Historical Narrative It was a chilly night as I was walking down the path to my house to see my wife and children when I heard someone talking. I was very curious about who would be down this path at this time for it was very late into the evening and I had just gotten off work at the office. I walked very quietly towards the voices that I heard. As I crept up behind a bush I could hear a voice saying...
“We need to create a plan to promote slavery to other states.” the first voice said
“How do you expect us to do that with all of these slave lovers about?” another voice asks.
“Simple we meet up with the group and discuss a plan to spread slavery.” says the first voice
“We can’t just go around gathering them all up at a time like this.
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Let’s have a debate. If I lose, then you can do whatever you want. If I win you have to help me stop slavery. Deal?” I offered Douglas.
“Fine.” Douglas said defeated.
He then turns to the man behind him.
“Tell everyone the party is cancelled. We can meet up when I win the debate to discuss these things further. Until then make sure you invite them to the debates.” Douglas then turns and leaves. I then begin to walk home to organize some notes for the debates ahead.
I work on my notes all day. That's when an idea hit me. I need to gain followers just like Douglas . I will invite some of my close friends over and we can talk about forming a group and defeating Douglas. So the next day I go out and invite all of my friends over. I told them that it was for business and that they should come prepared.
They all showed up around five so we were ready to get started earlier than I had planned. Still i told them what had happened and why I had called them away from their families to be here.
“ I believe that Douglas needs to be defeated. He believes that slaves should be in half of the states and that people who don’t like having slaves where they live can just move to a different state. Well i think that this is wrong. I believe that all slaves need to be free from our country, not just free from half of our country. I started getting an applause from everybody there. Then I
Lincoln was a very smart lawyer and politician. During his “House Divided” speech he asked the question, “Can we, as a nation, continue together permanently, forever, half slave, and half free?" When he first asked this question, America was slowly gaining the knowledge and realizing that as a nation, it could not possibly exist as half-slave and half-free. It was either one way or the other. “Slavery was unconstitutional and immoral, but not simply on a practical level.” (Greenfield, 2009) Slave states and free states had significantly different and incompatible interests. In 1858, when Lincoln made his “House Divided” speech, he made people think about this question with views if what the end result in America must be.
Many people were afraid of what would happen to society after the emancipation of the slaves and wondered if that emancipation was worth losing the lives of so many soldiers. Frederick Douglas gave what he believed to be a simple and obvious answer to the question of what should be done with the emancipated slaves once the war had ended in his article, “What Shall Be Done with the Slaves If Emancipated?” After emancipation, people were at a loss when it came to what to do with the black population, believing that “they would not work; they would become a burden upon the State, and a blot upon society” (Douglas 55). Douglas counters these fears by emphasizing the fact that black men will work for a living since work has been all they have known for their entire lives. Freed slaves were arguably the hardest working people of the time since they had no other choice than to do whatever work was thrown in front of their face, or else be severely punished. This is shown in this image as they work hard to do one of the most heart wrenching tasks possible: burying their fallen brothers. Douglas’ stance was clear- the freed black men and women were to be left alone to do what they felt they needed to do, without the interference of the white society. He argues that white people’s “doing with them [was] their great misfortune” and that “they have been undone by [their] doings” (Douglas 57). Douglas advocated that the answer to the question was obvious since the South needed black men to function. He states that the “black man as a freeman is a useful member of society. To drive him away, and thus deprive the South of his labor, would be… absurd and monstrous” (Douglas 59). This argument is shown through the picture- even though the men are free, they are still performing the hard work
James Oakes’ The Radical and the Republican narrated the relationship between two of America’s greatest leaders: Frederick Douglass, the “radical” abolitionist, and Abraham Lincoln, the “Republican” politician. He did an astonishing job of demonstrating the commonalities between the views of Douglass and Lincoln, but also their differences on their stance of anti-slavery politics and abolitionism. Despite being on the same side of the argument of slavery, Douglass and Lincoln went about their opinions separately. Lincoln held a more patient and orthodox stance on anti-slavery, while Douglass was proven to be obstinate and direct with
Douglas 's thesis statement was clearly stated at the beginning of his speech. He was very well organized with his speech by stating the issue at the beginning and digging deeper into the issue as the speech continued. He uses repetition with the phrase "What, am I to argue"(381) many times throughout his speech. He frequently uses rhetorical questions in his speech, such as, "Is it that slavery is not divine; that God didn 't establish it; that our doctors of divinity are mistaken?"(381)
In his speech, Frederick Douglass made it clear that he believed that the continued toleration and support of slavery from both a religious and legal standpoint was utterly absurd when considering the ideals and principles advocated by America’s forefathers. He began by praising the American framers of the Constitution, an...
