Book Review: Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865

Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865, by: James Oakes, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, 2013. 

This is a fascinating book about the progression towards the liberation of the slaves.  The basic story we have is that Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, after the Union achieved a victory of sorts at  Antietam, and then the slaves were free.  Lincoln went on to get the thirteenth amendment through congress, which was eventually accepted by the states.  Some of the former Confederate States accepted it as it was now the law of the land, or less than full hardy, but in the end, slavery was no more. 

However, the truth is that the emancipation of the slaves was a gradual process. Without the secession of the Southern States, it probably would have taken much longer, but the war gave the government, and Abraham Lincoln and the Republican party a reason to emancipate the slaves.  First, slaves escaped to the Union lines, and eventual the policy became, the army would not return slaves would could be conscripted to help the Southern cause, but would be employed to help the North.  Also of immediate import was the ending of the Fugitive Slave Act with regards to those states that had seceded.  The agreement was no longer binding with those states who were no longer under the Constitution. 

The policy as such lead to people to self emancipate, but running to the army, or by running to free states.  When the Union invaded Louisiana, this again lead to slaves running to Union lines. 

Federal policy progressed slowly.  Next is was slaves from seceded states who were no longer returned, rather than just those whose masters fought for the rebel cause or used the slaves for the rebel cause.  The emancipation proclamation was President Lincoln taking advantage of the powers given him by the war powers Act which basically asked for a proclamation. 

The Emancipation Proclamation did two things, emancipated those slaves in Union controlled territory from seceded states.  It also allowed for former slaves to fight for the army, which had not been done to this point, January 1, 1835. over 180,000 would fight for the Union.  At the end of the war the accounted for 20 percent of the soldiers in arms.

However, this proclamation wasn’t enough.  Slaves in border states still loyal to the Union were not freed.  It was hoped these states would abolish slavery on their own, but this was not happening and when it did happen, the process was slow.  Louisiana and West Virginia were progressing to abolish slavery, and other states were coming along like Missouri; however Kentucky and Delaware were having none of it. 

A broader approach was needed.  This was found in an amendment to the Constitution—which was rare to this point in time.  In fact, the first attempt failed in the congress.  However, after the election, but before the new congressmen came into office (the election had been a Republican success and passage was assured after the new congress was sworn in.)  However they wanted passage as soon as possible, and before the end of the war, which may change people’s ideas about the need for the amendment. 

The Democratic argument against emancipation was two-fold, the government should not interfere with property rights; property in men in this case.  The second was the racist argument, the freed slaves were inferior and would be a burden upon themselves and other people without masters to care for them.  On the other hand, the Republicans argued that there was no such thing as property in people, or shouldn’t be.  They also argued that free people would find a way to contribute to society. 

For everyone’s benefit, the Republicans prevailed and Freedom was the law, all across the land.  At this time, equal rights should have been the next step.  However, after Lincoln was killed, this step was not taken, and our nation still wallowed in racial segregation and lack of voting and other basic rights for many years.

Book Review: Frederick Douglass: Truth is of No Color

Frederick Douglass: Truth is of No Color, by: Michael A. Schuman, Easlow Publisher Inc., Berkeley Heights, NJ, 2009.

Frederick Douglass was an interesting man.  He was born a slave, and in his early life received some mistreatment, as well as some care.  His mother was really never able to care for him, as she worked long hours.  As a toddler he was in the care of his grandmother.  His mother would have to walk 12 miles from the fields to see her son.  At age six Frederick was sent to work.  At this time he met his older siblings who had previously been sent to the same plantation to work. 

At eight years old, Frederick’s master passed away.  He and the entire family were lined up and distributed amongst the inheritors.  He went to Thomas and Sophia Auld.  Sophia would read the bible to Frederick and her own son, when Frederick was not working.  He became fascinating with the idea of letters forming words.  He asked her to teach him, and she did.   This is unusual as it was against the law to teach a slave to read.  When Sophia bragged to Thomas about Fredericks’s reading, the lessons stopped.  However Frederick continued to learn.  At this time he worked as an errand boy in the shipyard in Baltimore.  He would play reading games with other boys, testing who could read best.  Frederick used these games to improve his reading. 

As a teen, Frederick was assigned to work for others.  In this he was beaten, and required to do tasks he had not been trained to perform.  He finally determined he must escape.  He escape using the Maritime Papers of a friend.  These identified him as a veteran sailor who had won his freedom through his service.  This came in handy as questioning was much less for those who were veterans.  He traveled by ship and train, until he made it to Philadelphia.

