The View from the Bottom Rail

Some slaves were determined to be free, even at the expense of their own lives. Franklin describes the different ways of how slaves would try to escape, and the main reasons why they were not submissive to the system or content with their condition of having security from their slave master. 2. What is the book’s thesis (the author’s main argument or interpretation of the theme)? The book’s thesis is that the overseers and slave masters had a difficult time of managing slaves on the plantations.

In order to fully understand why revising history to suit the victor’s one must look at the accounts of those defeated (if they happen to survive the revision). In looking at the issues surrounding slavery we can compare a few accounts from escaped and free slaves to that of a couple prominent southern whites who attempted to justify and support slavery. The accounts of the slaves are graphic and at times disturbing but help to paint a clearer picture of the historic events at the time. Unfortunately written accounts of the ordeals that the slaves have gone through are rather rare. Many slaves after all were prevented from learning how to read and write.

References allow the reader to identify and verify the sources the scholar may have used and to scrutinize the veracity of his findings. It is better to acknowledge the source of one’s ideas, research findings or quoted text to protect oneself from the allegations of plagiarism. The MLA format for in-text citations and the works cited section is widely used. While writing the paper, the scholar must use appropriate headings and sub-headings, identify and mention the acronyms used, avoid slang or colloquial language, avoid contractions and usage of first person and second person pronouns should be done only as and when

The first step in formulating a historiographical essay is to formulate a thesis that speaks to the event or issue of study. Implementing a variety of sources from different time periods could help bolster the author’s historical argument and thesis. Scholarly writings tend to shape the understanding of said topic, this fact should be incorporated in the essay. However, it is significant to note that some sources, while they are centered around the same topic, will often be contradictory. The writer can use this to his/her benefit by including various perspectives.

The concept of slavery is unclear and this leaves the reader grasping for the meaning behind the conjure tales. Chesnutt's message behind the tales should have been clearly defined. If his purpose according to some critics is to "elevate whites," then what is he really trying to do in these conjure tales? The concept of using Julius to break stereotypes of black Americans is a little farfetched. This goal is not accomplished in neither of the conjure tales.

Another purpose for analysis is to have the reader really think about the source as a whole. Analyzing makes the reader come to their own conclusion about what the main message or theme of the source is. In addition, an analysis is meant to produce burning questions and thoughts for the reader. Other than having the readers think about the message or real meaning behind a situation, analyzing gives the reader a chance to really get to know characters mentioned in the literature. When a certain character behaves a certain way, it can reveal the character’s personality or true intentions to the reader.

Furthermore, he blamed the slaves for their lack of insight and dreams for them being in the predicament that they were in. As a writer, Douglas uses a gloomy tone when describing some of the experiences that he had been through in his various owners’ homes. He also uses the tone when describing some of the events that took place once he was freed. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Self-Reliance relate in more ways than one, with the main one being that they are both advocating for individualism. They differ though, in the ways in which they believe it can be achieved.

Due to the South's dependence on slaves and the popular belief that slavery is an issue that should be dealt with by each state individually, the slaves were not freed in 1787. Many other issues became entangled in this argument, but those were the major causes of the Convention's decision.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin leaves little room for interpretation of the author's moral point of view. Yet, there remains one big moral question that is not as easily answered. This is the question of the character of Augustine St. Clare--a man who espouses great ideals on the evils of slavery, yet continues to hold his own slaves. Is he a hero because of his beliefs or a villain because of his actions? And just how important is this question to understanding and responding to the novel, as a whole?

Clearly, he had distinctly different thoughts on slavery, or so it would seem. in order to support his aristocratic lifestyle, he needed slaves to perform a variety of actions in and around the Monticello plantation. These actions of owning slaves seemed to have conflicted with what he told the public, though perhaps he was simply trying to please the mental image people of the North had of him by telling them he thought slavery should be removed from society. Many in the North half of America viewed slavery as wrong and inappropriate, while many in South half believed slavery was a necessity to the economic success of America. Deciphering what Jefferson truly believed about slavery can be difficult due to the fact that he owned slaves throughout his life.