. Many writers hoped to show how generals recollecting great battles, to soldiers well they had succeeded in a free society after the commenting on life on the battlefields, to civilians war. Others, especially those later in the century, recounting details from the home front, especially in expressed disappointment with the restrictions they the South, where the battlefield and the home front still encountered. were side-by-side.
348 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA Library of Congress
0348-0349 U3P1LH-845481.indd 348 7/17/06 12:44:10 PM Mark Twain persuaded his friend Ulysses S. Grant to before a battle in Virginia: “The camp fires blaze with write his acclaimed Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant. unwanted brightness, the sentry’s tread is still but He completed the memoirs a week before he died in quick—the acres of little shelter tents are dark and 1885. Union Generals William T. Sherman, Philip H. still as death…” Sheridan, and George B. McClellan also published Diarists such as Mary Chesnut (pp. 360–366) and Rachel memoirs of the war, but Grant’s are considered some Cormany documented everyday occurrences along with of the best military memoirs in history. the worries, loneliness, and difficulties caused by the The letters of Confederate General Robert E. Lee war. Chesnut’s diary recounts her fear as the Union were saved and published after his death. Some army swept through the South. These diaries provide letters, such as his letter to Grant agreeing to release unique details about day-to-day life on the home front. prisoners of war on both sides, give details of the war These first-person accounts of slavery and the Civil and its aftermath. Others, such as his letters to his War provide insight into what it was like to be family, including the letter to his son (pp. 370–371), enslaved, to face an enemy who was also a express concern and describe the hardships of his countryman, and to remain on the home front as troops, many of whom had no shoes. family and friends left for war. Nineteenth-century writers documented their tumultuous lives and times to understand and preserve their stories. Today, their “I hope both you and Johnston will narratives, memoirs, letters, and diaries offer us great historical insights. write the history of your campaigns. Every one should do all in his power to collect and disseminate the truth, in the hope that it may fi nd a place in history and descend to posterity.” —Robert E. Lee letter to Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard, 1865
Soldiers—often farm boys who had never been away from home—also wrote letters to their families describing the excitement, horrors, and hardships of war as well as their longing for home. These letters were often written from prisons or hospitals. Nurse Ulysses S. Grant, American Civil War general, and later president, Clara Barton, in a letter to a cousin, wrote the night writing his memoirs at Mount McGregor, New York, 1885.
RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY
1. How might slave narratives have influenced the 3. Why are personal diaries and letters often of interest abolitionist cause? to general readers in later times? 2. A memoir, unlike an autobiography, focuses on only part of the writer’s life, often a significant part. What Literary History For more about are some reasons a person might choose to write a slave narratives and civil war memoirs, letters and diaries, go to memoir? Explain. www.glencoe.com.
LITERARY HISTORY 349 Mary Evans Picture Library/The Image Works
0348-0349 U3P1LH-845481.indd 349 4/7/06 1:30:41 PM Informational Text Media Link to Resistance to Slavery Preview the Article Slavery Under “Slavery Under Glass” examines how newly built African American museums educate the public on a dark period of U.S. history. 1. Examine the photographs on pages 351–353. What clues to the content of the article do these images give the reader? New African American–history museums try to 2. Skim the first paragraph. From it, what GLASS do you think that this article might balance authenticity and to uplift. teach you about slavery? By RICHARD LACAYO