He changed his name to make it harder for others to track him.  He lived in several communities which he had heard that they were positive to African Americans.  However he still found prejudice.  In the church the Black people were asked to sit in the back and spoken down to.  They formed their own church.  Blacks were not allowed in school, so Frederick took upon himself their education.

Douglass became and abolitionist speaker.  He published an autobiography, and then began publishing his own abolitionist paper.  He traveled in England, for his own safety.  He was still subject to capture and return to slavery in the United States.  However, we was married and had children and missed them, so he returned.  Douglass was a correspondent of John Brown.  When Brown was arrested and hung for treason, these letters were found and a finger pointed at Douglass.  Even though Douglass had cautioned him against his rash plan, there was still the air of conspiracy.  Douglass fled to England again.  However, the nation did not want to pursue anyone else about this affair, especially after the commencement of the Civil War.

Douglass returned, and advised the president to free the slaves and recruit them for military service.  After the emancipation proclamation they were accepted for service, and Douglass worked with recruitment.  He also worked for African American soldiers to receive equal pay.

At Lincoln’s second inauguration he visited the White House, but guards would not let him enter.  African Americans had never before been invited to a social occasion at the White House.  However, President Lincoln saw him, and invited him in, said there is my good friend Frederick Douglass.  He asked for his critique of his inaugural address.  This may have been the first time an African American had been invited into the White House for such an occasion.

Douglass fulfilled many government positions by appointment after this.  His wife died after 44 years of marriage, and he went into a period of melancholy before being able to return to work.  Douglass did another thing that was unheard of at that time.  He married a White woman, Helen Pitts, who had been his clerk. 

Frederick Douglass did a great deal towards the emancipation of the slaves, and then towards the advancement of African Americans.  He likely did more in this regard than anyone, at least until the fight for Civil Rights.

Slave Fugitive: Mary Price

Mary Price was not an American Slave.  She was part of the British Empire, her family living in Bermuda.  She was the play mate of her master's daughter.  She was too young to understand her condition as a slave, but the master's daughter would call her "my little nigger."  At twelve, the family was short of money, and Mary  and two of her sisters were to be sole.  Her mother said, "See, I am shrouding my poor children." Mary and her sisters were sold like cattle.
She now belonged to Captain and Mrs. I.  She received 100 lashes for breaking a jar.  She befriended another slave, who milked the cow.  The cow got loss and the friend was beaten to death.  Then it fell to Mary to milk the cow.  This lead to several more beatings.  She was hipped and badly injured, so she ran away home to her mother.  Her father took her back a few days later, asking that they not beat her.  This only changed their behavior for a few days.
She was sold after five years to Mr. D. who took her to Turks Islands, where she worked in salt ponds.  This was terrible labor.  The salt caused great boils.  If they did not work fast enough, he would hang them by the wrists for a beating.  This finished with salt water being splashed on the wounds which caused greater pain.  "Oh--the horrors of slavery" she said of this time.  Mr. D's son served as overseer, and was crueler than her father. 
Mr. D returned to Bermuda with Mr. D.  She was able to see her mother (her father had passed away).  However Mr. D. now began using her for sex, raping her as he wanted.
She eventually convinced Mr. D. to sell her.  She was moved to Antigua, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wood.  She was over worked.  She suffered from arthritis due to past miss treatment, but was still expected to do her work.  She developed a skin infection, and couldn't walk.  She was kicked out of the home to the shed, to live or die.  A neighbor heard her moans and procured medical attention for her.
She married a free man, and her owners were disappointed they had not been asked for permission.  Her husband lived in the shed.  She asked about purchasing her freedom, and was laughed at. 
Her owners too her to England, perhaps to end her marriage.  She was still invalid but required to work.  Three times the family mocked her, if you don't like it, leave.  On the fourth invitation, she shocked them by leaving. 
She found help from religious groups as well as from anti-slavery groups.  The idea of emancipation was being debated in England at the time.  Mary was helped to publish her history, and this history was  read by many in Parliament.  In 1833 a law abolishing slavery the next year was passed.  Mary had a part in this.

Book Review: Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad, Division of Publications, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., 1998.

This book is produced by the National Park Service at the request of congress.  It is a book which tells the story of the Underground Railroad, and not so much as to where or what building were involved.  Because accurate records were generally not kept on purpose, as they could be incriminating, many of the stories have basis in fact, but also tend to myth. 

