"We desired the court to have held that they were citizens so far at least as to entitle them to a hearing as to whether they were free or not; and then, also, that they were in fact and in law really free. Could we have had our way, the chances of these black girls, ever mixing their blood with that of white people, would have been diminished at least to the extent that it could not have been without their consent. But Judge Douglass is delighted to have them decided to be slaves, and not human enough to have a hearing, even if they were free, and thus left subject to the forced concubinage of their masters, and liable to become the mothers of mulattoes in spite of themselves--the very state of case that produces nine tenths of all the mulattoes-- all the mixing of the blood in the nation."
In this passage Lincoln is making a point regarding keeping women as slaves simply because they did not "originate" in this nation. Lincoln is stating that even if these girls were freed, they would end up in the same situation. Lincoln is also pointing out that although bloods are not supposed to be mixed, it is fact the white slave owners that end up taking advantage of these women and impregnating them against their will. This is the classic scenario where we are telling the Slave owners/traders that they can do what they want with the girls as long as they are not public with it. Many mulatto babies are made within a household because the men could not control their urges, but the women are expected to do whatever they are told.
B. Twentieth-century artist Romare Bearden presents a stylized depiction of the odyssey of captives from Africa to the United States. The ship shows the low decks that were constructed on slaving vessels so that the maximum number of African captives could be transported. A black man's silhouette frames a view of the African continent, a U.S. flag, and seabirds thought to symbolize the souls of Africans returning to their homeland.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Civil Disobedience (part 2)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton: " He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. He has withheld form her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men-both natives and foreigners. Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has opposed her on all sides"
Stanton is pointing out what is painfully obvious during these times, that all men and women were NOT created equal. It is a known fact that women had to fight for many rights that all men were given like the right to vote. What Stanton is saying that the right to vote, especially on laws, was reserved for men alone. Why should women have the right to vote? Well, that can be answered simply by acknowledging that women have to abide by these laws as well. This passage relates to the Reading because it displays how civil disobedience was the only way to attain the rights that women were entitled to.
I chose this passage because I feel as though this still rings true to an extent. I'm not saying that women don't have the same rights as men, but they certainly don't hold the same weight or capacity as those that men carry. A women's opinion is not valued as much as a mans is.
Frederick Douglass: "He says he does not wish to coerce us, but he thinks we had better go! What right has he to tell us to go? We have as much right to stay here as he has. I don't care if you did throw up your caps for him when he came to this city--I don't care if he did give you 'his heart on the outside of the City Hall and his hand on the inside.' I have as much right to stay here as he has!"
This passage deals directly with the oppression of slaves and the trouble they had when it came to the having a voice in the electoral vote. He is fighting for the right to be in the specific area and be heard during the vote. Slaves make an easier target for oppression since it is easier to control what is supposed to ultimately be a slave owners property. He is fighting for the right to be
.'
This passage hit close to home because women have been thru this with women's rights
.
Stanton is pointing out what is painfully obvious during these times, that all men and women were NOT created equal. It is a known fact that women had to fight for many rights that all men were given like the right to vote. What Stanton is saying that the right to vote, especially on laws, was reserved for men alone. Why should women have the right to vote? Well, that can be answered simply by acknowledging that women have to abide by these laws as well. This passage relates to the Reading because it displays how civil disobedience was the only way to attain the rights that women were entitled to.
I chose this passage because I feel as though this still rings true to an extent. I'm not saying that women don't have the same rights as men, but they certainly don't hold the same weight or capacity as those that men carry. A women's opinion is not valued as much as a mans is.
Frederick Douglass: "He says he does not wish to coerce us, but he thinks we had better go! What right has he to tell us to go? We have as much right to stay here as he has. I don't care if you did throw up your caps for him when he came to this city--I don't care if he did give you 'his heart on the outside of the City Hall and his hand on the inside.' I have as much right to stay here as he has!"
This passage deals directly with the oppression of slaves and the trouble they had when it came to the having a voice in the electoral vote. He is fighting for the right to be in the specific area and be heard during the vote. Slaves make an easier target for oppression since it is easier to control what is supposed to ultimately be a slave owners property. He is fighting for the right to be
.'
This passage hit close to home because women have been thru this with women's rights
.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Civil Disobedience (Part 1)
Henry David Thoreau:
"Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice, A common and natural result of an undue respect for law is, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder-monkeys, and all, marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of the heart. They have no doubt that it is a damnable business in which they are concerned; they are all peaceably inclined. Now, what are they? Men at all? or small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power?"
In this passage, Thoreau is stating that the law does not make a man more just, because without even realizing it, service men are made to be a major part of the injustice that the government imposes on the military. These men will obey by marching to these wars, knowing that their government may not be one hundred percent right for declaring or participating in war. They become robots who simply follow rules and directions because they are taught that this is right and patriotic. By doing this, their sense of self is diminished. They become pawns in a game of chess played by the government.
I chose this passage because I don't always agree with those who voluntarily join the military. While it IS honorable for a person to want to sere his/her country, sometimes they are forced to do things which they disagree upon morally but don't want to go against a government who has "stood by them" for the sake of "liberty and freedom." I don't necessarily agree with decisions made by our Presidents or governments, but like most people, what can I really do about it? Nothing, which is what most Americans do.
Two of the passages "Christian Arguments against Slavery" and "Plea for the Suppression of the Slave Trade" both relate to the writings of Thoreau because they both argue that if one does not partake in an act, it cannot exist. For instance, with the Christian Arguments, they state that a man should not be denied his rights to be free. Christians should not encourage slave trade activities. Also, I have to agree with the statement made in the Plea for Suppression that states that the slave trade cannot exist if slave owners did not trade slaves! This has to be the most simple and clear statement thus far. Obviously, if no one demanded slaves, there would be no market for it. Although this thought would not end slavery, it would be a stepping stone towards it. This relates to Thoreau because he is stating that if soldiers did not partake in war, there would be none to fight.
"Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice, A common and natural result of an undue respect for law is, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder-monkeys, and all, marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of the heart. They have no doubt that it is a damnable business in which they are concerned; they are all peaceably inclined. Now, what are they? Men at all? or small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power?"
In this passage, Thoreau is stating that the law does not make a man more just, because without even realizing it, service men are made to be a major part of the injustice that the government imposes on the military. These men will obey by marching to these wars, knowing that their government may not be one hundred percent right for declaring or participating in war. They become robots who simply follow rules and directions because they are taught that this is right and patriotic. By doing this, their sense of self is diminished. They become pawns in a game of chess played by the government.
I chose this passage because I don't always agree with those who voluntarily join the military. While it IS honorable for a person to want to sere his/her country, sometimes they are forced to do things which they disagree upon morally but don't want to go against a government who has "stood by them" for the sake of "liberty and freedom." I don't necessarily agree with decisions made by our Presidents or governments, but like most people, what can I really do about it? Nothing, which is what most Americans do.
Two of the passages "Christian Arguments against Slavery" and "Plea for the Suppression of the Slave Trade" both relate to the writings of Thoreau because they both argue that if one does not partake in an act, it cannot exist. For instance, with the Christian Arguments, they state that a man should not be denied his rights to be free. Christians should not encourage slave trade activities. Also, I have to agree with the statement made in the Plea for Suppression that states that the slave trade cannot exist if slave owners did not trade slaves! This has to be the most simple and clear statement thus far. Obviously, if no one demanded slaves, there would be no market for it. Although this thought would not end slavery, it would be a stepping stone towards it. This relates to Thoreau because he is stating that if soldiers did not partake in war, there would be none to fight.
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