Slave Narratives

Slave Narratives The Beginnings of African-American Literature and America’s first successful literary movement

Learning Target: Students will be able to explain the history of the Slave Narrative genre and its importance to American literary history.

European Comments on Africa Culture Validating Slave Trade ‘I am apt to suspect the Negroes to be naturally inferior to the Whites. There scarcely ever was a civilized nation of that complexion, nor even any individual, eminent either in action or in speculation. No ingenious manufacture among them, no arts, no sciences”. – Philosopher: David Hume (1741) ‘ Africa is no historical part of the world. ' - Philosopher: Georg Wilhelm Hegel (1818)

Pre-Slavery African History In most educational systems, African history “starts” with the Slave Industry. Because of this, many indigenous cultures and customs have been lost to different levels of cultural genocide. Similar to NAOT’s, the preservation of African history before the slave trade has only recently begun.

Facts of African Cultures The oldest remnants of civilization and humanity was found in Chad, Africa. DNA evidence has proven that African bloodlines are found within all human beings. Egyptian cultures are responsible for modern mechanics, philosophy, irrigation, physics, and architecture. Besides Egypt, Africa held numerous cultural empires: Benin, Kongo, Gana, Ethiopian, and Bamum (Cameroon) Empires to name a few.

Information of these Cultures Religion: Most were non text-based – believed in ever-evolving spiritual philosophies. Cultures openly traded with each other and parts of the Middle East. Debts were paid off in forms of slavery. This was non-property transactions – only to work off debts.

The Slave Trade 12 million Africans were shipped to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

A World-Wide (not just American) Epidemic Of the 12,000,000, only 645,000 (5.4% of the total) were brought to what is now the United States. The overwhelming majority were shipped to Brazil

Legal Slavery in the United States From 1654 until 1865, slavery for life was legal within the boundaries of the present United States.

Legality of Slavery In 1654, John Casor, a black man, became the first legally-recognized slave in the area to become the United States. A court in Northampton County (VA) ruled against Casor, declaring him property for life, "owned" by the black colonist Anthony Johnson.

Slave Trade in Atlanta Luckie Street –Near Modern Day Phillips Arena (1857)

The African Slave Trade According to the 1860 U.S. census, nearly 4 million property-slaves were held in a total population of just over 12 million “free men” in the 15 states in which slavery was legal.

Slave Ships The first record of African slavery in Colonial America occurred in 1619. A Dutch ship, the White Lion, had captured 20 enslaved Africans.

“Tight Pack”: More Slaves, But More Deaths & Sickened, Weakened Cargo

“Loose Pack”: Less Slaves, But More Survived and Were Stronger

Purpose of the Slave Narrative Personal narratives of slavery recounted the experiences of antebellum African Americans who had escaped from slavery and found their way to safety and/or freedom.

Antebellum Occurring or existing BEFORE a particular war – most commonly used in context with the American Civil War and pertaining to the South.

Popularity of Slave Narratives In the 18th and 19th Centuries, over 6,000 slaves and former slaves were featured in published Slave Narratives.

200 Years of Narratives From 1760-1947, more than 200 book-length slave narratives were published in the United States and England

Authenticated Texts Many former slave traders or handlers also published memoirs. These memoirs are important because they verify Slave Narratives as Non-Fiction and not to be Propaganda.

Post-Revolutionary War Slave Narrative Literature became intensely popular around the world – especially in the well-read and bitter Great Britain.

Illegal to be Published in the US Slave Narratives were not published in the United States, rather they were published in England. The intention of English publication was personal; many wanted to discredit the colonies/new country as Slave Laborers.

Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley was the first published African-American poet (1767). First appearing in the Newport Mercury. Her writings earned her her freedom.

Phillis Wheatley In 1776 she wrote a poem to Gen. George Washington titled “To His Excellency, George Washington”. The poem made her famous, leading to her first book of poems, and began a friendly relationship between Wheatley and the soon-to-be First President.

