Abolitionist and their Plea to End Slavery

The famous abolitionist Sojourner Truth, an African-American woman, wrote her famous slave narrative, Narrative of Sojourner Truth: a Northern Slave, to reveal her historical story as a woman slave born in New York. She describes living in cramped courters, never seeing the light of day, being separated from her family and her dangerous escape. She discloses stories of the way slaves were abused by their white slaveholders, “…and on his replying 'yes,' took up a sled-stick that lay near him, and gave him such a blow on the head as broke his skull, killing him dead on the spot. The poor colored people all felt struck down by the blow” (Documenting the American South). Truth also demonstrates her religious faith while trying to survive and save her family. Abolitionists and Truth revealed her story to the public to prove the horrifying details of slavery and show that its must end.

Another famous slave narrative by Solomon Northup, Twelve Years a Slave, narrates Northup’s kidnapping and sale into slavery. Northup’s story provides substantial details from the slave markets such as Washington, D.C. and Louisiana, as well as the harsh working conditions and expectations of a slave living on a sugar and cotton plantation. Northup recalls, “No matter how fatigued and weary he may be—no matter how much he longs for sleep and rest—a slave never approaches the gin-house with his basket of cotton but with fear” (Documenting the American South). A master might have recorded the daily amount a slave could produce in the field, but nothing can convey the emotional torture other than the slave himself. Living as a free man to becoming a captured slave, Northup’s narrative supplies the contrasts of living as an African-American. Abolitionist co...

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...paganda is one sided. Propaganda comes from one particular party and usually does not mention the alternative opinion. In this particular case propaganda was used to make Americans believe something positive, although that is not always the case. Historians can use propaganda to see what influenced Americans and what particular issues were important to the people during that time.

Works Cited

“Am I Not a Man and Brother?”, Library of Congress, accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008661312/ “Sojourner Truth’s Narrative and Book of Life”, Documenting the American South, North

American Slave Narratives, accessed April 11, 2014 http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/truth50/truth50.html

“Twelve Years a Slave” Documenting the American South, North American Slave

Narratives, accessed April 11, 2014 http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/northup/northup.html