Class Discussion 2.28

Mary Kantz Article Response

 

During the discussion we brought up the point that we should ask ourselves, “so what?”. When I introduced my thesis to the class it made me realize, so what? How am I going to turn this into a topic that my readers will care about? That is when I knew I would have to dig much deeper into my sources to find a sub-sub topic to analyze. I really want  this paper to bring up an issue that perhaps hasn’t been introduced too often.

 

My topic focuses around the third alternative of protesting, a combination of the two to achieve goals. The only way to do this is to find failures of protests that we isolated, either completely peaceful or total violent revolting. Now the problem with this is that the most renowned protest were either solely non violent such as boycotts or Gandhi’s hunger strikes. And on the flip side the greatest revolts were successful in uprooting corruption. However, I believe there are many instances where there was an opposition (as in violent with non violent backing) that assisted these protests. I need this paper to have purpose rather than spit out the fact, make the audience give a “damn”. 

Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively

Annotations:

p.38- "It is easier to use whatever one likes, or everything one finds, than to formally select, evaluate, and interpret material". The author brings up a point that all of undergraduate students fall into, especially when writing last minute. Instead of being selective about our sources, we fall into the trend that if we find a source that relates to our topic- then it is going into the paper. It is always easier... this motto is great to remember when writing a research paper. The route you are taking maybe the easier one, but it is not necessarily going to be beneficial in the long run.

P.40- Reasons why it is difficult to form an original opinion:
1) Many students like Shirley misunderstand sources because they read them as stories
2) Many students expect their sources to tell the truth; hence, they equate persuasive writing in this context with making things up
3) Many students do not create an impression
The biggest error when utilizing sources is that the author is often not taken into account. People write books, articles, etc for a variety of reason to a variety of audience. The reader must step back and see the author's purpose. Without that the source can be misunderstood and useless.

P.43- "Alice, who thinks rhetorically, understands that the only essentially the same kind of statement: they are claims. Alice understands that the only essential difference between a fact and an opinion is how they are received by an audience". A fact is something that when stated by an author is accepted a generally true requiring proof. Whereas an opinion needs extensive back up in order to be accepted by an audience. In research writing this is important because the topic of two separate articles can be the same, but the writers influence on some of the facts may change perspective.

Gallery Exercise Question

Greg Johnson’s Prompt Questions

Essay Title: Lack of Democracy, Lack of Pacification

-       Prompt: Does location have an influence on protest?

Location will most definitely have a large impact on how a person reacts and protests. And there is absolutely a difference in the term choice of react rather than act. The 12 men that started the movement in George Yard acted upon the situation. They recognized a problem, not one that had a negative impact on them and they acted to resolve the problem. The slaves in the Caribbean reacted to the mistreatment, with revolts and various rebellions. A slave was worked to death, literally, and wasn’t about to sit back and take care of the situation democratically. The slaves had to act boldly and quickly; thusly they would violently protest.

-       Where does slavery exist today, why?

Slavery is still all around the world; almost 20 million people are still in bondage. This is because groups of people in undeveloped areas are exploited by those world powers. People are taken from their homes, just as the British press did two hundred years ago. Slavery will continue to exist because the people in bondage are to weak to fight back and no outside source is aiding them democratically. It is difficult to win the fight for freedom with only a violent approach or only a non-violent approach. In “Bury the Chains” the emancipation would not have come to fruition with only Clarkson’s democratic efforts; and reciprocally the slaves in the West Indies could not sustain a war against the British. A similar situation occurred more recently in American History. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Both took opposite approaches towards civil rights, both very effective.

Together: Where slavery still exists today, what techniques are being implemented to achieve freedom and equality?

Pages 324-354,65,66

In the final chapters of Hochschild’s “Bury the Chains” a sense of direction is given for the future of the anti slavery cause. Elizabeth Heyrick once said “truth and justice, make their best way in the world, when they appear in bold simple majesty” (325). She was against the slow implementation, she and many women organizations lobbied for abolishment now. During this lull, the women activists were the only people keeping the dream alive. John Smith, a missionary sent to the West Indies, began to stage another large violent rebellion. The result was fields littered with slaughtered slaves, and Smith was sent to execution, leaving a biblical quote to his legacy. Along with news of another revolt, James Stephen published a book describing slavery in the West Indies to its fullest extent. Another regime change occurred but this time the Duke of Clarence took the throne, and he was against everything Clarkson was for.

