A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass

A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass by David A. Adler, illustrated b Samuel Byrd, Holliday House, New York, 1993.
Frederick Douglass is not his name at birth.  His given name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey.  He was born to a slave women, who only saw him a few times after his birth as they were separated by twelve miles.  The nights she walked to see him she had to walk back by morning or risk being beaten.  Frederick was introduce early to the world of slavery, lack of clothes, poor food, and beatings. 
However at age eight he was sent to live with Sophia and Hugh Auld.  Sophia didn't know better and taught Frederick the alphabet, and intended to teach him to read, until her husband informed her teaching a slave to read was illegal.  However he would carry a book with him, and poor white children helped him continue his desire to red.  Frederick attended Sunday School, and at sage fourteen taught at the Sunday School. 
Frederick was later sent to other people as a slave.  One farmer beat him regularly, until Frederick fought back.  He continued a Sunday School, and clandestinely teaching slaves to read.
Frederick's first escape attempt was discovered, and he landed in jail.  He was sure he would be sent to the Deep South, but instead returned to the home of the Aulds in Baltimore. 
From there he made good his escape.  A freed slave gave him money, and a sailor lent him documents to prove he was not a slave.  He traveled North to freedom.  He settled in New York, and sent for the woman who helped him, Anna Murray.  They were married.  Frederick changed his name to Douglas at this time for fear of being recaptured.
He eventually went to work for the Liberator an abolitionist paper.  He published an autobiography, in which he divulged his real name and slave owners.  He went to Europe for fear of capture, always talking against slavery.  He returned to America after some friends his bought his freedom.
After his return he started his own paper The Northern Star.  
Douglass continued to be instrumental in Black causes.  During the Civil War he helped raise an African American infantry unit.  He complained of the difference in wages and quality of arms, but President Lincoln asked him to be patient.  At the conclusion of the war he was invited to the White House as the president's friend. 
Douglass continued in government over the years.  After his wife passed away he married a white woman.  Frederick Douglass was an initial proponent of African American causes and rights.  He also stood for rights of women and others.

Biography: Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played with Puppets

Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played with Puppets by Kathleen Krull, paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Random House, New York, 2011.
This book, though a children's book, gives a good description of the contributions of Jim Henson.  Jim Henson and his Muppets became household names after they joined the inaugural season of Sesame Street.
However Henson's first start on television was at the age of sixteen.  In college he studied home economics, because that was where he could study art and puppet making.  Then after graduation, after a time in Europe pursuing art, he dedicated himself to the Muppets.  They took off slowly.  That start was mostly in commercials, where the Muppets helped sponsor many different products from coffee to sausage.  (See You Tube Jim Henson commercials) However it was in 1968 with the start of Sesame Street that the Muppets really took off.  Kermit ws already a popular character, but Henson developed more, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, and Miss Piggy.  Who can forget Kermit, and Piggy and the gang.  This eventually lead to a weekly television series, and a series of movies.
However the Muppets were not the only project for Henson.  He was also involved in The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.  He also helped design Yoda for The Empire Strikes Back.
The book mentions Henson receiving awards for his work, but does not give specifics.  What is for certain, Henson made millions of people laugh.
Henson died too young, at the age of 53 in 1990.  At his funeral where butterfly puppets of many different colors.

BOOK REVIEW: THE CROSSING

The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution by Jim Murphy, Scholastic Press, New York, 2010.

This book not only covers the crossing of the Delaware, and the Battle of Trenton it gives a brief summary of the military career of George Washington, and why he was the commander of the U.S. forces, as well as a history of the Revolutionary War up to that point.  This includes the failures in New York, and then the wintering at Valley Forge.  A victory was badly needed, and it was obtained by stealth at Trenton.  Although the stirring painting with Washington standing is probably unrealistic, it does catch the mood at the time.  It also includes an African American rower.
        Washington would later recross the river, establish himself on higher ground and wait for Cornwallis to advance with the British.  Washington only had 3300 men as a third of his men had left service when they time commitment was up.  However sharpshooters were able to slow the advance of Cornwallis and his much larger force while Washington and his men dug themselves in.  swollen rivers and fighting from behind entrenched positions the American forces were able to hold the British at bay.
    Then during the night the Americans snuck away to attack Princeton, the British base.  This resulted in some very intense fighting, and if nothing more a great moral victory for the Americans.  The Americans were able to leave the scene of battle.  After this the British only maintained token forces in New Jersey.  The moral booster for the American side lead to greater recruiting, and shortly there were 17,000 men in Washington's command. 
This book is very enjoyable.  It is written at a youth level but is still very good.

Book Review: The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America

The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America, Andres Resendez, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, 2016.

It seems that at times historians develop a theme, and then paint their story to fit that theme.  In this book the point is that 2.5 million Native Americans in the Americas, North and South, were used as slaves.  Of these 150 to 350 thousand were in the United States or Canada.  He contends that the effect of slavery on the general population was as great as that in Africa.  From Africa there were 5 million slaves, but the Native American slavery represented a larger percentage of the population.  He also argues that over work and poor conditions may have been contributing factors to the sharp population decline of Native Americans. 

This book gets very shady when the author admits that the number provided is not accurate, but a starting point.  Also I fail to recognize exactly what he categorizes as a slave. 

American slavery began in the Caribbean, where Native American of some areas were taken and forced to work in gold mines elsewhere.  He contends Columbus was involved, after failing to realize getting to India.  Initially some were sent to Spain, but the Spanish royalty resisted the slave trade.  They eventually relented for those Native Americans who caused trouble, or were classified as cannibals. 

I am sure he includes the California Mission Native Americans.  In this case Native Americans were brought to the missions and forced to work as part of their being Christianized.  People can argue for or against this policy.  There was a battle resulting from some of them leaving the Mission.   

He talks of the slave trade preceding the Mormons, but when a Mormon was forced to purchase a slave so the child would not be put to death, then the Mormons were complicit.  This seemed to be a standard practice, Native Americans would starve others the captured as slaves, so the Mormons would take pity on them and “rescue” them thus making them slave owners.  However he also talks of Brigham Young fighting against slavery, and Chief Walkara who was big in the slave capture and trade.  Mormons did participate in buying slaves often as a way to “rescue” them.  However they did participate in labor and domestic chores. 

I feel the conclusions of this book are dubious, including the number of slaves.  Sometimes, economic relationships that do not include pay may not be slavery.  It is hard to judge past relationships based on today's standards.  However, granted there was slavery, and often this slavery is ignored or over looked.