Question 1: Initial Post
The books Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl written by Harriet Jacobs and Blake; or the Huts of America (1859–1861) by Katy L. Chiles extensively compares in the themes, especially the plight of slaves during the antebellum period. Keckley’s is an autobiographical non-fiction narrative that describes her childhood experiences and her plight as a woman slave. At the age of 14, Keckley is raped by a white man and gives birth to a son, George. Mrs. Burwell, on the other hand, encourages Mr. Bingman, the schoolmaster to physically abuse her in order to suppress her rebellious and proud spirit (Keckley 38). Just like many other women slaves during the antebellum period, she is not entitled to ownership of property nor resources to empower her economically. However, as the story advances she creates a friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln. In contrast, Abraham Lincoln the husband to Mary Todd was technically opposed to abolitionism because he passed laws that protected slave owners. In this family, Keckley finds a confidante in the White House forgetting the much oppression she went through before she bought her freedom (Keckley). Katy’s Blake; or the Huts of America (1859–1861) compares with Keckley’s in terms of the sexual abuses and the aggressive harassment endured by women slaves. For instance, Maggie is sold off as a slave to work on a plantation because she disagrees with Colonel Stephen Frank’s sexual advances. When Henry learns that his wife has been sold off, he starts a movement to “sow the seeds’’ of rebellion. This aspect is what differentiates the two texts, that Keckley instead of joining the anti-slavery movement to rebel against slavery she instead joins Lincoln’s family in the White House. On the contrary, Henry joins Blake to become part of the abolitionist movement. He traverses the South from one plantation to the other expressing his diverse views about slavery, where many of the slaves join him in the movement (Katy).
Question 3
I agree that there were many challenges of organized slave resistance in the south because, on one hand, there was a government trying to balance capitalistic demands for cheap labor; while, on the other, the slaves clamored for their freedom and emancipation from servitude. One thing that I did not consider earlier was whether women played any key role in the abolition movement but after reading the text it was evident that women played a significant role in the movement. I, therefore, disagree with the view that women’s freedom was bought by men through sweat, revolution, and picketing.
Question 4
I strongly agree that the Fugitive Slave Act the Dred Scott case were technicalities that were used by proponents of slavery to continue entrenching slave-owning and enjoying free labor. In this regard, I disagree with the decision of the Supreme Court that ruled that since Dred was a black, he was, therefore, not a citizen of the United States. Initially, I thought that Dred and others covered under the fugitive slave Act had no rights under the criminal justice, but since the Supreme Court entertained the matter, I came to the realization that the justice system in the U.S has been solid for a long time.
Question 5
I agree that both Behind the Scenes, and, Thirty years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House by Elizabeth Keckley and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs have common themes about the plight of women under slavery. These two books explain the abuses and harassments that women under slavery went through. The study of these two books made me realize that women played a fundamental role in abolitionism and the antebellum period.
References
Katy, Chilles. Blake: Or, The Huts of America, a Novel. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Blake_or_the_Huts_of_America_1859-1861#start_entry+
Keckley, Elizabeth. Behind the Scenes, Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. Oxford University Press on Demand, 1999. Retrieved from http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/keckley/keckley.html