Set a Purpose for Reading HE GLASS-WALLED MAIN ENTRY OF THE UNDERGROUND Read to learn about new museums built Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, faces to educate the public about slavery and south across the banks of the Ohio River. The center the struggle for freedom. faces that direction for good reason—the river is at the heart of the story of the Underground Railroad. Reading Strategy TSeparating free-soil Ohio from slave-holding Kentucky, the Ohio Questioning River was a desperate crossing point for runaway slaves. The river’s Questioning is asking yourself how north banks were the site of persistent low-intensity warfare information in a selection is important between abolitionists and armed slave owners, who were permitted and whether you have understood what by law to pursue their human “property” into free states. In that you have read. Have a running era of escalating confrontation, Cincinnati and nearby towns conversation with yourself as you read became important way stations in the Underground Railroad. “Slavery Under Glass.” Try to answer these questions: This informal network of safe houses, sympathetic whites, and free African Americans helped conduct escaped slaves to safety. • How is this idea important? Why? • Do I understand this passage? African American Life in Focus the 20th century civil rights • How does this information relate to what I already know? The Freedom Center is part of a movement, like the Montgomery, wave of more than 20 new museums Alabama, bus stop where Rosa Create a graphic organizer to help you dedicated to African American Parks was arrested, are being keep track of your answers. history that are in development turned into monuments and around the country. They include pilgrimage points. Clearly, the Question Answer the U.S. National Slavery Museum story of African American life, for in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the so long passed over in near silence, How is this idea International African American is finally being set down in stone. important? Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, the National Museum of The Delicate Subject of African American History and Slavery OBJECTIVES Culture in Washington, D.C., and All the same, telling the part of • Demonstrate the ability to make con- the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of that story concerning slavery can nections between a text and prior Maryland African History and be tricky. Any museum needs to knowledge, other texts, and the world. • Monitor comprehension and modify Culture in Baltimore, Maryland. inspire and instruct. It also needs reading strategies by questioning. In addition, numerous locales from to bring in paying customers.
350 UNIT 3
0350-0353 U3P1TIME-845481.indd 350 1/9/07 4:02:57 AM Informational Text
Slavery is one of the most shameful Cincinnati—it was only in 2002 feelings of guilt (whites), anger chapters of American history, but that the Ku Klux Klan stopped its (African Americans), and resent- shameful stories are not the kind annual mounting of a Christmas ment (both), the center offers a that everybody wants to pay money tree in the city’s main square. The final room that is not a gallery of to hear. desire for reconciliation is built into any kind but a space for discus- “There is a reluctance on the the center’s mission. Its focus, says sion. Trained facilitators will part of African Americans and Spencer Crew, its executive director, encourage visitors to examine whites to deal with slavery,” says “is not about finger pointing.” their feelings and share them. former Virginia Governor Doug More than that, it also aims to “Productive, positive, uplifting”— Wilder. He conceived the National be America’s first museum is this any way to tell a story so full Slavery Museum, scheduled to open intended not just to arouse feel- of suffering? Well, maybe it is. For in 2007. “People don’t want to ings but also to resolve them safely. one thing, the Freedom Center is in discuss it. ‘Let’s get past it,’ they say. Concerned that people might exit many respects still the thing it Well, I say that attitude is insulting the exhibition galleries with claims not to be: a museum of to our history. We need to develop a conscious awareness of how far CONNECTING Examining shackles we’ve come and who we are.” in the Ohio museum The museum envisioned by Wilder, a descendant of enslaved persons, will unabashedly be a museum about the brutal merchan- dising of human beings. The Freedom Center in Cincinnati, which cost $110 million to build and hopes to attract 250,000 visi- tors each year, is more cautious about its approach to a difficult sub- ject. Even the center’s name side- steps the loaded word slavery. By taking the Underground Railroad as its focus, the center gets to empha- size biracial resistance, not racial victimization. The Underground Railroad was a rare triumph of African American and white coop- eration in those days, not the far more usual story of white oppres- sion. “The story of the Underground Railroad allows you to talk about slavery in a way that’s productive, positive, and uplifting,” says Ed Rigaud, the center’s president.
