1、CivilWarReconstruction:Lecture5TranJanuary292008backProfessDavidBlight:InsomewaysthegreatestwitnessestherearemanymanywitnessesofthecomingoftheCivilWarwhatcauseditwhatspercolatingfrombeneaththesocietyoftheSouthwevelookeda

2、tthesocietyoftheNthinsomanywaysofcoursethegreatestwitnessestheirstieshaveonlybeenwithusinaseriousrobustwayfthepastcoupleofdecadessoafewdecadesarethoseoftheslavesthemselves.Ifitwassomehowallabouttheminvaryingkindofironicw

3、aysfolksonbothsideswillsaythatifitissomehowallaboutthemwhatdidtheythinkThisweekyourereadingthegreatestoftheslavenarratives.FrederickDouglasssfirstautobiographypublishedin1845isIstillwouldmaintainthegreatestoftheslavenarr

4、ativescertainlyinaliterarysense.Hewasanalmostmysticallybrilliantwriterfonesoyoung.Hefirstdraftedthiswhenhewas26.Heescapedfromslaverywhenhewas20yearsold.Youllfindoutinthetexthowhelearnedhisliteracy.Helearneditfirstfromhis

5、whitemistressMissSophiawhobecamelikeanangelicmotherfiguretohimuntilshetooklanguageawayfromhim.ThebookisfullofmetaphitisfullofonekindoftalestyafteranotherthatDouglassshapesintotellingafreesty.Tellingafreestyasthegreatlite

6、rarycriticofthisgenreBillrewshasputit.FafugitiveslavetoemergeintheNthernstatesfthatmatterafugitiveslavewhogoestoBritainlikeOlaudahEquianodidAfricanbnsowestillthinkwriteshisstyinBritainbutfafugitiveslavetowritehisherstypu

7、blishitinEnglishinthewesternwldwastosay:“ImapersonoflettersIamsomebodyIhaveahistyIamfreebutIamnotfreeuntilyouletmewriteIwillmakemyselffreeifImustbytellingyouwhoIam.“WhenafugitiveslavecouldgotoEnglholduphisbookinfrontofhu

8、geaudiencesDouglassspokeinLondonatonepointbefe10000peoplein1846hecouldholdhislittlebookupinhishhecouldprobablyatthatmomentfeelfreerthanhedeverfeltbecausehecouldactuallysay“thisiswhoIamImnotamanufacturedidentityImnotwhaty

9、ounecessarilywantmetobe.Iwonttalkthewayyouexpectmetotalk.IwontscratchmyheadwhenItellmysty.“Butwhatasty.WhenIwasafledglinggraduatestudentnotknowingwhatIwasdoingwritingadissertationonFrederickDouglassacoupleafewdecadesagoa

10、newbookhadcomeoutcalledYoungFrederickDouglass.ItwasawonderfulstudyofDouglasssyouth.Ithadbeenwrittenbyajournalistsohewashardtofindhewasntanacademic.ThisispreemailpreGoogleprelotsofthings.IwrotetohispublisherJohnsHopkinsUn

11、iversityPresssaidcanyougivemeaphonenumberfDickPrestonDicksonPrestonwashisname.Theysaid“yeshereshisphonenumber.“IwasinWashingtonD.C.doingresearchcalledhim.HelivedontheEasternSheofMarylthatmuchIknewwhichiswhereDouglassgrew

12、up.IdidntknowmuchaboutDickexceptthathehadwrittenthisextradinarybookonDouglasssyouth.InfactitwasPrestonwhoactuallydiscoveredDouglasssbirthdate.Douglasswasoneyearyoungerthanheevernarrativeswereabout.Theywereactsoftellingth

13、atinsomewaysmadethefmerslavealmostliterallyfreebyanactoflanguage.Languageitselftoafmerslavewhocouldwritewasafmofliberation.Wetendtotakeitfgrantedtodaythesebookslanguage.Okayabolitionismitsroots.Refmersthebarrierstheyface

14、d.Imgoingtorunthroughthiswithsomespeedthenthestagesinthedevelopmentofanantislaveryimpulseletscallitthattobeginwith.ItbeginswiththisideaofcolonizationcolonizingAfricanAmericanfreedpeoplefmerslavesoutsidetheUnitedStatesani

15、deathatneverlostitskindofbeguilingholdontheAmericanimaginationevenwellaftertheCivilWarironically.thenontoameradicalizedfmofantislaverythinkingactionexemplifiedespeciallybyWilliamLloydGarrisonbutbyahostofotherblackwhiteab

16、olitionists.thenIwanttowkyouatleasttothestyinmythrealityoftheUndergroundRailroadsinceitissomuchapartofourimaginationofthisstyitwouldatleastIhopetakeustothepointofunderstingwhythatFugitiveSlaveActthatwellhearaboutonThursd

17、ayintonextweekthatFugitivethatFederalFugitiveSlaveActpassedin1850inthecompromiseof1850thatflowedoutoftheMexicanWarwhythatFugitiveSlaveActwassopertinentsodivisivesosignificantinthekindsofwaysAmericanswerebeginningtodivide

18、overthefutureoffreelabslavelabwhatever.TheymayhavethoughtaboutAfricanAmericansastheirneighbs.ButpermitmetouseEmersonagainatleastbriefly.Thisideaofrefm.ImentionedlasttimethatstofendedtherethatinAmericanHistywevehadatleast

19、fourmajrefmeraswavesofrefm.certainlythisisthefirst.InAntebellumAmericafromthe1820sthroughthe1850sallkindsofrefmfermentcametothesurface.SometimesthatwasagainstfloggingintheNavy.Sometimesitwasinutopianexperimentscommunitie

20、s.SometimesthatwasinWomensRights.SometimesthatwasinTemperancewhichwasbyfarthatistheantialcoholantiboozeantidemonrummovementTemperancewasbyfarthemostwidespreadAmericanrefmmovementinpreCivilWartimes.Itwasprobablytheonlymaj

21、refmmovementthatgotaholdintheSouth.PersonalrefmofsomestwassomethingthatthatSouthernsocietywelookedataslavesocietyaveryhierarchicalsocietycertainkindsofpersonalrefmthatdealtwithpersonalpietybehavicouldtakeholdintheSouthbr

22、oadersocialrefmsthatwouldchallengethesocialdernotsomuch.ButlistentoEmerson.Inhisessaycalled“MantheRefmer“thinkaboutourowntimes.“Whatismanbnf“saidEmerson.“Whatismanbnfbuttobearefmer“Nowhemayberightwrongaboutthisyoucandeci

23、de.“AremakerofwhatmanhasmadearenouncerofliesaresteroftruthgoodimitatingthatgreatNature“notethemetaphhere“whichembosomsusallwhichsleepsnomomentonanoldpastbuteveryhourrepairsherselfyieldinguseverymninganewdaywitheverypulsa

24、tionanewlife.Lethimrenounceeverythingwhichisnottruetohimputallhispracticesbackontheirfirstthoughtsdonothingfwhichhehasnotthewholewldfhisreason.“Emersonisarguingrightwrongthatyouarearefmerbynature.Naturerecreatesitselfdai