Roots And The Roots

703 Words2 Pages

Roots was a mini series created in 1977, based on Alex Haley’s family history. The series tells the story of Kunta Kinte, a young boy captured and enslaved by the white man . He is then expected to adapt to the plantation life and obey Master Reynolds. The story also shows the many events that happened in history, such as the Civil wars, slave rebels, and the various acts of emancipation. The many characters in the series each have a significant role that they play in portraying history. Master John Reynolds, a plantation owner in Virginia, assigned an older slave, Fiddler, to teach Kunta how to speak English and train him in the ways of living and working on the plantation. Fiddler and Kunta’s relationship completely altered from when …show more content…

This was not unusual because in the early 19th century, women were not allowed to vote, own property, or control any wages they earned, resembling a child. In one of the scenes, Mrs. Reynolds’s asks Master Reynolds, “ If the Africans are much less intelligent, and incapable of learning. Why be afraid to teach them?” He then explains, if they began to read then they will began to think. If they begin to think, then they will no longer want to be slaves. Also mentioning that the slaves do not have feelings like they do. This reveals that his wife is emotionally connected to the slaves in a way that she wants to help them. Since, she as a women, does not have privileges compared to the white men, she feels as if she is almost equal to a …show more content…

Slaves desired freedom, and were seeking equal civil and political rights. Blacks had many privileges after war, such as the right to vote, hold office and attend school. Despite the privileges they had, the state legislatures began to pass the “Black Codes”,which were restricted laws that limited the opportunities of blacks in the South. The whites did not react well to the ending of Civil war / Reconstruction. They felt as if everything they had were taken away from them. Many families grieved the loss of loved ones and the destruction of property. Racial hatred still remained and there were various things they did to try to protect their white supremacist

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