How, in your darkness, did you come to know The power and beauty of the minstrel’s lyre?
I'm not necessarily sure if the beginning of this poem is directed at white people or black people who participated in or supported or didn't stop the minstrel shows.
Pitifully calling me, the quick ones and the slain? You need me, Christ!
I believe she is speaking about slaves who have escaped (the quick ones) and the ones who tried and were killed (the slain). It sounds like she was just a bystander in these situations, possibly due to her sitting and sewing and doing nothing else. She proceeds to say that christ needs her,this could possibly be some kind of self imposed justification for her not helping those slaves escape or at least trying to save the ones who didn't.
So far from sweet real things my thoughts had strayed,I had forgot wide fields; and clear brown streams;
I sense a sort of corruption or disassociation in this line. Its like she's saying so much has been morphed or changed about something so innocent and pure, that you forget that that innocent and pure thing was the origin of these mutants. This could be applied to the slave songs and how the original versions are nearly completely lost at this point because we chose to focus on the newer versions.
The words are, of course, in a large measure taken from Scripture, and from the hymns heard at church;
Once again, the incorporation of religion is used as a tool to get through the more trying times of slavery. The already apparent association between the lord and salvation is heightened when scripture is put to music.
The best that we can do, however, with paper and types, or even with voices, will convey but a faint shadow of the original. The voices of the colored people have a peculiar quality that nothing can imitate; and the intonations and delicate variations of even one Page v singer cannot be reproduced on paper
This quote in particular exemplifies the power and weight of the words sung in these songs. Given the lack of accurate and detailed record keeping, we may never have a completed collection. We may never be able to reproduce the authentic rawness of this music.
soon became established favorites among the whites, a
A very early demonstration of cultural appropriation. The white people began to incorporate these slave songs into church services because of the passion and praise that existed within them. Though they could not relate, they still felt that those songs were something they could claim.
I was born a slave--was the child of slave parents--therefore I came upon the earth free in God-like thought, but fettered in action.
Once again, religion is infused somewhere in a text about slavery and enslavement. Though it is very slight in this case, it is used as a comparison between her being born into slavery.
For an act may be wrong judged purely by itself, but when the motive that prompted the act is understood, it is construed differently. I
I hadn't really thought about this like that. This type of thinking can be applied to a variety of things, especially the judgments of women by their societies.
If I have portrayed the dark side of slavery, I also have painted the bright side. The good that I have said of human servitude should be thrown into the scales with the evil that I have said of it. I have kind, true-hearted friends in the South as well as in the North, and I would not wound those Southern Page xii friends by sweeping condemnation, simply because I was once a slave
I find it very interesting that she makes this disclaimer at the beginning of her autobiography. Mind you, disclaimers before texts is not uncommon for this time, as we've seen throughout the semester, but in hers, she wants to make it clear that she is not solely bashing and demonizing slavery.
Mammy Judy, who for years had occupied this position, ceded it to herdaughter; she preferring, in consequence of age, the less active life of theculinary department
This feels like a passing of the torch, but slightly sadder.
“<ou do not understand me, Colonel,” she rejoined, “we can have nointerests separate from yours; you know the time-honored motto, 'united westand,' and so forth, must apply to the American people under every policy inevery section of the Union.”
The sad reality is that what she's saying is true. Thought the north was seen as the anti-slavery portion of the country, they didn't always oppose slavery. They opposed how it affected the economy. I personally have't seen such a concept even remotely presented in a text like this.
“Give yourself no concern about that, Colonel,” replied Mrs. Ballard, “youwill find the 1orth true to the country.” “:hat you consider true, may be false—that is, it might be true to you, andfalse to us,” continued he
I find this whole interaction quite interesting. It seems like a personification of the north and the south's views on the issue of slavery.
I think I never hated slavery so intensely as at that moment; certainly, my perception of the enormous outrage which is inflicted by it, on the godlike nature of its victims, was rendered far more clear than ever. There stood one, in physical proportion and stature commanding and exact--in intellect richly endowed--in natural eloquence a prodigy--in soul manifestly "created but a little lower than the angels"--yet a slave, ay, a fugitive slave,--t
Aside from what he's writing about, the use of first, second, and third person all in reference to the same individual is a little confusing, but other than that, I feel as though that going to this convention and speaking awakened the abolitionist spirit within him.
Fortunate, most fortunate occurrence!--fortunate for the millions of his manacled brethren, yet panting for deliverance from their awful thraldom!--fortunate for the cause of negro emancipation, and of universal liberty!--fortunate for the land of his birth, which he has already done so much to save and bless!-
this feels a bit like a little story that encompasses enslavement, freedom, the abolitionist movement and what it stands for, and the black man's homeland.
