12 years a slave review

The movie 12 Years a Slave directed by John Ridley, is about a former black man who once lived in New York as a father and a freeman. He then was captured and sold into slavery into the south. He then worked as a slave for the next twelve years of his life, until he is brought back to his family in the north. Manohla Dargis wrote a review on the movie 12 Years a Slave. Dargis wrote "It’s a brilliant strategy that recognizes the seductions of movies that draw you wholly into their narratives and that finds Mr. McQueen appropriating the very film language that has been historically used to perpetuate reassuring (to some) fabrications about American history." This shows how the movie had a realistic theme of slavery in the south before the 13th Amendment. 

Manohla Dargis, 12 Years a Slave

12 Years a Slave

Slave Narrative

Master-Slave Relationship

The slave was seen with little to no power for himself. Instead, the master contained all of the power in the local hierarchy. The slaves were often abused and treated poorly durning their life as a slave. Many were made to create offspring for the master's own plantation for work and for their pleasure. The other slaves were sold into slavery for the masters benefit. Many of the slaves were forced to work many hours of the day with no say in what he was to do. The relationship between slaves and the master was not very close. The slaves had no input in what they did or what that said for their whole life. The master was in complete control of all of his slaves.

Questions:

1. Were the slaves able to talk to the master directly on the plantation anytime of the day?

2. Once the 13th Amendment was passed how many slaves actually left their plantation?

3. Were slaves able to have money of their own to buy goods for their family? 

Slave Families sold into market

Source: 

http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/enslavement/text6/text6read.htm

Lincoln Movie Paraphrase Practice

"Lincoln believed slavery was immoral, but he also considered the 13th Amendment a masterstroke in cutting away the financial foundations of the Confederacy. In the film, the passage of the amendment is guided by William Seward, his secretary of state, and by Rep. Thaddeus Stevens, the most powerful abolitionist in the House. Neither these nor any other performances in the film depend on self-conscious histrionics; Jones in particular portrays a crafty codger with some secret hiding places in his heart."
- Robert Ebert



My paraphrase of the selected passage:

President Abraham Lincoln saw slavery was wrong and against his personal belief. He also knew that the 13th Amendment as a key piece in dissolving the establishments of the Confederates movement in the civil war. The movie, includes a statement stated by strong Republican leader Thaddeus Stevens who was against slavery, and by William Seward, who at the time was President Lincoln's secretary of the state, in which they address the 13th Amendment. None of the acts in the movie portrayed the idea of self conscious like Stevens and Seward's speeches for the 13th amendment. The actor Jones, who was seen as a radical republican shows how he is wise in what he contributes to the house in his testament for the 13th Amendment.

Reconstruction Free Research

"Cotton Production"

Cotton production was starting to rapidly increase durning the 19th century. The Memphis daily describes one account where they are predicting the cotton production in the Union to be its largest agricultural interest in the coming years. The also follow up this production by saying it will be one of the hardest job after the 13th amendment was passed. Also the journalist write how the cotton industry will be able to increase rapidly from the new machinery and equipment. 

Memphis newspaper

Reconstruction Newspaper Research

"White Supremacy"

The phrase "White Supremacy" was used very commonly throughout the 19th century in newspaper columns across the United States. This phrase was being used in every day life. I learned that the usage of white supremacy was used more as a privilege for white people. I also learned that many newspaper articles used the phrase black supremacy against the phrase white supremacy. Showing the educated Americans how awful it would be let Africans have American privileges. One newspaper in specific; the New Orleans newspaper was using white supremacy against African Americans who were gaining privileges after they were freed from slavery. They were talking about how may whites could lose their rights if blacks were free. Using original documents such as a newspaper show more background and specific situations of what was was happening at the time. The newspaper is also coming from a primary source where as the text book is coming from a secondary source. 

The weekly Louisianian. [volume], March 07, 1874

Reconstruction

Why did Reconstruction come to an end in 1877?

The Great Compromise of 1877 was the main reason that Reconstruction came to an end in 1877. The major controversial election for president between the Democratic party member Tilden and Republican party member Hayes. Once the election was decided the Republican party member Hayes was named the winner. This election led many southern Confederates and northerners in turmoil. Then president Hayes pulled all of the Union troops that were left in the south back to the Union. This lead to the collapse of Reconstruction and left the south in utter chaos.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/civil-war-era/reconstruction/a/compromise-of-1877