State vs. Mann

State vs. Mann

State versus Mann was a case that took place in the year of 1829. This case was about a slave master named John Mann and his slave Lydia. During this time slaves were seen as property and not as human. Mann was whipping Lydia and she tried to escape As she tried to escape Mann shot her in the back. This was a situation that eventually led them having to go to court. 

This case took place in 1829 and is one of the most commonly known cases. According to State v. Mann- NC Pedia, "State v. John Mann, an 1829 North Carolina Supreme Court decision, is probably the most notorious judicial opinion on the relationship between enslaver and enslaved people ever rendered by a state court." During this time slaves could be rented and only had to work for a slave master for a certain amount of time and then they would be let go from that particular master.

In any argument there is always his side, her side, and the truth. In this case his side was saying that Lydia was his property and she was disobedient so he punished her as any other slave master would do. Her side was saying that he shouldn't have shot her in the back because that wasn't a form of punishment that should have been used. 

The team that was representing John Mann in this case argued that he was just punishing a slave that belonged to him. Since slaves were seen as property and not as human they argued that he was just tending to his property as he should. According to State v. Mann- NC HISTORY, "...full dominion of the owner over the slave...He appealed, claiming that assault on a slave by her master could not be indictable since a slave was property of her master...Nonetheless, Ruffin concluded that "the power of the master must be absolute, to render the submission of the slave perfect." Thomas Ruffin was one the people a part of the team that was representing John Mann in this case. They strongly believed that Lydia was Mann's property and that he was just tending to his property.

The team that was representing Lydia in this case argued that John Mann shooting her in the back was not a form of punishment. Her team understood that in the eyes of the law during that time she was seen as property and not as human. In this case she was John Mann's property but his form of punishment in this is what they were arguing against. Her team argued that shooting her in the back was unlawful and shouldn't have been done. According to State v. Mann- NC HISTORY, "The struggle, too, in the Judge's own breast between the feelings of the man, and the duty of the magistrate is a severe one...He argued that inhuman punishment of slaves was indeed legal in North Carolina." This piece of evidence shows you what Lydia's team was fighting against. Within this case John Mann was fined $10 but his team even argued that fining him was unlawful.

So the question may who is actually right in this case?

The final decision in this case ruled in favor of John Mann. According to State v. Mann- Lexinexis, "The Supreme Court of North Carolina reversed the conviction and found Mann, as the possessor of the slave, was entitled to the same authority as the owner." Slavery has been a battle that America has been fighting for a long time. This case was a perfect example of that. This case went down as one of the most known cases in history. 

The Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued and signed by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22,1862. You may wonder what was the purpose of this document? What impact did it have on society? Does it impact society in any way today?

The Emancipation Proclamation was written around the time of the Civil War. The purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation was to free all of the slaves that were loyal to the Confederacy and going against the Union. During this time the states were still very divided on the topic of slavery. Some states were pro-slavery and other states were anti-slavery. Mainly states in the north were pro-slavery and mainly states in the south were anti-slavery. 

Some people have the misconception that the Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery in America. But, the Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves that were loyal to the Confederacy. According to Emancipation Proclamation-HISTORY, "Lincoln didn't actually free all of the approximately 4 million men, women, and children held in slavery...The document applied only to enslaved people in the Confederacy, and not to those in the border states that remained loyal to the Union." The Emancipation Proclamation only freed but a handful of slaves.

Lincoln believed that slavery was wrong. And during his reign as president he did what he could to help bring an end to slavery. And one of those things being the Emancipation Proclamation.

Now you may wonder what impact did this document have on the society during that time? Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on September 22,1862 everything that this document contained was not practiced until January 1,1863. According to Emancipation Proclamation-HISTORY ,"On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that as of January 1, 1863, all enslaved people in the states currently engaged in rebellion against the Union "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." 

After this document was issued this granted a handful of slaves their freedom and this opened the door to slavery later down the road being abolished in America. Which leads to the impact that the Emancipation Proclamation has on society today with the creation of the 13th amendment. The 13th amendment was passed by congress on January 31, 1865. This amendment abolished slavery in America permanently.

