Introduction
People today can sit back relax and watch a movie. This same person could learn about the beauty and the diversity of people living in the United States. Children could watch movies where the White American cowboys would massacre a group of American Indians. We would cheer when the cowboys eliminated the bow and arrow Indians with the guns that they carry. We would also see the story of the American Civil War later in the future movie world. We can also see movies of how the slaves were treated as priced possessions of the White Americans. The first article below focuses on the life of one African American. The two articles show how hard a person works for the same game. The following paragraphs will explain in detail the two articles on slavery and the African American’s struggle to break away from the heavy and long bonds of slavery.
Summary
The article shows how popular Dred Scott Was. Jake Wagman was interested to know the real life story of Dred Scott. Dred Scott, his wife Harriet and their two children were the topics of the story. Wagman was bemused when he thought that it was easy for someone to give a new street name by using someone’s name. The people of Lousiana gathered on the streets of the courtyard where High Jury and entertainers one hundred fifty years after Dredd Scott was granted his freedom. His freedom was due to Mr. Blow’s heart. Mr. Blow paid for the freedom of Dred Scott. Many African American leaders, activists and even historians had gathered together in front of the Louisiana court yard to celebrate one hundred fifty years of the Court’s handing down the decision to keep a person a slave for the rest of his or her early life.
Mr. Wagman stated that Dred Scott was an African American. He was brought into the United States from Africa. He was made into a slave. Dred Scott had filed a letter in the court of Lousiana. He persuaded the courts in Lousiana to grant him and his family freedom. His court request was decided against him. He lost his case. He again applied for an appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The 1857 decision of the Supreme Court was to rule against Dredd Scott. The Supreme Court opined that all slaves that had been imported from Africa and the like as well as their children and children’s children shall continue to remain slaves. The same court reiterated that the African American slaves shall do whatever chores the White American slave masters instructed. The U.S. Courts of yesteryears believe that the African Americans are not on equal footing with their Caucasian neighbors.
Normally, some fairy tale stories remain end with a happy ending. Dred Scott finally got his freedom. This freedom could be interpreted two of many ways. One way of interpreting the results is that Dredd Scott was finally free. The sad interpretation of the article is that the freedom was short lived. Finally, Dred Scott can spend lots and lots of time viewing the entire United States freely. However, he needed money to pay for the rides he will take. In African American history, March 2007 date is very important on the descendants of soldiers from the African American side. Many people gathered on this fateful day to celebrate the difficulties that Dredd Scott had to fear. For, this was the 150th year of Dred Scott’s bravery to face the strong winds and qualities. The Street was later renamed as Dred Scott Street.
Research Material I found on the topic
The article entitled U.S. House of Representatives Issues apology for Slavery, Segregation Laws shows that the member of the law making body admitted that their forefathers were wrong in making these harsh and inhuman laws. They were talking about the laws that instilled in the minds of the American White people that the African Americans were lower forms of animals. Biology teaches us that humans are part of the animal kingdom. The 2008 journal article shows that the law makers made an official apology to the African Americans for prior laws that had wronged them. These laws included the Slavery and Jim Crow laws which have brought about Civil war and beautiful literary pieces like The Beloved. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
This ‘sorry’ resolution was the brainchild of Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen. He was the only Caucasian American who won in a community that was to vote on the side of the African Americans. However, the Cohen resolution did not take up the matter of paying the aggrieved African Americans for the atrocities done by their White ancestors on the African Americans. Cohen admitted that the Jim Crow law and the Slavery laws were stains that destroyed the beautiful image of the greatest nation on the living planet, Earth. This ‘sorry’ resolution was the collaboration of forty two members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
What did the additional website tell me?
Introduction
The additional website tells me that the story of Dred Scott is a reality and not the work of fairy tale story maker or a non –fiction writer. The additional website reinforces the story of Dred Scott. Dred Scott was treated as if he and his kind were not equal in terms of applying for a job, places to visit, owning a home, places to have fun and the like. In fact, the slaves of Dred Scott’s time were treated as properties. Properties include tables, chairs, cars, watches, homes, land, buildings, and other material possessions.
The new website also tells me that Dredd Scott was fighting an uphill battle to be free himself from the bonds of slavery. The African American mother in the story of The Beloved even went to the point of killing her own daughter in order prevent the selling of her daughter to the White Americans. The website tells me that Dredd Scott was a victim of the unfair and inhuman laws of his time. The story of Dredd Scott is the story of a man trapped in world that he longed to get away from. The story of Dred Scott tells us that a person who is penalized to live as a slave for the rest of his or her life is a very painful experience. The additional website also tells me that times have changed. Also, time heals all wounds. And, the additional website tells us that the current generation of lawmakers graciously admitted the injustice done by their ancestors. The law makers also ask forgiveness for the life long wrongs of the lawmakers during the time of their ancestors. This is a very touching scene because
Does the new article go along with the Common –Place article?
The new article goes along with the Common –Place article. Both Articles speak of tales that are sad and nightmarish. People of our generation would feel uncomfortable if we were suddenly catapulted by a time travel machine to the pre civil war period. We would either be for slavery or against the imposition of the slavery laws. The White Americans of the South, like Virginia, preferred to have slaves because they needed the slaves to work in the farms. The Southerners or confederates believed that they have the right to keep their possessions. And, the African American slaves were part of the personal property of the White Americans.
On the other hand, the two articles show that many White Americans were also against the imposition of the slavery laws and the Jim Crow statutes. The Northerners who belong to the Union states during the United States civil war believed that slavery should be abolished. For, they believed that all men, including the African Americans should be treated as equal in all facets of human interaction.
In retrospect, the issue of slavery would not have been an issue if the African Americans were strong. Strength includes using the mind and the heart to get things done. The African Americans were inspired by Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream” article. He dreamed that someday all humans including African Americans could see each other on equal footing. He dreamed that he would live long enough to see that his dream a reality. The current American situation is better because the practice of slavery and its cousin, discrimination, is punishable by the New United States laws.
Conclusion
Come to think of it, Michael Jackson and the famous TV talk show host Oprah and the African American basketball players in the NBA would still be slaves today if the Southerners had won the war. The two articles above plain show in grotesque display the way the people of the pre civil war period treated the African Americans. For, the slaves were human beings that were captured and brought into the United States to be bought and sold as property.
And, Dred Scott was bold enough to file a petition in court asking that he and his immediate family members be made a free man. His bid failed because the laws in the United States favored the White Americans. The Supreme Justice was just implementing the inhuman laws approved by the United States law makers. The second article bolsters the first article’s claims. The law makers admitted and asked forgiveness for the wrongful slavery laws and Jim Crow laws. These laws offended the African American for many years. Conclusively, these two articles tell us that slavery was once a part of the African American Life. This former life should now be part of history. The two articles are not fairy tales or article that would amuse. Rather, the two articles vividly and painstakingly show that the evil of slavery and its cousin, discrimination, should be totally banned from the day to day relationship between the White race and the other races like the Asians, the African Americans and the Jews.
References
Arenson, A., Freeing Dred Scott, 2008. Web.
U.S. House of Representatives issues apology for Slavery, segregation laws, 2008. Web.