Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Story of Nat Turners Rebellion

Nat Turner’s Rebellion was an intensely violent episode which broke out in August 1831 when slaves in southeastern Virginia rose up against white residents of the area. During a two-day rampage, more than 50 whites were killed, mostly by being stabbed or hacked to death. The leader of the slave uprising, Nat Turner, was an unusually charismatic character. Though born a slave, he had learned to read. And he was reputed to possess knowledge of scientific subjects. He was also said to experience religious visions, and would preach religion to his fellow slaves. While Nat Turner was able to draw followers to his cause, and organize them to commit murder, his ultimate purpose remains elusive. It was widely assumed that Turner and his followers, numbering about 60 slaves from local farms, intended to flee into a swampy area and essentially live outside society. Yet they didnt seem to make any serious effort to leave the area.   It is possible Turner believed he could invade the local county seat, seize weapons, and make a stand. But the odds of surviving a counterattack from armed citizens, local militia, and even federal troops, would have been remote. Many of the participants in the rebellion, including Turner, were captured and hanged. The bloody uprising against the established order failed. Yet Nat Turner’s Rebellion lived on in popular memory. The slave insurrection in Virginia in 1831 left a long and bitter legacy. The violence unleashed was so shocking that severe measures were put in place to make it more difficult for slaves to learn to read and to travel beyond their homes. And the slave uprising led by Turner would influence attitudes about slavery for decades. Anti-slavery activists, including William Lloyd Garrison and others in the abolitionist movement, saw the actions of Turner and his band as a heroic effort to break the chains of slavery. Pro-slavery Americans, startled and deeply alarmed by the sudden outbreak of violence, began to accuse the small but vocal abolitionist movement of actively motivating slaves to revolt. For years, any action taken by the abolitionist movement, such as the pamphlet campaign of 1835, would be interpreted as an attempt to inspire those in bondage to follow the example of Nat Turner. Life of Nat Turner Nat Turner was born a slave on October 2, 1800, in Southampton County, in southeastern Virginia. As a child he exhibited unusual intelligence, quickly learning to read. He later claimed he could not recall learning to read; he just set about to do it and essentially acquired reading skills spontaneously. Growing up, Turner became obsessed with reading the Bible, and became a self-taught preacher in a slave community. He also claimed to experience religious visions. As a young man, Turner escaped from an overseer and fled into the woods. He remained at large for a month, but then voluntarily returned. He related the experience in his confession, which was published following his execution: About this time I was placed under an overseer, from whom I  ran away —and after remaining in the woods thirty days, I returned, to the astonishment of the negroes on the plantation, who thought I had made my escape to some other part of the country, as my father had done before.But the reason of my return was, that the Spirit appeared to me and said I had my wishes directed to the things of this world, and not to the kingdom of Heaven, and that I should return to the service of my earthly master — For he who knoweth his Masters will,  and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, and thus, have I chastened you. And the negroes found fault, and  murmured against me, saying that if they had my sense they would not serve any master in the world.And about this time I had a vision — and I saw white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened — the thunder rolled in the Heavens, and blood flowed in streams — and I h eard a voice saying, Such is your luck, such you are called to see, and let it come rough or smooth, you must surely bear it.I now withdrew myself as much as my situation would permit, from the intercourse of my fellow servants, for the avowed purpose of serving the Spirit more fully--and it appeared to me, and reminded me of the things it had already shown me, and that it would then reveal to me the knowledge of the elements, the revolution of the planets, the operation of tides, and changes of the seasons.After this revelation in the year 1825, and the knowledge of the elements being made known to me, I sought more than ever to obtain true holiness before the great day of judgment should appear, and then I began to receive the true knowledge of faith. Turner also related that he began to receive other visions. One day, working in the fields, he saw drops of blood on ears of corn. Another day he claimed to have seem images of men, written in blood, on leaves of trees. He interpreted the signs to mean a great day of judgment was at hand. In early 1831 a solar eclipse was interpreted by Turner as a sign that he should act. With his experience of  preaching to other slaves, and he was able to organize a small band to follow him.   