Summary of the Narrative of Mary Reynolds
In her interview with the Federal Writers’ Project in Dallas, Texas, in 1937, Mary Reynolds provided more information about her life. Mary Reynolds was born in Louisiana in 1832 to a free black father and an enslaved mother. Reynolds grew up on the plantation owned by her father’s white employer (National Humanities Center b, 1). The harsh conditions of slavery deeply affected her early life, as she was often beaten by her master and forced to work long hours in the fields.
Reynolds was given over to a new master in 1852, who was even crueler than her former one. Reynolds was made to work in the kitchen by the new master, who frequently thrashed her for making even the most minor error. When the Civil War ended and slavery was outlawed in 1865, Reynolds’ life was drastically altered. Reynolds was reunited with her family once she was ultimately set free. After the war, she relocated to Texas, where she spent the last years of her life in peace and independence.
The story of Mary Reynolds offers a first-person description of the atrocities of slavery. Her experience reminds us of the enslaved people’s tenacity and fortitude in the face of this harsh system. Reynolds’s story is also a monument to the strength of freedom. She managed to rise above the struggles of slavery and lead a long and fulfilling life in freedom.
Summary of the Narrative of James Albert Uriah Stroyer
The book Jacob Stroyer, My Life in the South chronicles the life of James Albert Uriah Stroyer, who was born in Maryland in 1819 to a white father and a black mother. His father had a plantation where he was raised. The terrible realities of slavery left their mark on Stroyer’s early years. He was regularly beaten by his master while being made to labor long hours in the fields.
Stroyer was able to leave for Pennsylvania in 1855 and find freedom. He made his home in Philadelphia, where he practiced religion and taught. Stroyer’s story offers a first-person perspective of the atrocities of slavery. His story serves as a reminder of the grit and tenacity of the enslaved people who withstood this harsh system (National Humanities Center, a, 3). The story of Stroyer is another example of the strength of freedom. He overcame the horrors of slavery and lived a long and fulfilling life in freedom.
Major Historical Events
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a landmark event in American history. It was a legislative agreement to maintain the balance of power between free and enslaved persons in the states. The admission of Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state helped preserve the delicate equilibrium in the United States Senate (Herschbach 4). Additionally, the compromise established the 36°30′ parallel as the boundary line, prohibiting slavery in the northern territories of the Louisiana Purchase. While the Missouri Compromise temporarily eased tensions, it also highlighted the growing divide between the North and the South over the issue of slavery.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was a pivotal moment leading up to the Civil War. It repealed the Missouri Compromise, allowing the residents of the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery or not (Wunder 1). This concept, known as popular sovereignty, heightened sectional tensions as pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions flooded Kansas to influence the outcome. The act widened the ideological and political gap between the North and the South, which fueled violence and helped the war between the two parts of the world progress.
The Dred Scott case, a Supreme Court ruling from 1857, significantly impacted how African Americans were treated and the spread of slavery. In this case, African Americans, whether gratis or enslaved, were not United States citizens and hence were not qualified to bring a complaint in federal courts (Doubravová 1). The federal government’s capacity to restrict the spread of slavery was also believed to be constrained by the ruling’s argument that Congress lacked the authority to outlaw slavery in the territories. The choice sharply polarized opinions on slavery and deepened the divide between the North and the South.
The Civil War of 1861-1865 was a watershed event in American history. The institution of slavery and the Southern states’ desire to leave the Union were the leading causes of the conflict (Dana 11). The Union, commanded by President Abraham Lincoln, aspired to reunite the country and abolish slavery.
At the same time, the Confederacy, which stood in for the seceded Southern states, sought to maintain the institution of slavery (Dana 34). The Emancipation Proclamation, which freed African Americans from slavery, and the eventual adoption of the 13th Amendment, which formally abolished slavery in the US, were both influenced by the Union’s success in the war. The Civil War had significant ramifications for the country, including the preservation of the Union, the abolition of slavery, and the redefining of the federal-state relationship.
Comparison of the Two Narratives
James Albert Uriah Stroyer and Mary Reynolds were both born into slavery and were subjected to the brutal reality of bondage. They were forced to work long hours, were physically abused, and were frequently threatened with being taken away from their families. Both accounts emphasize the fortitude and tenacity of the enslaved people who underwent these adversities. However, there are specific differences in their backgrounds as well. Mary Reynolds’ treatment on the plantation may have been influenced by the fact that she was born to a free black father and an enslaved mother. She claims the plantation where she grew up belonged to her father’s white employer (National Humanities Center b, 2).