IN the month of August, 1841, I attended an antislavery convention in Nantucket, at which it was my happiness to become acquainted with FREDERICK DOUGLASS
I know he's writing his own narrative, I guess I just didn't expect his narrative to start out in the third person.
'124 JAMES M. WHITFIELD . t ture's God · hts wh1c, a Stripped of those _r,•r h-~ human race. Bequeathed to a l t. d <l t.:ranl ._ no . Boun to a petty _Y • 1--h . ·1 o.-1 ler c1ce. Beca.use e wears • r • I'
"Because he wears a paler face". I quite like the way he worded this because, to me, it implies that we all came from and originate from the same thing and that they are only different because they "wear" a different face.
America, it is to thee. Thou hoasted land of lihnty,-h is to thee I raise my song, Thou lund of blood, and crime, and wrong.
If this isn't true, I don't know what is. Those four lines still sum up America to this day, and that is a sad reality.
drnired and endorsed by F d . M Wh. re er1ck D I · 1tfiefd 's ta lent and . oug ass and Will· nition as the standard-b c~mm1tment to his p I •am Wells Brown, James own time Whitfield's ach~arer of black America's a et~pl e earned him lasting recog-c I h ievement w· f' n is avery h' ie t e could have attained than b as o ten measured m poets.
Like Sojourner Truth, Whitfield was recognized for his accomplishments and placed up there with some of the most notable figures of the abolitionist movement.
I am a woman's rights. I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man. I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that? I have heard much about. the sexes being equal. I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as rnuch too, if I can get it. I am as strong as any man that is now.
I respect the way she uses her experiences as a slave to combat the limitations of being a woman in those times, especially a black woman.
Sojourner Truth met William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and other prominent antislavery activists in Massa-chusetts. She enthusiastically joined their ranks, earning fame for her ability to deliver fo
I definitely think she deserves a place among these antislavery activists.
She pursued both unorthodo d . l relitlious th t d th · · 1 f Ifill x an convent10na. · ei· pa s owar e sp1ntua u ment she longed for
Once again, religion appears in the text as a type of saving grace beyond the shackles of slavery.
In a few years the colonists grew strong, and severed themselves from the British Government. Their independence was declared, and they took their station among the sovereign powers of the earth. The declaration was a glorious document. Sages admired it, and the patriotic of every nation reverenced the God-like senti-ments which it contained.
So this is something the colonists can do, this is what began our country, but they couldn't dare to have slaves do that same thing or something similar.
The docu-ment elicited more discussion than any other paper that was ever brought before that, or any other deliberative body of colored per-sons, and their friends.
I could tell that just by reading the title. But, that's also how "controversial" topic go, they start a conversation, they get people talking, most of the time about something that needs to be discussed.
1. That the document was war-like, and encouraged insurrection; and 2. That if the Convention should adopt it, that those delegates who lived near the borders of the slave states, would not dare to return to their homes.
So what I'm seeing is that this address was shot down out of fear, and its various manifestations.
These positions I shall endeavour, by the help of the Lord, to demonstrate in the course of this Appeal, to the satisfaction of the most incredulous mind--and may God Almighty, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, open your hearts to understand and believe the truth.
In comparison to my last comment, he is viewing religion in a positive light in this mini paragraph. It's almost as if he views his religion, in comparison to that of the christian americans, as something completely different.
HAVING travelled over a considerable portion of these United States, and having, in the course of my travels, taken the most accurate observations of things as they exist--the result of my observations has warranted the full and unshaken conviction, that we, (coloured people of these United States,) are the most degraded, wretched, and abject set of beings that ever lived since the world began; and I pray God that none like us ever may live again until time shall be no more. They tell us of the Israelites in Egypt, the Helots in Sparta, and of the Roman Slaves, which last were made up from almost every nation under heaven, whose sufferings under those ancient and heathen nations, were, in comparison with ours, under this enlightened and Christian nation, no more than a cypher--or, in other words, those heathen nations of antiquity, had but little more among them than the name and form of slavery; while wretchedness and endless miseries were reserved, apparently in a phial, to be poured out upon our fathers, ourselves and our children, by Christian Americans!
With the way he's wording it in this paragraph, it sounds like he's viewing religion as a negative thing because of its ties to these oppressive nations and because religion was used by these oppressive nations as motivation.