Using the Past to Heal the Present The project was first conceived 11 years ago by Robert C. Harrod. He is the executive director of the regional chapter of what was then called the National Conference of Christians and Jews, now the National Conference of Community and Justice. His hope was that it could help improve race relations in
SLAVERY UNDER GLASS 351 Andy Snow
0350-0353 U3P1TIME-845481.indd 351 1/9/07 9:36:21 AM 0350-0353 U3P1TIME-845481.indd 352 (tl)Taro Yamasaki, (tc)Taro Yamasaki, (c)CourtesyNationalUnderground RailroadFreedomCenter, (b)Taro Yamasaki 352 is essential for the center to sustain is essentialforthecenterto sustain from thesystem.Butthatemphasis no morethan100,000benefited States whentheCivilWar began, personsinthe United enslaved estimates, ofthe4million Underground Railroad.Bysome the realimportanceof the centertakesriskofinflating system ofescaperoutesforrunaways, suffering theyendured. enslaved peoplewhodescribedthe actors readingthetestimoniesof a whippedenslavedpersonandhear see animageofthescarredback led toemancipation.Visitors can resistance strugglesthateventually the AtlanticfromAfrica,and miseries oftheMiddlePassageacross to thehistoryofslavelabor, the areas isaseriesofgalleriesdevoted The longestofthecenter’s display Eyes StillonthePrize to seethegloryofouremergence.” to lookattheuglysideofjourney that’s uglyanddark.Butyou’vegot Westmoreland says,“It’s aplace grandson ofanenslavedblacksmith, rescuing thecabin.Thegreat- preservationist, wasresponsiblefor Westmoreland, ahistorianand persons werecrammed.Carl the crampedspacewhereenslaved lets visitorsimaginethemselvesin and confinedtosittingorlying.It shackled inpairstoacentralchain and womenwaitingtobesold, the structurehelddozensofmen trader CaptainJohnW. Anderson, from aKentuckyfarm.Builtbyslave story, rough-hewnlogcabinrescued slavery. Itslargestfeatureisatwo- Informational TextInformational UNIT 3 By placingsomuchstressonthe THE CIVILWAR ERA RELOCATED AS ITSTOOD A curator calls the structure “aplaceofpainandawe.” A curatorcallsthestructure It took six years to dismantle and reassemble thepen. It tooksixyearstodismantleandreassemble who Iam.” honors thosewho“paidthepriceformetobe Oprah Winfrey, whosaidtheFreedomCenter Courtney Vance (left), Angela Bassett,and Joining inthecenter’s festivities were GALA OPENING A STARRY
These captions from People Magazine, Let Freedom Ring, September 6, 2004 1/9/07 1:50:42AM 0350-0353 U3P1TIME-845481.indd 353
Andy Snow 2. Recall andInterpret 1. Respond CRITICALLYRESPONDING AND THINKING leads inturntoafinalarea,called against anoppressivesystem.That up just aboutanyonewhoeverstood and racialminorities,women, who foughtfortherightsofreligious of figuresfromthroughouttheworld information aboutawholespectrum It offersportraitsandtouch-screen “Hall ofEverydayFreedomHeroes.” significant sectionofexhibitsisthe message.Itsnext uplifting its 4 3 . . Freedom Center Freedom Railroad the Underground CINCINNATI historical one. freedom isacontemporary issue movement? ( in thecenter? (b) ( ideasofthearticle? important page 350. What doyouthinkare themost Return tothelistofquestionsyoucreatedon reading thearticle? slavery? Howdidyourreactionchangeafter creating museumsdedicatedtotheexperienceof What wasyourinitialreactiontotheideaof a a ) ) What roledid What isthe emphasisofthe Why doyou thinkthatthisapproachisfavored A gallery at A gallery (b) E xplain howthestrugglefor C incinnati playintheantislavery F , reedom aswella galleries withyourmindfarfrom bigotry, slavery. andmodern-day against oppression,hunger, illiteracy, you tolearnaboutongoingefforts interactive computerdisplaysallow “The StruggleContinues.”Here exhibitions thatwillexpandon the centerwillalsohavetemporary or eventhestrugglesagainstit.But the horrorsofslaveexperience So youmaywellleavethelast C enter? Connect Analyze andEvaluate 6 5 7 . . . it should su T How doyouthink your answer? from thetextsupports of otherslaverymuseums? goals ofthe ( thisclaim? author presenttosupport su create asuccessfulmuseumdedicatedtothe ( a a ruth ) ) b b How doyouthinktheauthorfeelsthat A j j ect ofslaveryto ect ofslavery? ccording tothearticle , andothera b e taught? F reedom the past,futurelooksO.K. also alwaysmanagestodojustice She mayberightaboutthat.Ifit the center’s directorofeducation. future,” promisesNaomiNelson, ourselves tobethemuseumof both themes.“We willprove b F (b) olitionists wouldwantthe rederick b SLAVERY UNDERGLASS — UPDATED TIME, 2006,from August 30,2004,andPeople, e taught?Howdoyouthink What evidencedoesthe C enter comparewiththose , whyisitdifficultto (b) D ouglass Informational TextInformational What evidence September 6,2004 ,
S o j ourner
1/9/07 1:52:20AM 3 5 3 BEFORE YOU READ
And Ain’t I a Woman?
