Fact, fiction, or folklore: which will it be? In 1999 a book called Hidden in Plain View was published (J. a. Tobin). The book expresses how the slave quilts helped slaves obtain freedom. The book details how each quilt square has a symbol. Consequently, each symbol also had a meaning when combined in a quilt provided a map to freedom. In the book, it states that the history of the slave quilts was passed down from mothers to daughters. These quilts assisted the slaves, showing them what they should and shouldn’t do as they journeyed to the Underground Railroad and freedom (J. a. Tobin). These quilts are now known as the freedom quilts, or quilt codes (Bordewich). The idea of this manner of quilt has come under the scrutiny of quilt historians …show more content…
Therefore, nothing was wasted because the old clothing would then be turned into a square in a quilt for the winter. Since there was not central heat a blankets were always a winter necessity (Better Homes and Garden). The women would have get-togethers to exchange fabric, squares or to sew for special occasions. Women used this time to socialize and pass on their abilities and stories to the young girls and women. These gatherings became known as quilting bees (Better Homes and Garden). The wealthy felt that quilting was manual labor and unbecoming of a proper white woman. They paid poor white women to teach the slaves how to quilt (African American Quilts). Most quilts made by slaves were made for the slave owner (African American Quilts). Occasionally, the slave women were able to save enough fabric scraps to make their own quilts (VanNess). Quilting parties, similar to the quilting bee were important social events on the plantations and were enjoyed by men, women, and children. Some plantations did not permit these socials, so the slave women would work the quilts under the safety of the night. Due to the fact slave quilts were made from scraps, and heavily used, relatively few of those personal quilts have survived to be studied today …show more content…
As Wright said, “this is a beautiful idea if there was real evidence I would be the first person to let everyone know I was wrong (Wright)”. This could change the history if it could be proven that the slaves helped each other escape through quilting. Who is to say that vocal history is not factual? It has been taken as a fact in other cultures why not slaves. (African American Quilts). The definition of fact is a thing that is indisputably the case. The definition of fiction is described imaginary events and people. The definition of folklore is the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth (Webster).You will need to use critical thinking and come up with your own
When the topic of slavery is brought up, it is usually assumed we are talking about the thirteen million Africans who were captured, transported and enslaved in the Americas but that is not necessarily true. The history of American slavery began long before this. Native American slavery has traditionally been treated as a secondary matter when compared to the African slave trade. Indians were enslaved in large numbers and forced to labor as slaves or in other forms of servitude. They would do many different tasks ranging from working on a plantation to working in mines to working like a slave in domestic settings. Native Americans were used as slaves for as long as they could but until the number of European immigrants began to rise at an alarming rate. The arrival of Europeans and their disease and tools for war caused a drastic drop in the number of Native Americans as a whole, thus creating the
Tobin, Jacqueline L. and Dobard, Raymond G. - Hidden in Plain View – A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad, pp.22 -23, 130-143, 176 – 183.
Deborah Gray White was one of the first persons to vigorously attempt to examine the abounding trials and tribulations that the slave women in the south were faced with. Mrs. White used her background skills acquired from participating in the Board of Governors Professor of History and Professor of Women 's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University to research the abundance of stories that she could gather insight from. It was during her studies that she pulled her title from the famous Ain’t I A Woman speech given by Sojourner Truth. In order to accurately report the discriminations that these women endured, White had to research whether the “stories” she was writing about were true or not.
The History of Mary Prince is the story of the first female British slave to escape slavery. The book is told by Mary herself, and was used to help the anti-slavery movement. This book is the main source of information on Mary’s life, but there is no way to ensure that all of it is authentic. One should be aware of who truly had the control over this book, and how it may have affected whether or not all of the stories Mary had to tell got in. Without following the standard expected of her, she may not have ever been able to share her experiences like this. Mary Prince was able to convey her story of slavery to others by following the expectations set by the Antislavery Society, such as emphasizing Christianity, only including likable character
During the American Revolution and the civil war, the North and the South experienced development of different socio-political and cultural environmental conditions. The North became an industrial and manufacturing powerhouse as a result of rise of movements like abolitionism and women’s right while the South became a cotton kingdom whose labor was sourced from slavery (Spark notes, 2011).
As a struggling country, America’s south discovered slavery as a way to gain financial stability. Except, slavery grew into much more than a need for money. It became a social thing and also a controversial topic among politicians, especially with the emergence of abolitionism. Even after slavery, it became a great learning opportunity to ensure that it never happens again.
