Unit Reflections Blog Two

 In chapter 5, I learned about the closing of the U.S. slave trade. Although, this stopped the importation of slaves from Africa to the U.S., it did not aid any of the slaves who were already in the U.S. at the time. This is why the end of the slave trade is considered a pro-slavery act, even though it ended the importation of slaves from Africa to the U.S. I found this fact the most interesting in chapter 5 because, this to me feels like America is taking its first steps to ending slavery.

In chapter 6, I learned about the organization and conditions of slave labor. The way plantation owners organized their slaves was by their age, enslaved children who were listed as quarter hands, then when they reach the age of 12 they are listed as 1/2 hands, and finally when they reach the age of 13 or 14 they are listed as a full hand. The labor conditions that a full hand (either man or woman) was expected to pick up at least a 100 pounds of cotton a day. This was the most interesting fact in chapter 6 to me because, it tells us how plantation owners measures the value of their slaves throughout their servitude.

In chapter 7, I learned about the economic struggles of black people in employment. As more European immigrants entered the United States black people found it severely difficult to gain employment. In continuation, white skilled tradesmen who had apprenticeships programs would not take on young black males. Another example of why black people struggled economically is because, white workers used violence to scare black business owners out of business. I found this fact the most interesting in chapter 7, because, it showed us how much white people didn't want to see black people succeed economically in employment.

In chapter 8, what I found the most interesting was the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a network of safe houses that harbored fugitive slaves escaping from the Upper South States. There is hardly any information about the Underground Railroad because, it needed to remain secret to protect slaves who escaped from their masters. I chose the Underground Railroad because, this demonstrates the slaves will to seek freedom and escape the shackles of confinement.

In chapter 9, I found the Brooks-Sumner Incident the most interesting. The incident was about Charles Sumner accusing South Carolina Andrew P. Butler of keeping a slave as his lover. Furthermore, because of Sumner's accusations against Senator Butler, Brooks, who is a distant relative of Butler, decided to attack Sumner out of revenge, thus creating the Brooks-Sumner Incident. This grabbed my attention because of Sumner's allegations of Butler being with a slave woman this assault drove America to Civil War.