Mock Trial Blog Post

The mock trial debates surrounding a runaway slave case brought many viewpoints and attitudes. The arguments between responsibility, morality, and history taught me many things that I would not have known had it not been for the information being directly presented in front of me. The information and topics that I considered most interesting and important will be highlighted in this post.

The first defense in the case that was presented that the price of the meeting was far too cheap. A ten dollar fine would not have much significance in any slave owners life, and to fight a case for an amount this small was absurd. On top of that it was the slave owner who inflicted harm on the slave in the first place, therefore what would mean that there is a clear agreement that the owner was the deliberate aggressor in this scenario. In other words, the owner valued his ten dollars higher than his slaves life.

Although my first thoughts were that there was no way that this action could be prolonged, there were some arguments that convinced me otherwise. One of them was the fact that because the slave had not been killed or seriously incapacitated, the whole case was virtually useless. In a way this perspective is true in the sense of life value, due to the life being endangered but not taken, it is important to consider whether the discussion will achieve anything due to no one being dead.

Further perspectives that seemed to bring a new light of opinion was the matter of the injured woman being a slave. Of course a slave had no human rights and wasn't even considered such. Therefore if a man were to hypothetically destroy or harm his window, it would be the same as harming a slave. So in a way, the slave being wounded by a master who considers them as property is no an illegal or important matter.

Switching sides to the debate in favor for the slave, there were plenty of points that had a moral and emotional impact. Those who argued in favor of the slave claimed that ethically and morally no human should get away with harming another human, especially when the aggressor had full intent and awareness of the action they are performing. For the honor of the slave who only thought about her wellbeing in safety, the entire case is a disgrace.

Obviously from the previous viewpoint and from the post thus far, we can see that Mann could be justifiably charged with assault had the slave been a regular American citizen. The fine line that is drawn in this case and really the arguments that are being made are either for or against the rights of a slave. The fact of the matter in this case was indeed however that a master is absolute, and has the right to render submission over his slave.

Each One Teach One Reflection

 The Reconstruction era each one teach one taught me a lot about the evolution of America. The first thing that I learned is that President Andrew Johnson was a supported of slavery in the north. He was impeached in the house but not in the senate. Surprisingly he grew up with what could be labeled as a superiority complex, adding to his attitude of aggression and personality.

Johnson planned to begin reconstruction era in the south to continue slavery effectively. He wanted the white man by himself have dominance over the south. Reconstruction completed itself 8 months after it started and allowed confederates to enter congress, leaving a large dent in African American hope to impose themselves in the U.S government.

The next topic presented was the Lincoln assassination and the effect that it had on this era. John Wilkes Booth was the man who would go all the way with this plan. He was an actor and confederate who loathed the anti slavery and reconstruction ideas, and killed the current president on April 14th, 1865.

He then fled out of the theatre and started one of the largest man hunts in the history of the nation. Booth broke his leg escaping and made it all the way to Maryland. He was caught by the police at Surrats house where he was taken under jurisdiction of the government. Lincoln lost his life and the American community lost a true friend.

A further discussion topic in the reconstruction era was the Freedman's Bureau. This event helped African Americans all across the nation support themselves and gain popularity in a time of need. Established by congress in 1865 in helped former slaves and poor whites all across the south recover after the destructive civil war.

The Compromise of 1877 helped America choose its new leader and President. Essentially it was a mutual agreement between Democrats and allies of the Republican Rutherford Hayes, marking the end of the reconstruction era. It gave the Democratic Party of slavery the power to regain political dominance in southern state government.

Ultimately the reconstruction came to an end in 1877 and had mixed results in America. Radical Republican Legislation failed to uphold and protect former slaves from white persecution, and these issues continued in the south even after this era came to a close. Black codes and racist laws were implemented to keep the peace, however the African community found its way into government positions after years of perseverance and hardship, helping the make America the true land of the free.

Reconstruction America

On June 17th, 2015, an historic black church in Charleston South Carolina was attacked by a racist terrorist, who had a deep hatred for the African American community. This event provided what can be described as an awakening for many, and also some pondering for others. To understand the motives for this event it is important to look into history. Post civil war is a good place to start.

The time period after the civil war is labeled the Reconstruction period. The hope and theme of this era was that blacks could integrate themselves in a white society, however there was steep hurdles that they were unaware of. Decades of hard work and persistence were on the horizon for the colored people of America.

The freed people longed for everything that they had been robbed of for centuries. The right to marry, own land, and live in society were some of the many things black desired. To assist this the freedman's burea was released, with over 850,000 acres of land and a budget that costs more than a week of the civil war.

Slaveries legacy was a tremendous barrier to change however. As blacks tried to integrate themselves in society, economic struggles began to haunt them more than they would have expected. Many black parent who did not have the necessary funds to raise their children had to release them into a type indentured servitude, with no say in the matter. Unable to protect their children and having them stripped away without discussion, was very reminiscent of the previous history in the centuries they desperately wanted to escape.