The percentage of active voting citizens continued to decrease, putting more power in the hands of fewer. There was talk of a lower and middle class upheaval, such as the French had done. Pro freedom groups and committees continued to form, and plantation owners were always in fear of a possible revolt. Pro slave traders had their backs against the wall. Missionaries were spreading across slave occupied land, spreading their beliefs. Revolts continued more frequently because many believed, “I know I shall die for it, but my children shall be free” (341). Punishments were issued for rebel slaves as well as any whites who assisted. As the Industrial Revolution developed the speed of information increased and word spread. The emancipation bill passed in 1833, but it was less glorious as many slave owners were paid compensation and the black still had to serve 4 years of “apprenticeship”. 276 years of slaves was over, in some British colonies. The chapter concludes with by stating all the famous legacies, such as Charles Darwin and Virginia Woolf, from those who initiated the abolitionist movement. Hochschild seems to mock faith in the last pages, saying that good legal strategy not religious belief lead to freedom.

Chapter 21- A Side Wind

In Chapter 21 of Hochschild’s “Bury the Chains” a new type of strategy is implemented by the abolitionists. The chapter starts with a duel between the Prime Minister and a M.P. which signifies the dividedness of the British Parliament. James Stephen, like Wilberforce, was a conservative except on the topic of slavery, and made it his driving passion to abolish it. He used the St. Domingue revolution as an argument against slavery. Stephen proposed a new bill that banned British subjects from participating in the slave trade to any French colonies- Wilberforce was silent. The slave traders recognized this ‘sidewind’ as a threat and tried to sink it. They claimed that another country would resume the slave trade and not treat them with the same tenderness and care! The bill passed with a large number of supporters. A newly installed Prime Minister Grenville was much more committed to abolition, as slave trade became a serious political position for candidates. People were adopting a plan for a slow abolition rather than immediate and complete abolition; and on March 25, 1807 this bill passed abolishing the trade, followed by many events of resistance. Yet, most of the world still lived in bondage or slavery, the job was far from complete.

At the Foot of Vesuvius (18)

In Chapter 18 (At the Foot of Vesuvius) of Hochschild’s “Bury the Chains” a large revolt takes place in the French colony of St. Domingue. The end of the 18th century was a time of upheaval around the western world. On August 22 a volcano erupted, and the island became chaos, whites were being slaughtered by the hundreds and plantations destroyed. Toussaint, an ex-slave and now slave owner, lead the rebellion. He had witnessed the brutality that the slaves endured, such as owners shooting fruit off slaves’ heads. This revolt was sparked from the news of the French Revolution and gave inspiration to the outnumbering slaves. Many lives were lost on both sides and news traveled and it made the slaves appear as savages and hurt their hopes of freedom. Because St. Domingue was the most profitable, “crown jewel”, of the West Indies it would be difficult to surrender to rebels. The island was well developed and even had an active social life such as theaters, and even a competitive prostitution ring. People fled here to escape their past troubles back in Britain. On February 4, 1794 France declared freedom of all slaves; however, it was the slaves on St. Domingue who freed themselves. Soon, Britain took back the island and put the black back into slavery and a war between the slaves, French and British ensued. Toussaint rallied a great force to defend the island, while the British slowly decayed from malaria and poor strategy. The humid climate was not suitable for the British’s signature heavy red coats. The British soldiers got a brief taste of the harsh conditions that slaves have lived under, and some soldiers would eventually give testimonies. Still, slaves continued to be traded amongst the war. Toussaint’s few hundred followers had grown to 14,000 and the diminishing British army was forced to retreat. It was a small victory in the global abolitionist movement.