James Albert Uriah Stroyer, on the other hand, was the child of a white father and a black mother. Stroyer’s story doesn’t specify who owned the property where he was raised. Additionally, their paths to freedom differed. Mary Reynolds experienced the abolition of slavery in 1865 when the Civil War ended, while James Albert Uriah Stroyer escaped to Pennsylvania in 1855. Reynolds reunited with her family and moved to Texas after the war, while Stroyer settled in Philadelphia and became a minister and teacher (National Humanities Center, a, 10).
Response/Reflection
Slave tales were composed for several different purposes. First and foremost, they offered harrowing first-person descriptions of the atrocities of slavery, giving readers a real-world look at what enslaved people went through. These stories seek to educate the general public about the cruelties and injustices associated with the institution of slavery. Formerly enslaved people challenged the prevalent pro-slavery narratives and explanations by telling their tales to elicit empathy and compassion.
Additionally, slave narratives were crucial for capturing history from the viewpoint of the oppressed. They made vital primary documents available for historians, scholars, and future generations to examine to learn more about enslaved people’s daily difficulties, victories, and struggles. Students can gain a more complete and nuanced perspective of American history by reading these experiences, moving beyond the sanitized versions frequently offered in textbooks.
Three pieces of information that the documents tell us about life in the U.S. for enslaved people include:
- The oppressive physical and psychological conditions of slavery: Both stories describe the long hours of labor and physical mistreatment that enslaved people experienced. Mary Reynolds talks about being beaten by her masters and made to work in the fields against her will (National Humanities Center, a, 6). James Albert Uriah Stroyer also talks about the grueling task and the continual worry that his master will punish him.
- Family separation as a perpetual threat: Both stories emphasize the pervasive danger of being separated from loved ones. Mary Reynolds talks of being sold to a new master and cut apart from her family (National Humanities Center b, 3). Although familial separation is not mentioned explicitly in Stroyer’s story, it is hinted that it is a common worry and reality for enslaved people.
- The significance of freedom and the transformational potential of freedom are emphasized in both stories. After winning their freedom, Reynolds and Stroyer saw a tremendous change in their lives. Stroyer settled in Philadelphia, studied school, and eventually became a priest, while Reynolds talks about being able to reconnect with her family and lead a quiet life there. These stories show how liberation gave people who had been held captive strength and hope.
The selling of Mary Reynolds to a new master in 1852 shocked me in her account of events. The fact that she was exposed to even greater abuse under her new owner made this event significant because it marked a turning point in her life. She was shocked by the roughness she had to deal with and how it affected her daily life and well-being. Mary Reynolds describes her new master and her former master as being abusive in terms of their personalities (National Humanities Center b, 5).
She talks about how her first master beat her and how her new owner was even crueler, making her labor in the kitchen and punishing her for little things. These incidents of physical abuse show that both of the masters were violent. They showed their lack of concern for Mary Reynolds’ welfare and their use of authority and control over her as an enslaved person through the physical abuse and mistreatment she endured. These instances of mistreatment serve as a sobering reminder of the cruel treatment many enslaved people received from their masters.
Stroyer’s escape to Pennsylvania in 1855 was a pivotal moment in his life, liberating him from slavery and starting a new chapter as a free man. His bravery and determination in such a daring escape are commendable and inspiring. While Stroyer doesn’t explicitly describe his master’s personality, the need to flee suggests a likely oppressive and brutal owner (National Humanities Center, a, 9).
His willingness to risk his life for freedom speaks to the unbearable conditions he endured under his master’s control. Both stories highlight the brutality of slavery and the resilience of those enslaved. They shed light on the physical and mental struggles, the constant fear of separation from loved ones, and the transformative power of freedom. Reading these narratives is crucial for students to grasp enslaved individuals’ true history and experiences. It challenges sanitized narratives, encourages empathy and critical thinking, and fosters awareness of the lasting impact of slavery in the US.
Works Cited
Dana, C. A. (2022). Recollections of the Civil War. DigiCat.
Doubravová, L. (2021). The 1857 Dred Scott Decision. Franklin Watts, Incorporated.
Herschbach, E. (2019). Slavery and the Missouri Compromise. Weigl Publishers.
National Humanities Center a. Jacob Stroyer, My Life in the South, 3d ed., 1885. Web.
National Humanities Center b. WPA Narrative of Mary Reynolds, ca. 1937. Web.
Wunder, J. R. (2020). The F Street Mess: How Southern Senators Rewrote the Kansas-Nebraska Act by Alice Elizabeth Malavasic. Civil War History, 66(1), 92-93. Web.