Unit 4 Essay Preparation Presentation

By: Natasha Popowich, Davina Clay-

Runkaputi, Isai Argueta, and Destiny

Johnson

The Thesis Statements

From 1775 to 1830, many African Americans gained freedom from slavery, yet during the same period the institution of slavery expanded. Explain why BOTH of those

changes took place. Analyze the ways that BOTH free African Americans and enslaved African Americans responded to the challenges confronting them.

- As opposed to having one three prong thesis statement we'll need to make TWO two prong thesis statements

Example of First Statement

The expansion of slavery was encouraged by a rapid economic growth, however the social reforms and moral implications that had become tied up in the system of

slavery served to increase the amount of free African Americans.

Example of Second Statement

In response to the great number of challenges facing African Americans in both the North and the South, the slaves in the South reacted with various forms of

resistance, while African Americans in the North chose the method of adaptation in regards to both society and power.

First Body Paragraph Rapid Economic Growth

- Cotton

- During this time period, cotton was a staple crop within the South that required an extensive work force for field work

- Due to cotton being such a major good more land was wanted by plantation owners, thus expanding the amount of slaves that were needed

-As the demand on cotton grew, so did the necessary amount of slaves, so people sold their slaves further and further west

-Eli Whitney's Invention of the Cotton gin allowed slaves to pick much more cotton

- Missouri Compromise

-The Missouri Compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, balancing the power in Congress, to help ensure that the South would be able to continue on with the system of slavery as the North sought to abolish it.

- Slave Breeding (Constitutional Restrictions)

-On January 1, 1808, Thomas Jefferson passed a law banning the importation of slave, leading many whites to push their slaves into mating with others slaves to produce children.

- Creation of Liberia

-created to give African Americans an opportunity at complete freedom.

Documents for 1st Body Paragraph

Document C

- In this document we can see slavery is expanding between 1790-1830. The percentage of slaves in the north are decreasing and the percentage of slaves in the south is increasing during this time. This is because during this time period African Americans started gaining more freedom in the North while slavery was expanding in the south. This occurred because the north and south had different views on slavery, the north didn't need slavery but the south's want for slavery quickly became a need. And after the American Revolution the north slowly started to rid itself of slavery while the south started implementing slavery into their daily lives.

- Due to the expansion of slavery during this time cotton production also increased. This is because the cotton cultivation in the south using slave labor was very profitable for owners of big plantations.

- In the South the expansion of slavery was the westward growth of America during the early 19th century. The Louisiana Purchase opened millions of acres to settle which encouraged many white southerners to move west into Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. These areas which had warm climates encouraged the expansion of the plantation system to move westward and account for the massive growth of slavery in those areas by the 1830's seen in Document C which is illustrating the difference in slave concentration.

Documents for 1st Body Paragraph

2. Document H

- Vermont Colonization Society proposed a one-cent contribution from inhabitants which will help in establishing colonies on the coast of Africa for free slaves to inhabit

- The formation of these colonies will lead to the civilization and the establishment of Christian religion within the regions of Africa

Connection to the prompt: This document gives the example of how the creation of colonies in Africa contributed to slaves gaining freedom due to them being given the opportunity to live in a new area.

Second Body Paragraph

Social reforms and moral implications - In 1780, Pennsylvania passed the first gradual emancipation act, which Benjamin Lundy (New Jersey Quaker, who published the Genius of Universal Emancipation) was a large proponent of. - An antislavery movement came in the form of the American colonization society in 1817 by a group of white Virginians (proposed gradual freeing of slaves with compensation through funds raised by private charities given to the masters) - About 5,000 African Americans that had fought in the Revolution for the America

- Rhode Island offered freedom to those African Americans who had fought in the Revolution

- Slave Codes of 1793 - Were loosely enforced and drove many abolitionists to use the Underground Railroad to avoid the law

- Second Great Awakening - Challenged people to look within themselves and spread the belief that in everyone, there was a piece of God

- As a result, people were realizing the inequality that existed in slavery - Fueled abolitionist movements

Second Body Paragraph (Cont.)

- Missouri Compromise

-In 1818, the Territory of Missouri submitted application to the United States for statehood. At this time, there were an equal number of senators (22) in the United States Senate from both free and slave states

- Slavery was legal in the Territory of Missouri—with more than 10,000 slaves living in the region—and the admission of Missouri into the Union would upset the balance in the Senate. Shortly after the Territory of Missouri's application for statehood, Maine also applied for admission to the Union.

- This allowed the Missouri Compromise to become possible, as Missouri and Maine could then be accepted without upsetting the Senate's balance between free and slave states.

- The compromise admitted Maine as a free state and authorized Missouri to form a state constitution, which would allow slavery in the newly formed state.

Documents For 2nd Body Paragraph

1. Document A

- This document is a call to African Americans, by the British, to fight in the Revolutionary War and in return, they shall receive their freedom.

- This proclamation increased the number of free slaves

- Used in connection to the 25,000-55,000 Africans Americans who fled or enlisted for the British

Connection to the prompt: The Dunmore Proclamation was a promise of freedom to slaves who joined and fought in the British army and even though the Virginia Congress terminated the promise many slaves did receive freedom which led states in America to do the same such as Pennsylvania and Rhode Island to counteract the British attempt at weakening colonial resistance.

