Revision of Week 2 Post

This week’s class meeting discussed the assigned reading Slave and Citizen written by Frank Tannenbaum. The book gave a different perspective on slavery. In early history classes, I was usually taught about American slavery and brutal things done to slaves. Slave and Citizen showed Latin American slavery to different from American slavery, in that it was more humane and slaves had rights. Slaves in Latin America could not be treated poorly because there were laws protecting them. Slaves could also buy their freedom. To this, outside of working for their owners, they could for example, use their weekends to work for another person and collect money to buy their freedom.

In class this week we watched The Trail of Tears which showed the history of the Cherokee Indians. When the white man came, the Indians were given the choice to rebel or assimilate. Many Indians fought the white man but with superior weaponry combined with the diseases brought over by the white man, many Indians tribes lost and died. The Cherokees believed they could share the land with the white man so they chose not to rebel but attempt to live peacefully with them.

However, the white man’s greed let to many coveting the luxurious homes the Cherokee owned. The Cherokee were falsely committed of crimes and removed from their homes. The white man would simple walk into the abandoned homes and called it their own. The president, Andrew Jackon, also did nothing to help the Cherokee when the Cherokee chief met with the president to plead his case. Andrew Jackson had aspirations for a political future after the presidency and to accomplish this he would need the support of white men.

The video Trail of Tears is comparable to Tannenbaum’s account of slavery in America. In class and in texts we read, if a black man was rich or in a better standing than a white man, they would usually be lynched and/or framed for a crime. In doing so, their family would be forced to leave their homes and business allowing the white man to simply walk in and declare it as their own. Slavery was a cruel and dark practice where white men could take what they wanted and do what they wanted because there were no laws protecting the rights of black men.

This week in class we discussed the assigned readings “The Lynching of Jube Benson: Paul Lawrence Dunbar" and The Sport of the Gods. Both of these works of literature described life of African Americans who were falsely accused of crimes and unjustly punished. In The Lynching of Jube Benson, the character Jube is accused of murdering a white woman and possibly raping her before murdering her. The white female’s dying words were “…The black.” Everyone’s first thought was an African American had done the deed and lynched Jube. However, at the end a white man was found to be the real killer. In class, we briefly discussed how it was common during this time for white men to put dirt on their face and pretend to be black as to cause blame on them.

                The Sport of the Gods was an interest book to read in that it reminded me of television program I saw but can’t remember the name. The novel told of a former slave who now worked for a white family and while working their met his wife and had two children. One day the white husband’s brother visits. During his stay, he loses a large sum of money and accuses the male African American for stealing. He is sent to prison leaving his family to fend for themselves. His daughter becomes an actress/singer and pushes her mother to remarry. Evidence is found to prove the African American’s innocence and if brought to the attention of the white employers. To prevent their shame and accusation, they try to hide this but the truth is brought forward and the former slave freed. The released former slave finds out his wife was remarry and planned to kill this other man but realizes he does not need to be because this “new” man was killed by the men he owned money to. The story ends with the two African Americans together and the white employers begging them to come and work for them.

                Peer reviews on our first essay draft went fairly well today. I learned some a few new techniques to implement into my essay after reading everyone In my group’s essay and a few suggestions for intros and endings.

Week 2 - Trails of Tears

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.

First Class Reflection

Today was the first meeting for Violence in America. Many topics were discussed in class but the one stood out to me was one about how the United States was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. America was founded on these principles after the 13 colonies felt they were being treated unfairly by the British. However, they inturn did the same injustice to slaves. David Walker talked about how after getting their freedom, the colonists did exactly what the British did, only worse. As one student in class put it, the time and place has changed, but the root of the problem is still there.

Another interesting fact I learned was that many influentual people in the United States were very pro-Nazi. I had never heard of the Bush family being associated with that or how they tried to help fund camps in Germany. I've never been a fan of the Bush family but to now know that George W. Bush's grandfather has a FBI/CIA file linking them to Nazi just shows a whole new side to the Bush family I'd never seen before.