I found many of these quilts to carry the thought of love with them. They all represent people who are missed. One of the quilts that I observed had many meanings to it. It had pictures that meant believing in Jesus. They had a picture of a broken heart.
Le Guin uses this history to create a story that symbolizes the troubles slaves went through to make others happy. She says:
Whether a woman was the mistress of a plantation or the wife of a yeoman farmer, her life was defined by work. Only a small number of women, those related or married to the South's premier planters escaped the demands of society. Plantation women passed quickly from carefree belles to matrons in charge of children, often overseeing the work of household slaves. Many mistresses, especially those on smaller plantations, did work, taking on tasks seen as too insubstantial for slaves, including making candles, sewing clothes, and preparing certain foods. All of these duties were to be done while preserving the mannerisms their husbands expected (Grander, 3).
Slave narratives were one of the first forms of African- American literature. The narratives were written with the intent to inform those who weren’t aware of the hardships of slavery about how badly slaves were being treated. The people who wrote these narratives experienced slavery first hand, and wanted to elicit the help of abolitionists to bring an end to it. Most slave narratives were not widely publicized and often got overlooked as the years went by; however, some were highly regarded and paved the way for many writers of African descent today.
Masters would place little black coffins outside the cabins of the slaves in a effort to restrain their movements at night; they perpetuated ghost lore and created tales of horrible supernatural animals wondering the outsides of the plantation in order to frighten slaves from escape or trans-plantation visits. Tales of slaves running to the north became legendary. Oral tales of escapes and long journeys north through dangerous terrain were very common among every slave on every plantation. Many of these tales seem to be similar to the universal tales and myths like The Odyssey or Gilgemish. Slaves on every plantation were telling tales that would later be the groundwork for African-American literature.African- American folklore has since been taken to new levels and forms.
When one thinks of slavery, they may consider chains holding captives, beaten into submission, and forced to work indefinitely for no money. The other thing that often comes to mind? Stereotypical African slaves, shipped to America in the seventeenth century. The kind of slavery that was outlawed by the 18th amendment, nearly a century and a half ago. As author of Modern Slavery: The Secret World of 27 Million People, Kevin Bales, states, the stereotypes surrounding slavery often confuse and blur the reality of slavery. Although slavery surely consists of physical chains, beatings, and forced labor, there is much more depth to the issue, making slavery much more complex today than ever before.
The quilts were pieced together by Mama, Grandma Dee, and Big Dee symbolizing a long line of relatives. The quilts made from scraps of dresses worn by Grandma Dee, Grandpa Jarrell’s Paisley shirts, and Great Grandpa Ezra’s Civil War uniform represented the family heritage and values, and had been promised to Mama to Maggie when she married. However, Dee does not understand the love put into the making of the quilts, neither does she understand the significance of the quilts as part of her family heritage. It is evident she does not understand the significance of the quilt, having been offered one when went away to college declaring them “as old-fashioned” and “out of style”. She does not care about the value of the quilts to her family, rather she sees it as a work of art, valuable as an African heritage but not as a family heirloom. She wants the quilts because they are handmade, not stitched with around the borders. She tells Mama, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!... She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use… But, they’re priceless!.. Maggie would put them on her the bed and in five years they’d be in rags. Less than that!” (317). The quilt signifies the family pride and history, which is important to Mama. She makes the decision to give the quilt to Maggie who will appreciate it more than Dee, to whom she says, “God knows I been saving ‘em for long enough with
To begin with, a quilt is defined as a “coverlet made of scrapes and fragments stitched together to form a pattern” (Webster). The quilt in “Everyday Use” was made by Grandma Dee, Big Dee, and Mama from scraps of dresses and shirts and is part of Grandpa’s Civil War uniform. It is filled with memories and was hand stitched by the family. Mama suggests that Dee take other ones, but Dee rejects the offer because they were “stitched by machine”(Walker, p.114) and the old ones were done by hand. Mama says that she had promised them to Maggie.
For instance, the text “The People Could Fly” potentially supports my claim because the African-American slaves that was there had to see the person fly or else they wouldn’t believe it. As indicated in the text on page 65, lines 68-70 in my collection series book, “Couldn’t believe it. But it was, because they that was there saw that it was.” This tells