The reading assignment is a collection of writings by several colored people who have inspired the colored population by their thoughts and actions. The texts have been written in the 1800’s, at a time when colored people were mercilessly discriminated by the white population in America. Several colored people were made slaves, made to work like machines and were tortured as though they were animals. A change came through in the society when few colored people dared to rise against all odds, created a stir in the society.
The text begins with three Acts of Law passed by the General Assembly of North Carolina in 1830. According to the Acts, no colored person was allowed to educate himself and no white person could assist him in doing so. Education of colored people was considered an offence, the violation of which attracted fines, imprisonment and even lashes meted out to the colored people.
Maria.W. Stewart (1803-1879) was a colored woman activist who fought against injustice on colored people by writing and inspiring colored people to rise and revolt against all odds. In ‘What If I Am a Woman’, she reinstates that the colored people were by themselves responsible because they were very submissive and did not revolt against injustice.
Colored people were made slaves and made to work as chattels. They were not allowed to lead normal life without the permission of their ‘masters’. In fact, they were not allowed to marry. The letter by Milo Thompson written on Oct.15th 1834, shows that slaves were bonded and were not allowed to marry. They were also bought and sold as commodities in sales and auctions. Such auctions were organized to advertise the available slaves and their prices were dictated on terms of their qualities. It was a very merciless thing to do.
Solomon Northrup (1808-1862), a free colored man, was kidnapped into slavery from Washington D.C. However, he escaped and later went on to become a famous writer. His ‘Twelve Years a Slave’ became a best-seller. The book is about how these slaves were trained to do different kind s of work and how they were later on sold to different parts of America. In this process, several families were torn apart ruthlessly. The sentiments of the slaves never really mattered to their masters.
William Wells Brown (1814-1884) was another colored slave who managed to escape free and became a famous writer to create a social reform in the American society.
The Cinque and the Amistad Revolt of 1841, is an incident in which a group of Africans who had been captured by Spanish slave traders and were being transported to a Cuban Port, revolted against their master and killed him, to take possession of the ship. Finally, when the ship arrived at Long Island, they were all captured and put to trial. After a long tussle with the Spanish and American authorities and after in-depth analysis of the rules, regulations and treaties signed by Spain and America, the Court finally set them all free. This incident created a stir in the world. The revolt was also a strongpoint for all colored people to rise and rebel to gain equality.
The final text is about Henry Highland Garnet (1815-1882). He was a colored person, born in Maryland who later went on to work for antislavery organizations. He inspired people by his provocative speeches, asking them not to blame their fates and to rise and fight for their rights. He also stressed that white Americans were not true Christians as they thought themselves superior to others. They believed in keeping the colored people subdued and submissive.
The above mentioned texts are all pieces of work which deeply reflect the injustice done to colored people in 1800 in America by the white Americans. It gives us an insight of the pain and ordeals of colored people and how their mere identity was challenged. They were made nothing more than commodities, were bought and sold and their souls were trampled upon every second of their lives. The reader feels highly sympathetic to their woes. Several detailed examples have been given to make our understanding easier and to stress on the importance of the issue. It can be truly felt.
History has seen that suppression leads to rebellion and rebellion to freedom. Racial discrimination has been controlled to a great extent now in the American society. Martin Luther King Jr. rightly says: Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them (Brainy Quote, 2016).
Work Cited
King, Martin L. Brainy Quote. Discrimination Quotes. Web. 2016.
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