MEET SOJOURNER TRUTH
rmed with common sense and sharp wit, Sojourner Truth spent her long life bat- “There is no use in one man, or one Atling slavery and demanding voting rights for women. Nearly six feet tall, Truth had a deep, nation, to try to do or be everything. It smooth voice that quieted rowdy crowds and won is a good thing to be dependent on each devoted supporters. Resisting injustice, Truth believed, was her divinely ordained duty. other for something, it makes us civil Sojourner Truth, whose given name was Isabella, and peaceable.” was born into slavery in Ulster County, New York, —Sojourner Truth a Dutch-speaking region. She endured cruel slave owners, backbreaking work, and harsh beatings until, at age twenty-nine, she escaped. Given ref- Isabella had believed she saw visions and heard uge by Isaac and Maria Van Wagener, she took the messages sent from God. In about 1843, she name Isabella Van Wagener. Since childhood, changed her name to Sojourner Truth—meaning that she would become a sojourner, or visiting traveler, spreading the truth of God—and started to preach throughout the northeastern United States. Before long, she began to weave antislavery messages into her preaching. Truth also became an ardent champion of women’s rights, especially the right to vote. In 1850 she began traveling the Midwest, attracting large crowds wherever she spoke. On this tour, in Akron, Ohio, she delivered what would become her most famous address, “And Ain’t I a Woman?” Truth then moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, where she continued to agitate for women’s rights and abolition. After the start of the Civil War in 1861, Truth worked to gather supplies and funds for black volunteer regi- ments. Toward the end of the war, Truth moved to Washington, D.C. where she accepted a job with the National Freedmen’s Relief Association, counseling former slaves. At the age of seventy-eight, Truth returned to Battle Creek, where she remained until her death. A monument in downtown Battle Creek commemorates this remarkable woman. Sojourner Truth was born in 1797 and died in 1883.
Author Search For more about Sojourner Truth, go to www.glencoe.com.
354 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA Bettmann/CORBIS
0354-0357 U3P1APP-845481.indd 354 4/7/06 1:36:19 PM LITERATURE PREVIEW READING PREVIEW
Connecting to the Speech Reading Strategy Evaluating Argument Think of a time in your life when you felt you were To evaluate is to make a judgment or form an opinion treated unfairly. What was the situation, and how did about something you read. In a persuasive speech you handle it? As you read, compare your experience such as “And Ain’t I a Woman?,” we must evaluate the with Truth’s. argument to determine whether Truth has persuaded us. Think about how effective Truth is in convincing Building Background you to adopt her positions. On the second day of the 1851 Women’s Rights Reading Tip: Taking Notes Use a chart to record Convention where Truth gave her speech, a number of Sojourner Truth’s major assertions, her reasons for male ministers spoke, insisting that women were too those assertions, and whether you think her weak and intellectually inferior to vote. One man gave arguments are effective. religious reasons against women’s suffrage, or right to vote. Truth’s speech is her answer to these critics. Her speech was not written or rehearsed, so many Assertion Reason Effective? versions have survived—some in what might be inter- I have ploughed To prove that preted as the dialect of an enslaved person from the and planted, and she is as South. In reality, Truth spoke Standard English and was gathered into physically strong originally from New York. So whose exact words are barns, and no man as a man these? We may never know, but the spirit is certainly could head me. that of Sojourner Truth.