The Rebellion In Virginia On a Sunday afternoon, August 21, 1831, a group of four slaves gathered in the woods for a barbecue. As they cooked a pig, Turner joined them, and the group apparently formulated the final plan to attack nearby white landowners that night. In the early morning hours of August 22, 1831, the group attacked the family of the man who owned Turner. By stealthily entering the house, Turner and his men surprised the family in their beds, killing them by slashing them to death with knives and axes. After leaving the familys house, Turners accomplices realized they had left a baby sleeping in a crib. They returned to the house and killed the infant. The brutality and efficiency of the killings would be repeated throughout the day. And as more slaves joined Turner and the original band, the violence quickly escalated. In various small groups, slaves armed with knives and axes would ride up to a house, surprising the residents, and quickly murder them. Within about 48 hours more than 50 white residents of Southampton County were murdered. Word of the outrages spread quickly. At least one local farmer armed his slaves, and they helped fight off a band of Turners disciples. And at least one poor white family, who owned no slaves, were spared by Turner, who told his men to ride past their house and leave them alone. As the groups of rebels struck farmsteads they tended to collect more weapons. Within a day the improvised slave army had obtained firearms and gunpowder. It has been assumed that Turner and his followers may  have intended to march on the county seat of Jerusalem, Virginia, and seize weapons stored there. But a group of armed white citizens managed to find and attack a group of Turners followers before that could happen. A number of rebellious slaves were killed and wounded in that attack, and the rest scattered into the countryside. Nat Turner managed to escape and evade detection for a month. But he was eventually chased down and surrendered. He was imprisoned, put on trial, and hanged. Impact of Nat Turners Rebellion The insurrection in Virginia was reported in a Virginia newspaper, the Richmond Enquirer, on August 26, 1831. The initial reports said local families had been killed, and considerable military force might be required to subdue the disturbers. The article in the Richmond Enquirer mentioned that militia companies were riding to Southampton County, delivering supplies of arms and ammunition. The newspaper, in the same week as the rebellion had occurred, was calling out for vengeance: But that these wretches will rue the day on which they broke loose upon the neighboring population is most certain. A terrible retribution will fall upon their heads. Dearly will they pay for their madness and misdeeds. In the following weeks, newspapers along the East Coast carried news of what was generally termed an insurrection. Even in an era before the penny press and the telegraph, when news still traveled by letter on ship or horseback, accounts from Virginia were published widely. After Turner was captured and jailed, he provided a confession in a series of interviews. A book of his confession was published, and it remains the primary account of his life and deeds during the uprising. As fascinating as Nat Turners confession is, it should probably be considered with some skepticism. It was published, of course, by a white man who was not sympathetic to Turner or to the cause of the enslaved. So its presentation of Turner as perhaps delusional may have been an effort to portray his cause as utterly misguided. Legacy of Nat Turner The abolitionist movement often invoked Nat Turner as a heroic figure who rose up to fight against oppression. Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Toms Cabin, included a portion of Turners confession in the appendix of one of her novels. In 1861, the abolitionist author Thomas Wentworth Higginson, wrote an account of Nat Turners Rebellion for the Atlantic Monthly. His account placed the story in historical context just as the Civil War was beginning. Higginson was not merely an author, but had been an associate of John Brown, to the extent that he was identified as one of the Secret Six who helped finance Browns 1859 raid on a federal armory. John Browns ultimate goal when he launched his raid on Harpers Ferry was to inspire a slave rebellion and succeed where Nat Turners Rebellion, and an earlier slave rebellion planned by Denmark Vesey, had failed.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Langston Hughes, A Prominent And Influential Figure During...

Langston Hughes was a prominent and influential figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes published many works of literature during the 1920s. However, he often neglected to develop a specific subject in his writing, and instead wrote about the common man. The black community was upset with him because they thought he depicted the adversity and negative aspects of black life. The poem I Too exemplifies the matter of the lack of development of a central character. At first glimpse of the poem, one might believe that the poem is written from an oppressed black person’s perspective. However, after further analyzing the true meaning of the poem, the speaker of the poem becomes indistinguishable. The outlook of the poem is clearly stated through a black person’s lens, but the background of the black person is unknown. This poem could have been written from a variety of different upbringings of black people: a past slave, a current servant, or even a black person who was forever free. The criticism Hughes faced for supposedly writing about the hardships black people endured is quite clear because there is no distinct subject of this poem. The black community of the Harlem Renaissance celebrated writing and music to alleviate the pain they endured through history up until that point. Sadly, Hughes’ I Too does not alleviate that pain. Instead, it acts as a deterrent to the joy blacks experienced during the Harlem Renaissan ce because his poem has a high degree ofShow MoreRelatedHarlem And The Middle Of The 1930s1791 Words   |  8 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance was the name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York between the conclusion of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. During this period, Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars. Many had come from the South, fleeing its oppressive caste system in order to find a place where they could freely express their talents; this became known as The Great MigrationRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes And His Harlem Dream1639 Words   |  7 PagesLangston Hughes and His Harlem Dream The 1900s found many African Americans migrating from the south to north of the United States in an event called the Great Migration. Many Southern African-Americans migrated to a place