Excerpt from “To His Excellency General Washington” One century scarce perform’d its destined round,When Gallic powers Columbia’s fury found;And so may you, whoever dares disgraceThe land of freedom’s heaven-defended race!Fix’d are the eyes of nations on the scales,For in their hopes Columbia’s arm prevails.Anon Britannia droops the pensive head,While round increase the rising hills of dead.Ah! cruel blindness to Columbia’s state!Lament thy thirst of boundless power too late.

Her First Publication’s Preface WE whose Names are underwritten, do assure the World, that the POEMS specified in the following Page, were (as we verily believe) written by Phillis, a young Negro Girl, who was but a few Years since, brought an uncultivated Barbarian from Africa, and has ever since been, and now is, under the Disadvantage of serving as a Slave in a Family in this Town. She has been examined by some of the best Judges, and is thought qualified to write them.

Phillis Wheatley Wheatley married a free black man from Boston named John Peters. After having three kids, Peters abandoned Wheatley. She quit writing poetry to take a job as a chambermaid. She died on December 5, 1784 penniless and forgotten. Her youngest child followed an hour after her. She was 30 years old.

OlaudahEquiano Olaudah Equiano was the first African-American to have a published slave narrative - 1789. The memoir is credited to have started the Abolitionist movement.

Early Years of Equiano Born in Nigeria and captured as a slave as a child. Equiano was enslaved to a Naval Captain who paid Equiano as a sailor. Equiano educated himself from other sailors and saved his money; he bought his freedom sometime around 1766 - for $40.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of OlaudahEquiano, or GustavusVassa the African His autobiography, the first published work by an African-American came out in 1789. The success of the book made Equiano famous – he took his earning and spent the rest of his life sailing the world.

The Birth of the Abolitionist Movement Equiano’s Slave Narrative gave birth to the Abolitionist Movement – a political movement by white Americans to end slavery in the US. The Abolitionist Movement would eventually lead to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Criticism and Backlash Over the years, doubt has been cast upon the narrative – claiming that Equiano couldn’t write the narrative, or even never existed and was the penname of a white Northern Abolitionist. Other criticism believes that Equiano’s narrative is completely fictional – that he made it up and was actually formally educated and born free.

Frederick Douglass’ The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass; An American Slave Frederick Douglass’s autobiography was published in1845 and would become the most popular slave narrative of all time. The autobiography is honest, frank in writing, and documents the physical & mental rise and fall of the slave.

Frederick Douglass Douglass was born into slavery. He learned to educate himself by tricking his masters and their kids. Douglass was moved from plantation to plantation – each with its own severity of slave owner. He eventually escaped to the North in 1838.

Frederick Douglass Douglass’ autobiography was a “living document” – he continually added chapters to it until his death in 1895; documenting the entire life cycle of the American slave. Frederick Douglass became a prominent member of the Abolitionist Movement. He travelled the world speaking out against American Slavery in his later years and was a personal advisor to Abraham Lincoln.

Frederick Douglass And, once again, critics refused to believe that an African descendant wrote the book because of its eloquence and detail.

Slave Narratives: 1900’s After the Great Depression, President Roosevelt’s New Deal Program hired unemployed writers to interview and document the life stories of 2,300 living former slaves. The stories range from heartbreaking, to humorous, to tales of joyous redemption and kindness.

Characteristics and Themes • Attempted to arouse the sympathy of readers in order to promote humanitarianism and Abolitionism.

Characteristics and Themes • Allusions to traditional Christian symbols or Christian redemption.

Characteristics and Themes Emphasized the cruelty of individual slave owners and towns/cities by name.

Characteristics and Themes Documented the damage done to former slaves – mentally and physically.

Characteristics and Themes Tried to redeem the knowledge of African roots and heritage.

Classroom Journal Arguments have been made that African-Americans should be granted reparations (payment or excuse from taxation) due to the atrocities of slavery. Native Americans have been granted their own lands, laws, and freedoms to make up for the cultural genocide done to them. Should African-Americans receive the same or another form of reparations?

“Can’t Truss It” Break into groups to read the lyrics and watch the video to Public Enemy’s “Can’t Truss It.” Look for evidence that your group feels could be characteristics of American Slave Narratives.

Slave Narratives