Setting Purposes for Reading Vocabulary Big Idea Resistance to Slavery racket ( ) n. loud noise; clamor; din; p. 356 Read Sojourner Truth’s speech to find out how one rak it The twins made such a racket that we couldn’t hear former enslaved woman spoke out against injustice the speaker. ten years before the start of the Civil War and many years before women could vote. borne (bo rn) v. past participle of bear; given birth to; produced; p. 356 The peach trees have Literary Element Oratory not borne any fruit yet. Oratory is the art of effective public speaking, or the oblige (ə bl¯ j ) v. to make grateful or indebted; use of persuasive skills when speaking. Oratory is com- to do a favor or service for; p. 356 I would be mon in politics, law, and religion. As you read the obliged if you would remove your hat. speech, notice how Truth uses persuasive devices, such as providing evidence from her personal experi- Vocabulary Tip: Context Clues Context clues are ence, to achieve her purpose. the words and sentences around an unfamiliar word that help you figure out the word’s meaning. • See Literary Terms Handbook, p. R12. For example, when reading the phrase “I have borne thirteen children,” you might guess that borne means “given birth to” or “produced” Interactive Literary Elements because of the word children. Handbook To review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
OBJECTIVES In studying this selection, you will focus on the following: • understanding oratory • connecting literature to historical context • evaluating an argument
SOJOURNER TRUTH 355
0354-0357 U3P1APP-845481.indd 355 1/9/07 4:21:00 AM ell, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter.1 I think that ’twixt2 the Negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what’s all this here talking about? That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm. I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head3 me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man—when I could get it—and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen them most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus Anna Washington Derry, 1927. Laura Wheeler Waring heard me! And ain’t I a woman? (1887–1948). Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in. Gift of the Then they talk about this thing in the head; Harmon Foundation. Smithsonian American Art Museum, what’s this they call it? [Intellect, someone whis- Washington, DC. pers.] That’s it, honey. What’s that got to do with women’s rights or Negroes rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my lit- tle half-measure full? Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ’cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them. Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain’t got nothing more to say. Sojourner Truth
Big Idea Resistance to Slavery How does Truth connect slavery and women’s rights? 1. The phrase out of kilter means “out of order” or “mixed up.” 2. ’Twixt is the shortened form of betwixt, an Old English word Vocabulary meaning “between.” 3. Here, Truth uses head to mean “to do better than” or “to get racket ( ) n. loud noise; clamor; din rak it ahead of.” borne (bo rn) v. past participle of bear; given birth to; produced Reading Strategy Evaluating Argument Who is the oblige (ə bl¯j) v. to make grateful or indebted; to do a “little man in black”? Why is it appropriate that she favor or service for addresses him during her speech?
356 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C./ Art Resource, NY
0356 U3P1SEL-845841.indd 356 4/7/06 1:41:55 PM AFTER YOU READ
RESPONDING AND THINKING CRITICALLY Respond Analyze and Evaluate 1. Imagine you are attending the Women’s Rights 5. An allusion is a reference to a well-known charac- Convention in 1851. How might you respond to ter, place, or situation from history or from music, Sojourner Truth’s speech? art, or another work of literature. (a)What allusion to the Bible does Truth make in the paragraph just before her closing statement? (b)Evaluate the Recall and Interpret impact of that allusion on her message. 2. (a)How does Truth refute the first three reasons given against women’s suffrage? (b)What does Connect Truth’s response tell you about her character? 6. Big Idea Resistance to Slavery (a)How does 3. (a)What repetition does Truth use in the first Truth introduce the antislavery message into her part of her argument? (b)What is the effect of this speech? (b)How appropriate is this message, given repetition? the purpose of the convention? 4. (a)How does Truth answer the religious argument against letting women vote? (b)What does her argument tell you about her religious beliefs?
