...Politics in Robert Hayden’s First “Middle Passage.” African American Review 45, no. 4 (Winter 2012): 557-573 Through the extensive dissection of Robert Hayden’s poem “The Middle Passage,” Carl Plasa argues that “The Middle Passage” was essential in addressing the segregationist structure of 1940s America. Although, according to Hayden, the main purpose of his work was to “contribute toward an understanding of what our past had really been like”(557). While it did just that, it had a more constructive effect on Americans in the 1940s. During a time of segregation, “The Middle Passage” reminded Americans of their past identity as oppressors. As Hayden recalls the hardships and cruelties upon the slave ships, his goal is to inspire a project of counter-violence. I specifically enjoyed the line, “Shuttles in the rocking loom of history, the dark ships move, the dark ships move” (567). This metaphor cleverly combines the slaves’ labor aboard the ships with the motion of the machines Northern American workers used to make profitable textiles. Through this ironic metaphor, I believe that Hayden is trying to tell Americans of the 1940s that most people wrongfully benefitted from slavery; it wasn’t just the south. He wants to remind Americans that no one was right when it came to slavery, and everyone should be accepting and sympathetic to all African Americans. Thus, Plasa provided me with an in depth look at the ongoing importance of the middle passage as it is used to inspire the end...
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...turned the economy around and was a game changer for wealth and labor. Cotton grew especially well in the southwestern lands. After the Revolutionary War, many Americans wanted this land. The invention of the cotton gin lead to all new demand for enslaved labor, which lead to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793. This was the first law of its kind and called for interstate cooperation to return property to their masters. By 1860, the United States bailed over 5 million bales of cotton, which made up for three-fourths of the world’s supply. After 1803, the United States’ economy was booming due to the invention of the cotton gin, as well as the brand new Louisiana Purchase. France was so far in debt after the French Revolution that Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States for three million dollars, or what France saw as “quick money.” The Louisiana Purchase is said to be one of the greatest deals in world history. It expanded all the way to present day Louisiana to Montana. It guaranteed free navigation of the Mississippi, as well as prosperity of Western states for Americans and is said to be one of Jefferson’s greatest victories. Because of the Louisiana Purchase, South Carolina reopened Trans-Atlantic slave trade for five years (1803-1808). During these five years, more slaves were imported than any other time in history. This caused planters and traders to make a tremendous amount of money with most captives being sold in Mississippi and Louisiana. In 1804, France took back...
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...responsible for surveillance of enemy aircraft and ships as well as directing helicopters to survivors and guarding against air collisions. In addition to servicing the Navy, Hawkeye planes have been used in rescue operations of civilians during hurricane evacuations. The purpose of this passage is to: A. Inform B. Persuade C. Describe 2. The pilots of the Hawkeye aircraft are the unsung heroes of naval operations. The first in and the last out, these men receive none of the glory bestowed on the Top Guns of F-18 fame. Thanks to Hollywood, fighter pilots have been glorified, but the pilots of the AWACS planes work quietly and diligently, and they deserve praise for their contributions. The purpose of this passage is to: A. Inform B. Persuade C. Describe 3. Tobacco companies have been in litigation, facing charges that their marketing practices in the past have targeted teenagers. Also, evidence indicates that companies adjusted levels of nicotine in their cigarettes to increase the probability that smokers would become addicted to the product to ensure higher sales in the future. The purpose of this passage is to: A. Inform B. Persuade C. Describe 4. Circadian rhythms have fascinated scientists for many years. Recognizing that the eye nerves translate information to...
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...freedom. Understanding the Legal and Historical Basis for American Courts Considering British Precedent Question 2: There are various historical and legal ties between the British common law and the American legal system. When American colonies were first established, they followed some legal traditions and principles of...
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...world know little history regarding slavery and slave trade despite the fact that slaves were African Americans who not only worked for free but were treated terribly, many individuals lack the knowledge of how slavery was originated and greatly impacted regions of the world. The Triangular trade was a trading method established by the Europeans hundreds of years ago. It’s referred to as the Triangular Trade because it consists of trade with Africa, America, and Europe creating a triangular route of trade. This system was developed to fulfill the needs of each country and to become industrialized. The Triangular Trade caused extreme complication and effected Africa in numerous ways. On the first leg of the trip European merchants went to Africa to trade their household goods in return for a desired number of slaves, Then shipped the slaves to America on what was known was the Middle Passage where they were sold for cash and bought tobacco, rum, sugar and cotton back to Europe where these products were sold for outstanding profits. This trading method was very successful because African Americans already practiced slavery in Africa and America was in high demand for laborers to work the sugar cane plantations and make profit trading the finished product to Europe. “The Middle Passage was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of people from Africa were shipped to the New World as part of the Atlantic slave trade” (Middle Passage,Wikipedia). This...