2. Document E

- A free African American is thanking a white man

- Goes on to talk to African Americans about proving why African Americans need to be free otherwise enemies will argue that they "ought not to be free"

- They must "strengthen the bands of oppression" to help others get out of slavery

Connection to the prompt: This document is connected the ACS (white men), which created Liberia.

Documents For 2nd Body Paragraph (Cont.)

3. Document F

-This document shows that slaves could purchased their freedom and that not all slaves masters were opposed to free African Americans.

Connection to the prompt: This connects Second Great Awakening and the idea that all men are created equally.

Third Body Paragraph

Resistance - The “slave rebel” which was shown through the refusal to perform given tasks

- Gabriel Prosser(unsuccessful) - In 1800, Prosser gathered 1,000 rebellious slaves outside Richmond however, two Africans gave the plot away - As a result, the Virginia militia stopped the uprising before it could begin

- Nat Turner - Nat Turner was a slave preacher who led a band of African Americans on a summer night in the year of 1831 - They went from house to house in Southampton County, Virginia and killed sixty white men, women, and children before being overpowered by state and federal troops

- Running away

Third Body Paragraph (Cont.)

- Underground Railroad - Harriet Tubman - The Underground Railroad was not run by a single person but rather it was a vast network of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the North or to Canada. It is said that 100,000 slaves were lost in the South from 1810-1850. - The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad but used terms used in railroading: the homes where fugitives would rest were called "stations" and those who were responsible of taking the fugitives from station to station were called "conductors."

- Accepting the role the white world expected of them (“Sambo”) - Shuffling, grinning, head-scratching, and respectful

- Estimated 25,000 to 55,000 slaves fled or fought for the British during the Revolution

Documents for 3rd Body Paragraph

1. Document J - In this document, Walker criticizes Jefferson's characterization of African Americans - Emphasizes that African American citizens must and will be free - African Americans had the willingness to resort to violence to gain their freedom - Whites will suffer as a result if African Americans have to gain freedom by fighting Connection to the prompt: This document shows how a particular form of resistance, rebellion, begins among a society of African Americans.

2. Document G - This document deals with Gabriel Prosser's Rebellion and biblical references are made within the document. Connection to the prompt: This document demonstrates the organization of resistance to the challenge that was slavery.

Fourth Body Paragraph

Adaptation in regards to both society and power - Adaptation to society through: 1. Literature (Connected to document B)

- Many chose to write about their experiences with slavery as a way to create awareness about the matter

2. Religion (Connected to document D) - Adaptation to power through owning slaves - Adaptation economically through finding work (ex. Elizabeth Keckley)

- Sojourner Truth responded to challenges

through the court. - When she learned her 5-year-old was illegally sold, she sued the man who had sold him. Thus making her the first black women to successfully win a case against a white man.

Documents for 4th Body Paragraph

1. Document B

-Petition for Relief from Taxation - Paul Cuffe was a born free in Massachusetts and son of Native American father and African American mother. He was a Quaker and and as we know the Quakers strongly opposed slavery. - The Petition is asking for either the right to vote or for the government to stop taxing the African Americans which was submitted to the Massachusetts legislature. Cuffe and many others felt that it was unfair to tax the African Americans if they were not given the right to vote therefore they ultimately asked for either the right to vote or to no longer be taxed. - He believed that the African Americans deserved to have the right to vote because of their willingness to fight for the common cause which he says is the same thing he is fighting for now. Connection to prompt: This document is tied to the prompt because it shows one of the challenges that the African Americans were faced with and showed that they did not turn to violence in order to fight for their rights but rather they turned to writing.

Documents for 4th Body Paragragh (Cont.)

2. Document D

Negro Methodist Meeting in Philadelphia

-African Americans united at a Methodist Church while someone is preaching and

the people are listening and showing great emotion.

-This document shows the unity of the African Americans although they were

faced with the struggles of being Free Blacks.

Outside Information

Richard Allen:

- Founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Co-Founder of the Free

African Society came from such congregations of methodist churches such as the

one shown in the document.

- (1787) The Free African Society

-The goal of the Free African Society was to create a non-denominational

religious service to serve the spiritual economic and social needs of

Philadelphia’s African American community.

Documents for 4th Body Paragragh (Cont.)

Connection to Prompt: This connects to the prompt because it is another way

that the Free African Americans responded to the challenges by supporting each

other economically and socially through coming together at these Methodist

Churches.

3. Document I - Shows how common discrimination against African Americans were in

Boston - Lives of African Americans in Boston are in danger - There is a great emphasis of Negro deformity within towns and cities, including New England Connection to prompt: This document descriptively shows the challenges that were faced by the free African Americans that lived in Boston, especially racism which was experienced heavily there, as well as throughout the United States.

Conclusion

- Rephrase the thesis statements

Thesis 1:

While there was an increase in slavery during the period of 1775-1820 due to growing factors of the economy, several African Americans gained freedom from slavery during this time due to a change in rationale, as well as action by many of the time.

Thesis 2:

Although a considerable amount of challenges were faced by both enslaved African Americans and free Africans Americans, both parties responded through action, with one side choosing a more passive role: adaptation, and the other choosing the path with the most resistance.

- Don't forget to synthesize the clinchers from each body paragraph!

- Answer the question: "So What?"