Based on the information from 13th Amendment- NATIONAL ARCHIVES, "Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States...Nonetheless, the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the nation since it only applied to areas of the Confederacy currently in a state of rebellion...The 13th Amendment was passed at the end of the Civil War." You can see how although the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in America permanently it did open up the path way to the creation of the 13th Amendment which eventually did abolish slavery in America permanently. 

The battle with slavery was something that America dealt with for a long time. For a while the northern states were more anti-slavery and the southern states were more pro-slavery. Under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln the Emancipation Proclamation was issued that opened the door to the abolishment of slavery in America. But, the 13th Amendment officially made slavery permanently abolished in America. This was the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Founding Era (De Jure Slavery)

The Founding Era

The topics that were discussed within this project presentation was the Emancipation Proclamation, Amistad Mutiny, The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, The American Anti-Slavery Society, The Kansas Nebraska Act, and The John Brown Raid. These were all events in time that surrounded the topic of slavery. For a long time, America has been divided on the topic of slavery. On whether America should be for or against it? 

The Emancipation Proclamation was a document issued and signed by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22,1862. But the Emancipation Proclamation was not practiced until January 1,1863. According to The Emancipation Proclamation, "On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that as of January 1, 1863, all enslaved people in the states currently engaged in rebellion against the Union "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." Some people have the wrong concept and think that the Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery in America permanently. But it only freed the slaves that were loyal to the Confederacy and going against the Union. 

Let's now switch our focus to what Amistad Mutiny was about. Amistad Mutiny was a slave rebellion that took place on a slave ship. According to Amistad Mutiny-Britannica, "Amistad mutiny, (July 2, 1839), slave rebellion that took place on the slave ship Amistad..." This rebellion occurred because slaves that were on that ship were taken from Western Africa and taken across the Atlantic. After being held captive for a little while they eventually rebelled because they wanted to recapture their freedom and return home. According to Amistad Mutiny, "In 1839...Taken from Western Africa and shipped across the Atlantic to be sold to the highest bidder, they wanted only to regain their freedom and return home."

Now that you know what Amistad Mutiny was about let's move on to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The purpose of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was to help capture runaway slaves. This law that was passed also denied slaves the right to a jury trial and it also increased the penalty that would receive for conflicting with the process. The increased penalty was a $1,000 fine and being sentenced to six months in jail. According to Fugitive Slave Act of 1850- HISTORY, "...Compromise of 1850...this new law forcibly compelled citizens to assist in the capture of runaways. It also denied enslaved people the right to a jury trial and increased the penalty for interfering with the rendition process to $1,000 and six months in jail."

Now let's take a look at the American Anti-Slavery Society. The American Anti-Slavery Society was an abolition movement that took place in 1833. It was led by William Lloyd Garrison and the purpose of this movement was to help abolish slavery in America. According to American Anti-Slavery Society- Britannica, "American Anti-Slavery Society, (1833-70), promoter, with its state and local auxiliaries, of the cause of immediate abolition of slavery in the United States. As the main activist arm of the Abolition Movement...the society was founded in 1833 under the leadership of William Llyod Garrison."

Now you may wonder what the Kansas Nebraska Act was about. The Kansas Nebraska Act took place in 1854. The purpose of this was to try and split Kansas and Nebraska into two different territories. At that time Senator Douglas wanted to separate the two, to receive support from the South. According to Kansas Nebraska Act- QUIZLET, " Sen. Douglas wanted to divide the territory into the Nebraska Territory and the Kansas Territory; to gain support of the South, he decided slavery could be decided by popular sovereignty."

Last but not least let's take a look at the John Brown Raid. The purpose of the John Brown Raid was to promote the message of anti-slavery. John Brown was a Kansas abolitionist who strongly wanted to send the message that the act of slavery was not right. According to John Brown Raid- QUIZLET, "John Brown is a Kansas abolitionist, who believed slavery was wrong and was willing to fight to protect his beliefs by starting a slave revolt."