called Harlem and this is where the Harlem renaissance originated from. The Harlem renaissance began just after the first world war and lasted into the early years of the great depression. Harlem became the cynosure for blues and jazz and birthed forth a Negro Artist era calledRead MoreLangston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissance1909 Words   |  8 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance was a social and cultural movement aimed to alter the conventional notion of â€Å"The Negro† and to expound on African American’s adversities through literature, music, and visual arts. After World War I, Harlem, New York became a central location for African Americans for greener pastures and racial equality. Large quantities of black writers, artists, and intellectuals emerged within the urban scene and played a pivotal role of defining the movement in their respective fieldsRead MoreHarlem Renaissance Essay1069 Words   |  5 PagesHARLEM RENAISSANCE Throughout the history of African Americans, there have been important historical figures as well as times. Revered and inspirational leaders and eras like, Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement, Nat Turner and the slave revolt, or Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party. One such period that will always remain a significant part of black art and culture is the Harlem Renaissance. It changed the meaning of art and poetry, as it was known then. Furthermore, theRead More The Harlem Renaissance Essay1031 Words   |  5 PagesHARLEM RENAISSANCE Throughout the history of African Americans, there have been important historical figures as well as times. Revered and inspirational leaders and eras like, Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement, Nat Turner and the slave revolt, or Huey Newton and the Black Panther Party. One such period that will always remain a significant part of black art and culture is the Harlem Renaissance. It changed the meaning of art and poetry, as it was known then. Furthermore, theRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1792 Words   |  8 Pagesdescribes the pitiful rations of food received by the enslaved. 3. Explain the following regarding the Harlem Renaissance (1919-1940) Definition- Harlem Renaissance, a cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, spanned the 1920s. During the time, it was known as the New Negro Movement, named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke. ... The Harlem Renaissance was considered to be a rebirth of African-American arts. Black artist’s common goal- The black artist’sRead MoreHarlem Renaissance Essay1048 Words   |  5 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance was a significant historical movement that originated in Harlem, New York and helped establish the city as an African American cultural center. This period, which lasted from the 1910s to the mid 1930s, is considered a golden age for African American music, art, literature, and performance. As a resurgence of African American art and urbanization began to form, new artistic and social expression began to simultaneously develop in other urban areas as well. The Harlem RenaissanceRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance and Its Effect on African American Literature3258 Words   |  14 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance and its Effect on African American Literature Thesis: The literary movement during the Harlem Renaissance was a raging fire that brought about new life for the African American writer; its flame still burns today through the writings of contemporary African American writers. I. The Harlem Renaissance- Its Beginning and Development II. The Major Writers A. Claude McKay B. Jean Toomer C. Countee Cullen D. Langston Hughes E. Zora Neale Hurston IIIRead MoreThe Legacy Of African Americans2320 Words   |  10 Pagesthe notable African American poets of the past who have paved the way. There are many great African American artists that were very talented poets. Artists such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Gwendolyn Bennett are just a few African Americans who had a momentous influence on writing and poetry in our culture. The Harlem Renaissance was an era when African Americans embraced their talents and created incredible artworks and excelled in certain artistic outlets. These areas ranged from EntertainersRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance By Langston Hughes1703 Words   |  7 Pagesis a quote from a well-known poet by the name of Langston Hughes who served as a prominent figure in African American history and is known for maintaining a significant role in one of the most culturally influential periods for African Americans -The Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance describes a significant era in time where hundreds or artists, writers and musicians living in Harlem came together to form a vibrant, creative community. Hughes along with many other talented and innovative African

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

A Comparison and Contrast of Popular Music Essay Example For Students

A Comparison and Contrast of Popular Music Essay Music has been known to express ideas in human emotion; music can be a release from the hectic world. But people in the asss did not sit back and relax to the sound of Feel It N*gag by 50 cent. In fact, the type of songs that 50 cent sings is far from what people in the asss used to listen to. Even though some elements of music havent changed such as pace and sentimentality in love songs, many styles of music have evolved into more aggressive lyrics and/or very explicit and vulgar wording to fit some American cultures in the year 2006. Words like Niger, the involvement of sexual intercourse, and the presence of violence has manifested itself into songs today, unlike the older musical generation. One of the very little unchanged aspects of music is the pace of love songs. Love songs have two kinds of pace: fast and slow. An example of a fast paced song in the asss is the song by