This book gives the best history of slavery I have come across.  450,000 Africans were sold into slavery in the United States.  This was due mostly to the need for labor and slaves worked in agriculture, mining and other businesses.  The journey from Africa could be hazardous.  Slaves were generally transported in the hold, with a roof between four and two feet.  They were very crowded, and often feet and heads over lapped.  There was no facility for using the restroom, and so the slaves had to lie in their own filth.  It is said that you could tell a slave ship was coming by the smell, before you could see it.  The mortality rate was always over 10 percent, and sometimes much higher.  It is estimated several million African died being shipped to the Americas (both North and South). 

Slavery was practiced in all the original thirteen colonies.  However all of the Northern States eventually did away with slavery.  By 1860 only 15 states allowed the practice of slavery.  In this year there were almost 4 million slaves in the United States.  There were 488,000 free blacks.  These were from self-purchase, children of freed blacks, and because in the North many owners had freed their slaves as laws with regards to slavery changed.

In the South, it was difficult for a slave family to remain intact.  The statement, “sold down the river” referred to the process of the slave trade, where the more northern Southern states were used for breeding, and then the slaves were sold south to the cotton fields or other needs.

The Underground Railroad was active from when the first slave tried to escape.  For the most part this was a way to refer to those helping escaped slaves.  They used railroad terms, but in no way ran an actual railroad.  Terms used included conductors (those who helped the fleeing slaves), stations (homes where they could layover), routes, cargoes (fleeing slave), packages and passengers.  The word underground refers to the clandestine nature of the help, not to an actual tunnel.  The goal for most fleeing slaves was Canada.  This is because in 1830s the British Empire had outlawed slavery, and British courts had ruled there was no requirement to return slaves.  Other destination might include Europe, Mexico, the West, and the Caribbean.  There are many daring tales of escape.  This include shipping yourself in a box, the wife of a husband and wife pair dressing her as a Southern master and traveling in disguise.  There are also many heroes of the Underground railroad, including Blacks and Whites.  Frederick Douglas was an outgoing spokesman, as well as a station master.  Some cities were known for their efforts in this regard, including Oberlin and Ripley, Ohio, Washington D.C. and other communities. 

After the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850,  even free Blacks were kidnapped and taken south.  There were groups formed to keep an eye on slave-hunters.

This book is very concise and very informative.  I enjoyed it greatly.

Movie Review: ****Lincoln (2012)

This movie is fascinating.  It is directed by Stephen Spielberg and stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field as the president and his wife.  This movie is a historical presentation of the thirteenth amendment and the difficulty with getting it passed, and President Lincoln's desire to get it passed during the lame-duck congress, after the Democrats had been defeated in the house.  He did not want to wait for the new congress to be seated, for if the war should conclude he might lose the people's motivation to pass the amendment; and that in passing it might quicken the end of the war. 
The movie does not present the early parts of the war, in fact Lee and Grant are already facing each other at Petersburg, and Lincoln has won reelection, in the same election that swept many Democrats out of congress.
The passing of the thirteenth amendment was not easy as the movie portrays, and the movie shows the political moves, and promises Lincoln pulled out to official abolish slavery in the United States.  Political victory would require 20 votes from across the aisle, while not losing any votes from the Republican Party. 
The witticisms of Abraham Lincoln made for an enjoyable part of the movie, and I remember thinking during the movie, I wish I had written that down.  Also his humorous stories kept the movie light, because the movie was heavy. 
This movie was not a biography of Lincoln, nor was it a history of the civil war.  It had very little of the actual action, other than some Africa Americans telling their story, and showing the result of battle.  The Gettysburg Address is recited at the beginning of the move, and towards the end we see words from Lincoln's second inauguration. 
The movie also does a very good job of portraying the son's of Mary and Abraham Lincoln.  Robert, his oldest who wants to be in uniform rather than at school.  He finally gets his wish, being placed on Grant's staff.  Tad, his youngest is dealing with the death of the middle brother, Willie.  He views lithographs of slaves, and is very much interested in the freedom of the slaves.
The other actors do a very good job.  You would think a movie spending much of its time showing congress would be boring.  In this case it was not, because the story took place in congress, and the manipulations, name calling, and in some cases restraining of one's opinions to get the amendment passed, were fascinating. Tommy Lee Jones as Representative Stephens from Ohio was terrific.
A very enjoyable movie.