LITERARY ANALYSIS READING AND VOCABULARY
Literary Element Oratory Reading Strategy Evaluating Argument Oratory is the art of effective public speaking, or the Evaluate one of Truth’s arguments by analyzing her use of persuasive skills when speaking. reasoning. Do you agree with her reasoning? Why or why not? 1. What is the purpose of Truth’s speech? 2. Identify the qualities that you think make this speech effective and help Truth achieve her pur- Vocabulary Practice pose. In your opinion, would these qualities appeal Practice with Context Clues Read the paragraph to contemporary audiences? Use details from the below. Use context clues to recall the meaning of speech to support your answer. each boldfaced vocabulary word.
Writing About Literature My mother says that being a parent is a difficult job, and I agree with her. She insists that preg- Evaluate Rhetorical Devices Write a brief essay nancy, while strenuous, is not the hardest part of identifying and analyzing the rhetorical strategy that motherhood: it is after a mother has borne her Truth employs in her argument. Explain how successful children that the real work starts. Instead of enter- you think this strategy is. ing a tranquil and noiseless home after work, she is usually greeted by the racket of my younger brothers’ playing basketball. However, despite the trials of being a parent, my mother also insists that it is the best job that she could ever have. For that Web Activities For eFlashcards, sentiment and all of her hard work, I am obliged. Selection Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to www.glencoe.com.
SOJOURNER TRUTH 357
0354-0357 U3P1APP-845481.indd 357 4/7/06 1:36:45 PM Vocabulary Workshop Denotation and Connotation
º Vocabulary Terms Using Semantic Charts The denotation of a word Connecting to Literature During the famous speech “And Ain’t I a Woman,” is its literal meaning; the Sojourner Truth recounts the experience of watching helplessly as her children connotation of a word is are sold into slavery. She says, “And when I cried out with my mother’s grief, its implied meaning. none but Jesus heard me!” Truth could have used words other than grief. For º Test-Taking Tip instance, she could have spoken of sorrow or regret—after all, those words have a If, during a test, you are similar meaning to grief. But they also have subtle differences. Words can have asked what the denotation similar denotations (dictionary definitions) but different connotations (ideas, of a word is, think about images, or feelings suggested by the word). The power of a word to suggest an how you would define the array of connotations enables precision in speaking and in writing. word for someone else. To describe the word’s con- A chart like the one below can help you look more closely at the words grief, notations, think about the sorrow, and regret—at their similarities, their differences, and their shades of images and ideas the meaning. Follow these instructions to create the chart: word brings to mind. • Place the words to be analyzed in the left-hand column of the chart. º Reading Handbook • Check a dictionary to gather different definitions for each word. These For more about denotation definitions are the words’ denotations. and connotation, see • In the second column of the chart, enter the definition for each term. Reading Handbook, R20. • In the third column of the chart, record ideas, images, or feelings that you associate with each word. For example, you may associate grief with disasters or funerals. Such associations are a word’s connotations.
A semantic features chart has been started below.
Denotation Connotation
eFlashcards For eFlashcards Grief and other vocabulary activities, go to www.glencoe.com. Sorrow Regret
Exercise 1. Complete the chart. With your classmates, discuss the denotations and connotations of the three words. Why do you think Truth chose to describe her feeling as grief and not as sorrow or regret? Explain.
OBJECTIVES 2. Find three or four words that have denotations that are similar to each • Analyze denotation and other in other selections in Unit 3, Part 1. Create and fill in the mean- connotation. ings for a semantic features chart with these words. Explain what partic- • Create graphic organizers ular shades of meaning the connotations of the words help the authors to understand text. to suggest.
358 UNIT 3 THE CIVIL WAR ERA
0358 U3P1APP-845481.indd 358 1/9/07 4:34:24 AM