The Platters, The Magic Touch. This song combined the thrill of love and a fast catchy pace. This ingenious aspect is also apparent in the song by Vanessa Carlton, A Thousand Miles. The pace for this song is even faster than The Magic Touch and it is seasoned with the playing of the violin, the second fastest played instrument known to man. Another bridge between the asss and today is the slow pace in other love songs. In the asss, Only You by the Righteous Brothers, the pace is slow. This is evident due to the chord put in C minor which is a line of successive notes that are use as a calming remedy. In Cline Dins song My Heart Will Go On, she prolongs the final notes in order to slow the pace. The use of the lute which calms or soothes the melody of the song also aids in the slowing of the pace or tempo. Although there are some similarities the differences out-weigh them by a great deal. In the asss, aggression was never used in song; it would be banned by the church and labeled as songs of the devil, because of the religious innocence in that time period. It would also be banned by the government because it did not uplift the mood and morale of the veterans who had suffered mentally and physically in World War II. On the other hand, today aggression is greatly used in many examples of USIA, such as Dams previous song Blood of my Blood, where he uses the quote whites wants die why you want try This quote is aggression directed at white Americans due to the racial discrimination in the past. One of the few similarities in music from the asss and the music today is the sentimentality in love songs. In the song by the Righteous Brothers Only you, it is very sentimental; it signifies the singers untold love to someone. The words Only you can make this world seem right explain the extreme sentimental feelings for hat person because of the over romanticizes imagery. Today we also have very sentimental songs such as the musical number by Maria Carrey Life Anti Worth A Comparison and Contrast of Popular Music and Lyrics in the sasss and Today By Squamish sentimentality that is expressed in this song. Finally, one important difference is censorship. In the asss it was impossible to find a song with explicit language, but today, songs are crammed with provocative language and subjects that can be offensive to many people.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Jim O’connors Impossible Normality in the Glass Menagerie free essay sample

In the play â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† Jim plays a pivotal role in bringing out the desires of Tom to fulfillment and breaking Laura’s views of seclusion to the world. He’s an unlikely agent for change and resolution in the plot since he’s a somewhat bland and partially developed character although he is a very likeable person with unshakeable optimism and a ‘go-get-em’ attitude. We, the readers only see this one side to Jim and his character flaws and struggles internally or externally aren’t revealed to us. Williams, the playwright, probably meant Jim to be portrayed this way since the character descriptions preceding the story describe Jim as merely â€Å"a nice, ordinary, young man† while the other descriptions reveal emotionally richer members of the Wingfeld family. Jim does try to understand the natures and struggles of Tom and Laura, and even unabashedly digs down to try to help Laura’s issues of confidence and reclusion. We will write a custom essay sample on Jim O’connors Impossible Normality in the Glass Menagerie or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At the climax of the kiss though, he comically realizes his commitments to his own world and leaves the Wingfeld family in a state of disarray, unaware that he’s altered the dynamics of this family forever. I feel that Jim’s character is not so unique in that any upstanding and confident but yet unavailable man could fill in for his role of bringing the family’s individual desires and secrets to resolution. Thus it feels odd that Jim, this random man, influences the lives of these three desperate and somewhat dysfunctional family members who each prefer to live in their own self-created worlds. Jim could also exemplify the value of normality so desired by this family and less as his own person with personality and struggles. He is slowly but excitedly realizing his dreams of learning and shooting for a corporate office like any good average guy, while Tom wants to flee to his fantasies but his held back by obligations to his family. Jim would also fulfill the direct desires of Amanda, who would then be able to live the life of a proper Southern elderly lady supported by Jim. It’s not so clear what Laura wants but she too needs this person to break out of her shell into reality. The fact that Jim is unavailable to this family was created less out of cruel coincidence but perhaps since the Wingfeld’s don’t deserve normality, their conflicted lives couldn’t handle solutions to their problems, or even hat it would be too easy for Jim to step in and save the day. When Jim leaves their house the Wingfelds, especially Amanda, don’t reflect upon how smoothly their date with the gentlemen caller went, how close Jim was to becoming ‘the one’, or how they could arrange for more and other gentlemen callers to come around later. The simple departure of their caller exacerbates their problems to a new level and they explode with their pent-up frustration except for Laura. Tom finally leaves to pursue his ‘instincts’ after his mother devalues his abilities and Amanda tries to comfort Laura although it probably will be the reverse situation in the future as Laura’s engagement is her sole hope and goal. This is not a happy ending since we can feel the Wingfeld’s continuing issues and inability to reach normality – e. g. Tom still feeling his obligations far away and Amanda’s increasing desperation. The only character we feel hope for, of course, is Laura, but we’ll never know if she does overcome her reclusive nature and get betrothed, a task which would resolve everyone’s problems.