Reviews/ Criticism

Bury the Chains addresses the innumerable setbacks and eventual success of Britain's abolitionist movement
By Richard Brookhiser

Other than the last two paragraphs of this review, there is nothing to disagree about. The author just lays the facts of the story and gives no insight or bias. Then the end of the article dives right into his opinions. He states that “Bury the Chains suffers, however, from a major flaw, which I can only call Hochschild's dislike of Christianity”. I disagree with this statement only because he goes onto say that Hochschild favors the Quakers. In the book the author gives positives and negatives of both groups. Hochschild idolizes Clarkson throughout the novel and gives him more praise than any other character and he is Anglican. The reason why this critic may see bias in Hochschild’s writing is because at the time of the story there were extreme biases towards certain groups. And the church was deeply part of the slave trade, that was fact- Hochschild was not making it up to put down a group of people. Brookhiser ends by saying that if Jesse Jackson had written the book it would not make the mistake of these biases, which is absolutely false. I cannot say how the story would be altered, but one group of people would absolutely seem belittled. It just depends on the author.

Critic #3
Lazzare makes several good points about Hochschild focusing on only the story of the 12 men, well really 2 or 3 men. There were many issues around the time of the British empancipation such as the American Revolution, French Revolution, boycotting and many others. This story is about the emancipation of the slaves in Britain and Hochschild should have recognize that the movement was much larger than just Clarkson and Wilberforce. I agree with this author in that there could have been more chapter focusing on perhaps the women's role in this movement. Yet I feel as if this book is designed to follow the men that sparked the movement and everything else was a sub topic.

Introduction: Descriptive/Quotation

It took over 2000 years for Aristotle to be proven wrong. Societies since the beginning of time have been convinced that “humanity is divided in two: the masters and slaves” (p.#). It took just one man’s passion to ignite the spirits of an entire generation. Thomas Clarkson and his band of brave men were the original believers in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Clarkson was a wise man who instilled the idea of peaceful protest upon all those that followed the abolitionists’ cause. Ghandi once said that effective boycotting is “a weapon of the strong” (?); and that violence only ensues when one’s mind is no longer in harmony. While many believe that the greatest victories are accomplished on a battlefield only true victories are those that are achieved through effective non violence protests.

Rhetorical Essay Question

This was a supplied question from class: Could/Should Hochschild have given more voice to Africans' accounts of slavery? How so?

It is obvious that this question is about the bias of the author. Hochschild is clear in his writing that he praises the white Britons far more than the African slaves. It isn't that Hochschild is racist, he is just bias because of the documents and facts he is using. At the time, the historical documents were written by white people. As a result of this novel being non fiction, it is difficult to find the records of black authors. This question has much debate that I am very curious to look into.

The Sweets of Liberty (15)

At the beginning of the movement in 1787, there was only a small group of "oddball" supporters. Within a few years over 300,000 people had read Equiano's book. The greatest strength of the abolitionists was the organizational skills of Clarkson which Hochschild commends throughout the novel. This skill was necessary because a lot of the information traveled around at very slow speeds. However, during Britain's industrial revolution, the newly designed postal services were becoming more efficient. Also, with the introduction of the newspaper there were more liberal topics being discussed. It became much easier for a person, probably non-voters, to get their message to the public. Coffeehouses, or 'seats of English liberty', were a great place for citizens to gather and debate various issues. Britain was becoming more proactive.

After discussing all the freedoms and advances, Hochschild goes into the time of slavery that many Britons were forced into. Around the world where Britain occupied, there were revolts that captured British soldiers. The worst type of forced labor was when the government implemented 'the press'. This was a way to recruit members to serve as soldiers. Soldiers would go into various homes and rip men away from their families in order to serve their country. The power was based on violence; therefore there would certainly uprisings and corruption. Many people could place a bribe and have a person carted away by the press. Obviously, this method of conduct would not sustain in Britain.


Just to note on a technique that Hochschild uses to engage the reader is the way he asks questions throughout the novel. He asks, "What was different about Britain?" in regards to the abolition. He then pauses by spacing out the paragraphs, giving the reader a chance to ponder the question. Another point about his writing is that he uses the phrase 'acts of kindness' whenever a white person does anything civil for a slave. If a man saves a slave from one beating he is praised by Hochschild. Just something I noticed.