“This morning Capt. Draper spake to the Innkeep of hiring away the negro and then spake to the boy himself, telling him of coming liberty; of the need to stand with his brother man and resist the tyranny of those who own us all, slave and free alike, that parliament are protectors of the slave-trade, having Interests in it; that , can we sting parliament, they shall no longer think so easily to rob us
In the third chapter, “Silence,” Ellis talks about the House of Representatives locked in a heated debate about the abolition of slavery because Benjamin Franklin signed a petition. Ellis showcases this debate, in which the south demanded the issue be dropped, while the north wanted to raise the issue but avoid emancipation. The inability to come to any real decision illustrates how difficult the question truly was.
Both speakers, Lincoln and Douglas, touch on the key issues regarding policy and character. There were different types of policies like goals, and future plans, and there were different character forms like qualities and ideals (Benoit). One thing both candidates mentioned was the “the legality of slavery.” Douglas briefly mentions, “I hold that humanity and Christianity both require that the negro shall have and enjoy every right, every privilege, and every immunity consistent with the safety of the society in which he lives” (Benoit). Another topic that arose was the “morality of slavery.” They came down to the conclusion that if slavery were to be legal, then it would be immoral (Adkison). Douglas argued that every voter in every state would be able to decide on their own whether they
“Silence and we will start our debate.” the judge stood up and calmed the audience. Douglas stood up and had a glance to all the audience. Then Douglas began his speech. “For seventy years, America has been a half-slavery and half-free country. Why shouldn’t the slavery continue? America is a big country and
“Um… it is different for everyone. Some people like them and others feel they should have no rights. What do you think, Gavin?”
“You see,” he said, catching my arm, “two of the dynasties, the Whitehall and the Evans families are growing closer. “We have no idea what they are planning,” he said, lowering
H is confusing and I believe it is saying we don’t need to stop slavery. States that he does not have an unhealthy compulsion for a slave. And that slavery doesn’t make him disgusted like many around him. Because he is the free white man he wants no to be near Negro nor his family. That it is in his right to say what he believe even if you disagree. The document I am speaking about how united Boston is and will do any fighting to keep them safe. By warning them it shows how they accept them even if they are runaway slaves. To be more careful with being near the police just because they are told of money they can get. J is a famous book by Harriet Beecher Stowe named Uncle Tom’s Cabin. 1852 the book was published and changed views of many about slaves and slavery. Showing more depth how they were property, startle that causes abolition movement and help the outbreak of the Civil War. Sadly the title became a racial slur because the character was more loyal to his masters than to his
Johnny grabbed another stack of newspapers and began to hawk more papers to the arriving train passengers. He was shouting at the top of his voice to the arriving immigrants. “News, read all about it. President Pierce and his stand on slavery!”
The most important week of the year had snuck up on me once again. My final opportunity to put my hard work and dedication to use had come. I had been trying to make the Mukwonago Varsity Dance Team since freshman year. I wanted so badly to have my moment as a senior on a team that my peers actually cared about. However, what I did not know is that May 23rd, the first day of tryouts, would easily be the worst day of my life.
I looked up at the black sky. I hadn't intended to be out this late. The sun had set, and the empty road ahead had no streetlights. I knew I was in for a dark journey home. I had decided that by traveling through the forest would be the quickest way home. Minutes passed, yet it seemed like hours and days. The farther I traveled into the forest, the darker it seemed to get. I was very had to even take a breath due to the stifling air. The only sound familiar to me was the quickening beat of my own heart, which felt as though it was about to come through my chest. I began to whistled to take my mind off the eerie noises I was hearing. In this kind of darkness I was in, it was hard for me to believe that I could be seeing these long finger shaped shadows that stretched out to me. I had this gut feeling as though something was following me, but I assured myself that I was the only one in the forest. At least I had hoped that I was.