This
weeks’ meeting review discussed last week’s assigned reading of Slave
and Citizen. I found the reading to be a very different perspective of
slavery. Growing up and taking history classes, I was only aware of
slavery in the United States and the terrible things done to slaves.
However, Slave and Citizen showed slavery that was not terrible and not
so violent. Slaves in Latin America and Cuba were able to buy their
freedom and had rights that kept them from being unfairly. A former
slave if they had the wealth could purchase slaves and own their own
property, something unheard of in the United States at the time. In
class we touched on how the British believed in Science about God,
whereas the Spaniards believed God above Science.
This
week we also watched the video Trail of Tears which showed the a
history of the Cherokee Indians and what became of them. When the white
man came, the Indians had two choices, rebel against them or try to
assimilate. Many Indians fought but with superior weaponry, and the
Indians falling ill from diseases brought by the white man, many died.
The Cherokee chose not to rebel and lived peacefully with the white man.
However, greed led the white man to covet the lands and homes of the
Cherokee. The Indians were forced into small isolated areas and the
white man simply walked into the previous homes of the Cherokee and
called it their own. Andrew Jackson, who was president at the time, did
nothing at the time because he was more concerned with his political
future. And to do this, he needed the support of the American South, and
they wanted the Cherokee lands. The system of checks and balances was
not successful in the 1800s because they were unable to enforce laws.
- Edit Professor Rogers, if your reading this, I send an email explaining why this was late. My apologies again.