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...Indians” as numerous tribes established a peaceful exchange relation with the new settlers during the early phases of European settlement (Perkins 4). John Smith composed for future settlers when settlement started to grow. He also drew the maps for those settlers and gave them dreams that made them come to America even more. What created the drive for new settlers to come to America even more, was his adventure as “he told the story of his rescue by Pocahontas” (Smith 31). Through these stories, the readers could see the issues of Virginias settlement and throughout his letters he would make promises of a great future for New England, as he said “I would rather live here than anywhere” (Smith 31). Of the considerable number of colonies, the Middle Colonies appreciated the best geographical area, as stated “the easiest access to the great inland waterways and stored natural resources of the continent, and the finest balance of...
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...Black History Month remains important By Leo Sandon TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT Once in the mid-1980s, after I had lectured on the 1965 Selma campaign and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, a young honors student came to me at the conclusion of class. She was incredulous. "Let me get this straight," she said. "Are you saying that African-Americans in the South were denied the right to vote?" When I answered that was the case, she exclaimed, "That is incredible. I never knew that." Her ignorance of our racial policies before 1965 was not all that unusual among my students. Otherwise decently informed undergraduates often were only vaguely aware, if not totally unaware, of this important part of our national story. So when I taught about black and white patterns in American history and religion,...
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...Juxtaposition: Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano There was a long dreadful journey that carried slaves and went from Africa to other European colonies called the Middle Passage. Two former slaves preserved through all the odds against them to become greater than just a servant. Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano were two slaves who were kidnapped from Africa at a young age. Wheatley and Equiano have similar backgrounds and many differences that are very impactful to African American history. Wheatley and Equiano both had to go through severe hardships that paved the way for others in their same position to strive better. They both phenomenal writers that were extremely impactful to everyone. Although they were both slaves they didn’t...
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...History Midterm(Yash Patel) What is a patriot? A person who fights for his or her country What happened at Valley Forge? The military camp of the continental army, which turned out to be very devastating in the winter Who said, “ I have not yet begun to fight.” John Paul Jones What did George Washington do after war? Went back home at Mount Vernon How many states were needed to approve the Articles of Confederation? 13 The final authority in the Federal System is… Constitution/Judicial What are checks and balances? A system that limits power between the three branches of government What are Federalists? People who supported a strong central government therefore they were the ones who also favored the constitution. What was America’s first constitution? Articles of Confederation What happens in a depression? The economy goes down and most people are jobless. What were the Federalist Papers? An 85 page essay, trying to get New York to ratify the Constitution What is the most distinctive feature of the US Government? Separation of Powers The president can check congress through what? Veto What was the most important crop in Jamestown? Tabaco What is pacifist? A person who believes that violence and war is unjustifiable Why were separatists called pilgrims? They were the separatists in England and Pilgrims in the colonies. What type of relationship did the French have with the Native Americans? The strongest of anyone else How...
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...“ I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” - Harriet Tubman. From 1619 until the end of the slave trade many Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas. Imported to the Americas for economic gain, slaves were often treated inhumanely. Physically and mentally exploited, slaves were seen as property. Today slavery is seen as a dark part of history because African people were mistreated, suffered cruel working conditions, and had their human rights violated. By looking at the lives of slaves one can see the true hardships these people faced during this period of time in history. Starting with the Middle Passage and continuing to their everyday lives on plantations, slaves were treated...
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...Our Souls Perseverated On Freedom! A Report Highlighting the Desperate Acts of Blacks as they Perseverated on Freedom 1877-Civil War Rolanda E. Lively African American History, CRN 32427 Tues-Thurs Ms. Carmen Thompson August 4, 2011 African Americans perseverated on freedom! As we explore the lives of African-Americans and their experience in the place we now call the United States of America, we will see how black people perseverated on freedom and risked their lives for freedom during the following significant historical periods; Horrifying middle passage of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, Religious Great Awakening 129, and lastly the Bloody Antebellum period. The past comes back to life, through first person quotes of courageous men and women who bared their souls. We all bare witness to voices of African American Hero’s each one never shifting their gaze from the golden gates of freedom. One of the first times that we see the preservation on freedom is during the middle passage of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The middle passage is steeped in unimaginable inhumane atrocities that no person or living thing should ever endure. For many, death and suicide became viable options for freedom in the face of captivity and the unknown. The planks of the slave ships hemorrhage with the blood, flesh, tears, and screams from Africans, who endure the torture bestowed on them by the slave ship crew. Africans of all ages were shackled and packed into the belly of...