Essay Topic

This topic may not be feasible to sustain an entire essay, but here it is. How would the abolitionists react if another country had picked up the slave trade after it was abolished in England? Would they proclaim war or take a passive approach?

I feel as if this could be an interesting topic because it was very possible for another country to ensue this profitable industry. And also, the abolitionists were very passive in their efforts, but how would they extinguish another country’s slave trade? Would they take the same steps? It was a possibility and I’m interested with the possibilities.

Chapter 12/13

Chapter 12/13 tells the story of Equiano’s (Gustavus Vasa) famous and influential book tour. He gets the chance to publish his autobiography that was over 530 pages and eventually 8 editions. It was in Equiano’s nature to be an entrepreneur and his intentions were always to push the abolitionists’ movement- but to also make a little profit while doing so. The timing of the release was perfect, him and his “white wife” toured Europe and gained support of eventually millions. Back then even the most famous people read it, and more people today continue to read it. The “Interesting Narrative” was a powerful argument and also proved that Africans were not barbaric and illiterate; also, people liked to read of his action adventure. “Each year more people read it than did so during his entire lifetime”, which is truly amazing.

The boycotts began, people all over the world stopped using sugar produced by slavery. Those companies that advertised “fair trade” were used instead. Indeed sugar was essential for much of daily activity; the movement was strong enough to convince people otherwise. At the time very few had the right to vote, so this boycott was a way for the citizens to show some political efficacy and persuade Parliament. Clarkson published more articles; the “Abstract” was a research report that told all his findings. And for the first time, he never made reference to the Bible.

Chapter 11- Ramsay is Dead- I Have Killed Him

Chapter 11 begins with King George III going insane and parliament had intentions to replace him. However, before this could be done he seemed to recover; they said he suffered from pophyria. In the antislavery movement everything resumed and it became an official investigation. The proslavery argument remained that Britain’s economic foundation rested on the slave trade. On top of that many claimed that the Africans actually rejoiced when they departed Africa. As always, Clarkson traveled the country gathering as much evidence as possible, and this time discovered one of the greatest pieces of evidence for the abolitionist movement: a plate. This plate had the diagram of the slave ship. This sparked great controversy in England and enlightened more than ever. Soon after prices sky rocketed for imported goods, a bold tactic. In the court room Wilberforce spoke with great conviction and had many great points such as “we ought all to plead guilty”, “ships could carry other cargoes”, and also stated that no other country would reinstate the slave trade. The chapter ends with Ramsay being martyred; the stress of the movement killed him. There was also word of a movement in France, so Clarkson headed for Paris.

Chapter 9- Am I Not a Man and a Brother

Clarkson’s mission in Chapter 9 entails him seeking a well know wealthy figure to help him validate his journey. Clarkson sought the help of Mr. Wilberforce to get Parliamentary support. This tactic began to prove successful, new abolitionist articles were being printed to the masses; artist were even beginning to paint anti-slavery pictures. While the movement wasn’t quite mature enough to take on the world, Clarkson started writing another essay with his new material. Members of the cause grew including Josiah Wedgwood who designed pottery and a stamp that had an African man kneeling and saying “Am I not a Man and a Brother. A great new source finally appeared from John Newton, after 30 years retired from the slave trade he published his experiences. With its growing popularity the issue was finally brought to congress but Wilberforce became ill and King George soon after when mad, thus the dates were pushed back.

Whether I Should Get OUT of it Alive- Chapter 8

Chapter 8 opens by reinforcing the fact that an organization to form in protest of an event was quite rare, but after Clarkson this became a common idea. The group started to seem more official as they hired lawyers and met at regular times. The Quakers had a different system of running things based off their religious beliefs, but it worked. Clarkson embarked on several journeys around Britain, preaching his knowledge to whoever would hear it. Sometimes it seemed as though he was in a great deal of danger but this would not stop him from pursuing his goal. Clarkson’s determination was too strong to let him get pushed around. Clarkson’s greatest resource became doctors that travel on the slave ships, as they were educated as well as a primary source. Also, Clarkson was able to preach to a filled church and left the audience with this message from Exodus “thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Hochschild 120).