more understanding toward slavery.

This is the back of a former slave. This is not uncommon during this time frame. The owner would seldom beat them for even the slightest reason. For example, when they look at them in a weird way, they would get whipped. When they sneeze too loud, they would get whipped. When the owner whips the slaves, the don't need to give any explanation. it is considered their "right" to do so.














This is yet another common sight during the times of slavery. these men are hanged because their tried to escape from their masters. The owner used this as a example to show the consequences of escaping. after seeing this sight, i doubt anyone else would try escaping.

Different view

A Slaves Life
They say go and I go
They say do this and I do it
They say gather and I gather
They say sow and I sow
For I am but a common slave and
They a cruel and capricious master

Who cares nothing if I live or die
For my daughters are like sheep and goats
And my sons like camels and oxen
All my children in the fields
Are bent by this burden
And bear the rod of the taskmaster

And at night by the fires
Amid the smoke from the smoldering pots
I pray to the Lord who is my freedom
And my deliverance
Whose reach is greater than the Nile
And whose bounty flows more freely

by: Doug Tanoury (http://www.catholicplanet.com/poems/tanoury7.htm)

This is a poem written by a former slave who gained freedom after the Civil War and sought an higher education. You can clearly distinquish the tone from this writer and the tons from former slaves within the book. In the book, All former slaves seem to show signs of appreciation toward their master for providing them with shelter, food, and warmth. However, in this intricate poem, the writer shows a new prospective to slavery. She shares her feeling with her choice of words. words such as "Cruel," Capricious," and "burden." All these are very negative words that reveals how she feels about slavery. Education is important to our society. by exploring what we've done in the past, can help us avoid it in the future.

Under same roof, but not same room.

"Ma belonged to Dr. Jones, but Pappy belonged to Marse Israel Lash over yonder."

As stated previously, separation between slave families are very common. In this period of time, when their husband is sold to another owner, there is very little the slaves can do about it. Their only option is to take it silently and not make a sound. if they tries to resist even a little bit, they would get severely whipped. I can't imagine what kind of life that would be. to be able to see your wife but not being able to kiss her, and to love her.

common knowledge

In this money, most of the former slave starts their stories by "I belonged to." The word "belonged" means "v: be owned by" [dictionary.com]. It seems that they're all accepted the fact that they are nothing more than properties that their owner can discard as wish. A great example of this would be when the owner sold the sold of his slave, Ria Sorrell. This separation is very common in this era because African American are looked at as nothing more than a property. This indeed cuased the mother a great deal of pain especially to slaves who's primary job is to give birth. Many tries to escape this life, however many tragic stories had been told regarding reaway slaves. most of them are caught by the owner and ultimately whipped to death.

In our modern time, This kind of injustice would be dealt with by the law. however, back in the early 1900s this is very common throughout the county

How lucky some of us are.

"All my white folkses was good to me, and i reckon that i ain't got no cause for complaint. I aint had much clothes, and i ain't had so much to eat, and a-many a whupping, but nobody ain't never been real bad to me. "

Above is a exert from a ex-salve describing how her life used to be like. At first, She started by saying that her white folkses [owner] were good to her. than She continued by saying "i ain't had much cloth, and i ain't had so much to eat." This is weird to me because if i didn't have anything to eat or much cloth to wear, i would be freaking out. Afterward, she started to say "nobody ain't never been real bad to me." This whole statement didn't make sense to me. If you don't have much to wear nor much to eat, how can you say that no one had been bad to you? well this just comes to show how bad slaves had it back in the day.

W.T.FUDGE?

"I haven't anything to say against slavery. My old folks put my clothes on me when i was a boy. They gave me shoes and stockings and put them on me when i was a little boy. i loved them, and i can't go against them in anything. There were things i did not like about slavery on some plantations, Whupping and selling parents and children from each other, but i haven't much to say. i was treated good."

When i first read that, i was more than just amazed. I was actually speechless. I know that some slave liked their owner because they treated them nicely. but i never expect a former slave to say that he is not against slavery. remember now, these documentaries are taken after they had been freed. These lines that are published is completely out of her own thoughts. no one forced her to say such a thing. "I was treated good" once again, what's their defination of being "treated good?" is it defined by proving them with enough food and clothing to survive? is it the fact that they don't get whipped like people in other plantations? They have been in the farm for so long that they have lower expectation for themselves.

Ying and Yang

In the time of slavery, The North [anti-slavery] is often depicted as being the righteous army, and the South is often thought to be evil because they support slavery. As i said previously, Not all slave owners are bad, there are indeed some slaver owner out there that took care of their slaves. The north is anti-slavery because they have no use for the slaves, for they depend mainly on technology. While the South depends on slavery to farm the millions of arch of land.

"They busted into the smokehouse at Marster's, took the meat, meal, and other provisions. Grandmother pled with the Yankees, but it did no good. They took all they wanted" (27)

This is a primary source from a former slave. the words are clear and to the point. Even though the Nouth is fighting to free the slaves, the stuff they do to these slaves are no better than what other southerners do to them. The Yankees [Northern army] took advantage of the slaves and grabed every possession they can find and takes them to be their own. Like everything in our world. there is always this sense of Ying and Yang