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...to Brazil there was some kind of slavery. Most of the slaves were imported from Africa especially in British mainland colonies, but there were a lot of Indian slaves as well in West Indies. Slavery was different between the regions in New World. For example slavery in Barbados was different as in New England, in Barbados there was plantation based slavery but in New England there were only few slaves that helped their masters with some minor work at their houses. Even between British mainland colonies there was difference in slave societies. First British mainland colonies did not heavily relay on slaves, because they had a big migration from Europe. People came from all over Europe, most of them came as indentured servants. For free passage over Atlantic they gave their rights to people that paid for their voyage. They obligated that they will work for free, some amount of time, for free trip and free land after obligated service. British first tried to enslave native Indians but they were not fit for hard work on fields and they were not immune to European diseases as Africans were, also Indians knew the territory better then colonist and they could easily escape. As Foner explains in his book England first intentions were not to relay on slavery, but the lack of labor did these big slave societies...
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...Racism in America The question should be how did racism in America begin? I think that it is probably fair to say that racism began with the Middle passage. The Middle Passage was the slave ships that brought African Americans to America from Africa. The slaves were perceived as being less than human fit for labor, bondage and beatings. Their only function was to be brought to America to work in the cotton fields and build America up to the standards that the Caucasian Americans expected. Slaves were usually fed straps from their Masters tables, given ragedy clothes to wear, they worked from sun up until sun down, and they were not paid. They were beaten if they talked backed back to the Master or did not produce the labor that was required by the Master. The Caucasian by all accounts was thought to be superior and better than slaves were because they owned the land, crops, plantations and houses; the poor slave did not own anything. What did the slave ship look like? Slaves were placed at the bottom of the ship; then men, women and children were chained to one another. With very little movement possible, they suffered and many of them died. This was not an easy voyage. The voyages to America from Africa took months and people got very little air in the bottom of these ships. They were fed but they had to eat lying down in chains and they were fed worst than animals. They were allowed on the deck occasionally where they were washed with water that was poured on them. Many...
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...Shark Aaron Staples Art History 203 George W. Born November 16th, 2014 I have chosen The Passage of the Delaware, c.1819 by Thomas Sully, Oil on canvas and Watson and the Shark, c.1778 by John Singleton Copley, Oil on canvas. Both are historic paintings, but not of the same theme. The subjects may be different, but the use of color is similar. One was painted during the middle of the revolutionary war and the other painted an important moment of the revolutionary war! One is in London while the other is in Philadelphia. Both are paintings, oil on canvas. When you put them side by side one may ask why one would choose to compare these two. I believe that both have similar styles in the way that they are painted as well as the history behind them. The Passage of the Delaware was commissioned by the state of North Carolina for the senate hall of the state house in Raleigh. This was a history painting showing that of George Washington crossing the frozen Delaware River to surprise the English forces. The battle was known as the battle of Trenton and was one of the most important victories for the revolutionary forces. Watson and the Shark on the other hand was not a commissioned painting, but one he did of his own free will and dramatized the story of the boy who almost got eaten by a shark and in the end he just lost his leg. This painting was a grand success for him and got him full access to the Royal Academy. Both of these were history paintings thus meaning it depicts...
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...Since 1993 Americans have faced new forms of globalization, new technologies, and new modes of warfare. President Bill Clinton was one of the presidents that had to deal with the challenges facing the post-Cold War world. He incorporated globalization as the key to economic prosperity and showed his eagerness to promote and defend the U.S national security. As globalization impacted the nation by bringing new opportunities and posing additional challenges. It promoted international cooperation and free trade among nations. However, globalization brought many problems like rapid industrialization, water pollution, climate change, and the destruction of primeval forests. Globalization thrust American business outward, bringing a new population of immigrants to the United States. Immigration also made an impact on the American Society since 9/11. Since the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, which repealed discriminatory as the country experience a wave of immigration comparable to the turn of...
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