Military reconstruction began to protect blacks in the south from white terrorists, and threatened to jail or fire them if they continued their violence. Eventually many former rebel states compensated black communities with the right to vote (males only.) 80% had the right to vote by the end of 1867, and a new political culture rose up. The advent of black suffrage brought about mass change in the governing of America.

Former slaves brought life into society by supporting schools, shelters, and farming institutions slowly contributing to the reconstruction of the nation. White gangs began terrorizing them however, and were under an intimidation and pressure to cast their voting ballot. Half a million black men cast their vote. Ulysses Grant was elected because of these votes, and many black men were put into office. For freed people and former slaves, this was the moment they had yearned for.

The reconstruction that took place during and after these said events helped support American democracy. The value that these brave men and women brought during this era changed what was rational, and made the government realize to important black life was. The future was seen as limitless, and for one of the first times in human history a group that was so viciously oppressed grew into the highest echelons of political society.

Ferguson Ethical

The question of whether the Separate Car Act violates the fourteenth amendment is absurd. Ever since slavery ended we have been working tirelessly to integrate African Americans into our society in a safe and non violent manner. I believe that we have found this medium through the separate accommodations we have created, because they are necessary for our society to remain balanced and stable.

I would love to tell you today about why our history, law, and religion support these points. However instead, I would like to use a broader approach to this topic. In a sense it is impossible for blacks and whites to live without a society with separate accommodations because fear and hate have been cemented in both sides.

To provide proof of this I would like to show some examples. The first one I would like to discuss is the factor of fear. For decades whites like myself have feared that if blacks were to live in the same society as us without divisions, it would not be safe for the general public. This is because slavery has shown us how much blacks resent and hate our community, thus why if they were to do everything exactly as us there would be a surplus of violent acts occurring in the community.

Furthermore to this point, for any society to live to its best and happiest potential it must abstain from keeping the majority displeased. If the majority of whites demand for separate but equal accommodation, then that is what must be done to keep them happy. I understand that the African American community may loathe this comment, but we are only trying to do our best in making life better than it was for them during slavery.

The next point I would like to broach is the element of hate. When discussing how to situate blacks and whites in a society as one, it would be a crime not to address the hate in both sides of the community. For centuries whites have done horrible things to the African American community, and understandably many of them hate us for it. 

Now what would happen if you took two groups that hated each other and gave them the exact same accommodations in the exact same society. There would be outburst of course. I guarantee that every week we would assemble here to debate a new case on either white on black or black on white crime. This could very well change in the future, however for now we must have separate but equal clauses so that the fresh hate the two groups have does not grow further than what it is now.

In conclusion, I see no violation of the Equal Protection clause from the 14th Amendment. Both sides get to keep their right, and both sides get to live in the land of the free. What more could a society that prioritizes happiness want?

Nat Turner Uprising

The man responsible for the most lethal slave uprising in the history of the United States, in none other than enslaved preacher and self styled prophet Nat Turner. Overtime his legacy has portrayed him as both a hero and a villain, but what he stood for could not be more clear. To free those in bondage throughout the slave holding south, Nat Turner became the leader of the only effective and sustained slave rebellion in the United States of America.

Nat Turner was born into slavery on October 2, 1800, in Southhampton County, Virginia. His family's owner Benjamin Turner recorded young Turner as "Nat", when he died in 1810 Benjamin's son Samuel inherited Nat as his property. At a very young age Nat was taught the about the horrors of slavery in a community that was predominately black, and began educating himself in Christianity.

Turner's passion for Christianity lead him to become a deeply religious preacher. He gained respect from many blacks and whites in Southampton County for his remarkable intellect and phenomenal ministry skills. Through this he convinced many to support his anti slavery views, giving him a sense of power and clout in his community.

What Nat Turner is most known for however is the violent slave rebellion that he lead on August 21, 1831. His motivation and goal of this rebellion were quite simple and obvious. However what lead to these motivations were the product of his Christian and ministry lifestyle.

Deeply religious Turner had a vision that gave him an incentive to launch the slave rebellion. In the year 1825, he had heard divine voices and started being visions, interpreting them as messages. In one vision, he describes what he saw as black and white spirits engaged in conflict, with a darkened sun overseeing the battle.

In his rebellion he six of his owners family and killed an estimated 55 white people, with the help of 75 other enslaved people. As he took up weapons, supplies, and horses, he started to become a large threat to the white nation and was pursued by numerous bounty hunters. On August 23, 1831 his rebellion came to a halt, as his rebellion was impeded at Belmont Plantation.

Following this defeat, Nat Turner knew that if slavery had any hope of being forcefully abolished he had to hide himself and restart. He hid in the woods for six weeks until on October 30th he was caught and taken to a county jail in Jerusalem. When he was tried he confessed to all of his actions without regret, shortly after he was convicted and sentenced to death. Twelve days after he was caught on November 11th, he was hung in the very city he aspired to reach.