IT will be recollected, that I, in the first edition of my "Appeal,"* *See my Preamble in first edition, first page. See also 2d edition, Article 1, page 9. promised to demonstrate in the course of which, viz. in the course of my Appeal, to the satisfaction of the most incredulous mind, that we Coloured People of these United States, are, the most wretched, degraded and abject set of beings that over lived since the world began, down to the present day, and, that, the white Christians of America, who hold us in slavery, (or, more properly speaking, pretenders to Christianity,) treat us more cruel and barbarous than any Heathen nation did any people whom it had subjected, or reduced to the same condition, that the Americans (who are, notwithstanding, looking for the Millennial day) have us. All I ask is, for a candid and careful perusal of this the third and last edition of my Appeal, where the world may see that we, the Blacks or Coloured People, are treated more cruel by the white Christians of America, than devils themselves ever treated a set of men, women and children on this earth.
I know this isn't necessarily considered the Preamble or Article 1, but I just want to point out that this introduction goes hard. To have this be the first thing your readers would see sends quite a strong message, in my opinion.
published in Paris
Some questions to consider while you annotate:
1) Though this text is fiction, are there portions of it that you feel could be or are based in reality? 2) What did you think of Alfred and Georges' relationship, and how did the women in their lives affect it? 3) Are there any parts of the text that you find don't realistically speak to the slave experience? 4) How does Sejour's upbringing play into the way he speaks on the slave experience?
.1 The novelty of the 1801 publication arises from the fact of the enterprising young minister's publishing his own hym- nal instead of using the official Methodist hy
This is similar to what Phillips was saying in reference to the publication of the hymn book being a form of written rebellion.
At one level, it was a show of dignified protest in a very Methodist vein.
Phillips likens the hymn book to a form of written protest, which would have one of the few ways to oppose the oppositions during those times
The French in this combat with the Revolutionists, suffered much, both from the extreme sultriness of the day, and the courage of those with whom they contended; disappointed and harrassed by the Islanders; they thought it a principle of policy, to resort to acts of cruelty; and to intimidate them, resolved, that none of them should be spared; but that the sword should annihilate, or compel them to submit to their wonted degradations;
So I take it this is a battle between the French and the Haitians? Am I correct in stating that the French are invading the Haitian Islands?
to this distant warfare, the lapse of fifteen minutes brought a cessation, which announced, that on either side, many that were, had ceased to be
I liked the way she worded this line in particular. Its a very poetic way of saying that a lot of people died on both sides of the battle after only a couple minutes of fighting.
1January 18, 1828
Does anyone know what battle she could be or is describing in this text?
Eteazer Hawks
I'm not sure if the "tommy hawked" line later on in the poem is pertaining to Eteazer Hawks or not.
John Sadler fled across the water, And thus escaped the dreadful slaughter.
Where did he escape to? Did he go back to where he came from?
Eunice Allen
I find it interesting that she is the only female mentioned in a poem about battle
My father told the messenger he would comply rather than that his subjects should be deprived of their rights and privileges, which he was not then in circumstances to defend from so sudden an invasion.
This shows Venture's father as a compassionate man and leader willing to make sacrifices and compromises to protect his people.
My father's name was Saungm Furro, Prince of the Tribe of Dukandarra. My father had three wives. Polygamy was not uncommon in that country, especially among the rich, as every man was allowed to keep as many wives as he could maintain. By his first wife he had three children. The eldest of them was myself, named by my father, Broteer. The other two were named Cundazo and Soozaduka. My father had two children by his second wife, and one by his third. I descended from a very large, tall and stout race of beings, much larger than the generality of people in other parts of the globe, being commonly considerable above six feet in height, and every way well proportioned.
The way he describes his culture and his royal lineage express the pride he has in his ancestry.
THE following account of the life of VENTURE, is a relation of simple facts, in which nothing is added in substance to what he related himself.
Like others have noted, this opening phrase is very similar to that of Equiano's in the way it informs the reader that the following accounts are accurate. I'm not sure, but I feel as though there is a literary term that describes exactly that.
iv,PREFACE,jigion,whichhenowfoundsojharpandsevere?Thestriplingisfuppoitedandstrengthened.He
"Ignore everything else, I was just trying to highlight the 'He' portion of the text". I just wanted to make a note that though this text and Hammon's have similar themes, their approach as to how to address said themes is different. There appears to be more of a disconnect in this text than the previous one.
but shall leave that to the Reader as he goes along, and so I shall only relate Matters of Fact as they occur to my Mind--
This line reminds me very much so of the writings of Solomon Northup in his novel 12 Years A Slave. The memoir-esque aspect of it is what I think drew my eye or rather, my ear, to it in the first place. It feels as though he's speaking directly to the reader.