Happy Fourth of July from Frederick Douglass!!

Such a good read. I hope that it inspires many of you as well

How To Celebrate the Fourth of July: Read Frederick Douglass - COLORLINES

Happy fourth of July!!

 

When I was a student at the University of Iowa, I wrote a paper about Douglass. For some reason this quote always sticks out in my mind:

"Because Douglass’s grandmother is deemed too old to work in the fields, her new owners abandon her in a small hut in the woods to die."

Abner

 

Oh my god... so terrible.

 

That's just plain terrible. I had previously been of the impression that when slaves got too old to work as field hands they were taken inside as house slaves (mammies, butlers, etc.).

 

Indeed it is, Ted. There are myriad terrible misdeeds facilitated by slavery. See the scars of a beating, here. Slavery and the Making of America . The Slave Experience: Living | PBS

The most terrible thing? That it's still going on, today. See here: Slavery in the Modern World — Infoplease.com

Here's a quote from that article: "According to 1993 U.S. State Department estimates, up to 90,000 blacks are owned by North African Arabs, and often sold as property in a thriving slave trade for as little as $15 per human being."

Johann

 

Everyone should read Frederick Douglass's Narrative for a unique perspective on the dark institution of American slavery. As a matter of fact, here it is hosted by UC Berkeley for free:

Frederick Douglass: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave

 

That's the Hollywood version of slavery, Ted. House vs. field status didn't necessarily depend on age. Young women were often taught to be maids, laundresses etc. And often, their children - including those fathered by the slave-owner - wound up waiting on the master's table. Thus he would often be served dinner by slaves who were his own sons!

In the earlier days of slavery, (prior to 1800, as importation of slaves from Africa had slowed by then) many slaves, who had become Arabic-literate in Africa, had trusted positions, keeping records etc. on plantations. Examples of their diligent, meticulous Arabic script survive today. Often field vs. house slavery depended on what skills the slave had or could learn, and how quickly.

Johann