The result of his actions had a negative influence in this era, but a positive one in the coming ones. Slave masters all around began to fear their slaves in a sense, and the majority of them enforced stricter rules on their property to ensure that this sort of event would not take place under their jurisdiction. It destroyed the falsehood that slaves content to be property, and caused Southern whites to past laws that prohibited the education, assembly, and movement of slaves.

Nat Turner's rebellion became a hot talking point before one of the most defining era's in American history, the Civil War. In the Virginia Slavery Debate to abolish the institution, Nat Turners rebellion was one of the most public focused and sustained discussion of slavery in any southern state. Abolitionist grew further in number by the day not only because they wanted to end the slavery, but because they did not want to see blacks in their state out of a fear for their safety.

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/nat-

turnerhttps://www.thirteen.org/wnet/slavery/experience/religion/spotlight.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpos

t.com/history/2019/06/01/birthplace-american-slavery-debated-abolishing-it-after-nat-turners-bloody-revolt/

Anti Slavery: Fredrick Douglass

Slavery is cruel, wicked, and violates the great laws of liberty written on every human heart. It is not the brutality of it which makes it evil, but the lack of freedom that it promises. This is a fact. The Declaration of Independence contradicts the very institution. 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” You cannot form a country on the basis that every individual has the right to liberty, and then outlaw an entire race of their freedom.

I'd like to ask you, what is the Fourth of July to slave? It is a mockery. Your celebration of independence only strengthens the differences between a freeman and a slave, bringing a blot upon the American name.

Through my experience I have seen first hand that this establishment is forced upon many you. When I became a slave to Mr Auld, I recall one instance where his wife began to teach me how to read. Mr Auld caught wind of this and scolded his wife, in short saying "It would forever unfit him to be a slave." Ever since Mrs Auld never treated me the same. However the white mans fear of an educated slave only drove me to become more educated.

Your ownership of slaves is having a more significant impact on you rather than your slave even. When you are under the belief that slavery is part of the natural structure of society, you will see damaging effects to yourself. Mrs Auld being evidence of this.

The only reason you are able to have control over your slaves is not because of the physical aspect, but the mental one. You fear that your world would crumble if your subservient had the same knowledge as you did. Im of course referring to the contented slave scheme.

When I was twenty years old I escaped to New York and began working as an anti slavery orator and activist. The works that I created shed light on how I was treated while in bondage. The reaction to my works were mixed but impressive.

If I were to describe my experiences with slavery we could be here all day. Instead I'd like to talk to you about the impression it leaves on a slave when they first arrive to begin the worst years of their lives. Hardship, hunger, whipping, and nakedness are the themes of the short story I am about to describe.

At the Lloyd plantation I spent my first eight years, where the overseer's where extremely cruel to slaves. No trace of kindness from anyone. After my time with Ms. Auld I returned to this plantation with a new perspective of slavery, that a hateful mindset was taught and not provided in birth.

To tame my "unruliness", I was beaten regularly. The end goal I assume was to make me feel broken, and remind me of my place as a slave and a black man. However, I prevailed through these hardships and worked my way to freedom after being imprisoned.

To me freedom was more than just being away from bondage, my mind had to be free as well. This is what made me powerful, and what many of you were afraid of. Education sows the first seeds of freedom. You are afraid that if the slaves you own become free men and women, then they will finally gain a sense of who they really are. 

So I ask you. Should an organization that it built upon that themes of fear and bondage really exist in the land of the free?

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/frederick-douglass/

https://www.history.com/news/frederick-douglass-

bicentennialhttps://www.ukessays.com/essays/politics/frederick-douglasss-arguments-against-slavery.php

How Christianity has condoned slavery

Religion is humanity's most powerful mental creation. Throughout history, it has been used to define, justify, and defend actions. The institution of slavey is undoubtedly among this list, being highlighted on multiple occasions in religious text.

In early America Christian slaveholders would constantly remind their slaves of a specific verse in the Bible. It comes from one of Apostle Paul's epistle, Ephesians 6:5-7, which briefly states that slaves should be obedient to their masters, as unto Christ. In the church this verse would be given spotlight for masters to convince their property that what they were doing was justified and in accordance with the Lord.

A more critical argument to why slavery was justified in the Bible, lies in Jesus Christ himself. Through the entire text Jesus remains silent on the issue, and never specifically calls it a sin. Slaveholders in the south would use this evidence to make claims that Jesus had no issue with the institution, saying that the Word did not spell out what was right or wrong.

According to a study in 1835 by the Charleston Mercury, the slaveholding institution cannot be considered anti Christian. In the old testament, God and the Patriarchs approve, giving slave owners the right to have human property. They believed however that if they gave their slaves an outlet to Christ, then they would be freed from their savage like ways.

Through the lens of religion, slave holding can definitely be defended. When it comes the Bible it is evident to see that slavery is never outlawed outright. Because of this one can make a solid argument that Christianity has condoned slavery even though it barely speaks on it.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-33/why-christians-supported-slavery.html

https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/3535

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-bible-was-used-to-justify-slavery-then-africans-made-it-their-path-to-freedom/2019/04/29/34699e8e-6512-11e9-82ba-fcfeff232e8f_story.html