Based on the information given above you can see how all of these topics revolve around the subject of slavery. For a long time, America was fighting the battle of either being for or against slavery? And these are some examples of that. 

Gone With the Wind

 Gone with the Wind

Gone With the Wind is a movie that was published in 1939. This movie is about a young girl by the name of Scarlett O'Hara who was madly in love with a man by the name of Ashley Wilkes. But Ashley is married to Melanie Hamilton. This movie is also based during the time of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era.

You may wonder what the American Civil War was about. The American Civil War started on April 12,1861 and ended on May 26,1865. The main reasons for the American Civil War taking place were economic and social divergence between the North and the South, states versus federal rights, the fight between slave and anti-slave states, the growth of the abolition movement, the Dred Scott decision, and the election of Abraham Lincoln. All of these things factored into the cause for the American Civil War.

The way that this movie is related to the American Civil War is that this movie is based on the time during the American Civil War. This movie shows the difference that some states still had during this time about the topic of slavery. In this movie there is a slave named Mammy and Mammy worked for Scarlett. According to IvyPanda-Gone With the Wind,"Gone with the Wind is one of the most popular films that describe the events of the Civil War and Reconstruction era." During the time of the American Civil War slavery was still a major issue especially among the states.

You may now be wondering what the Reconstruction Era was all about. The Reconstruction Era began on December 8,1863 and ended on March 4,1881. The purpose of the Reconstruction Era was for healing and rebuilding. Healing and rebuilding among the southern United States right after the American Civil War. Focusing a lot on civil rights and racial equality in America. According to ThoughtCo., "The Reconstruction era was a period of healing and rebuilding in the Southern United States following the American Civil War (1861-1865) that played a critical role in the history of civil rights and racial equality in America."

The way that this movie is related to the Reconstruction Era is this movie demonstrates some of the things that people of color had to go through at this time. And one of the main things that the Reconstruction Era was all about was the lack of racial equality. According to IvyPanda-Gone With the Wind (Reconstruction), "So, first of all, Gone with the Wind helps to comprehend the emotional level of the Civil War and the Reconstructions: people's emotions, troubles, tears, and lives, which were taken by the war." We have to be sure to remember that the Reconstruction Era took place right after the Civil War and this movie demonstrated the timeline of events and things that happened during this time.

Based on the information given above, we can see that the movie Gone with the Wind is a movie about a girl named Scarlett who wants to marry Ashley. But she can't because Ashley is married to Melanie. Scarlett has a slave who works for named Mammy. And you can see how this movie reflects all of the issues that society was dealing with during the time of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era.

Town Hall

 
Town Hall Meeting

A town hall meeting is when government officials and citizens come together to discuss whatever the issue within that community may be. There was a town hall meeting held on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. One of the people that participated in this town hall meeting was Frederick Douglass. You may wonder who is Frederick Douglass? A brief summary, Frederick Douglass was a slave who fought really hard and eventually became a free man. But, he was also an author, leader of the abolitionist movement, and a well known advocate for anti-slavery.

Based on the information given above one of the things that we know about Frederick Douglass is that he was a well known advocate for anti-slavery. He was such a big advocate for anti-slavery because he was once a slave his self. And he knew what it felt like to be seen as property and not as a human. Within this town hall meeting one of the things that Douglass states was, "I was born in 1818. I do not know the exact date I was born because for people like me they didn't keep up with those records. Some may say what do you mean for people like me? People like me who were once slaves. I was looked at as property and not as a human." 

Within this town hall meeting Frederick Douglass expresses what his dream is. His dream is for slavery to be abolished permanently in America. To become a free man. For all slaves to be seen as human and not as property. For all men to be created equal.

Douglass shared his journey to becoming a free man. He talked about how his journey to becoming a free man wasn't easy. The first time he tried to escape slavery he was let down by a fellow slave that he knew and he was caught. He was then sent to jail. But, on September 3,1838 Douglass planned to escape slavery once again and thankfully on this day he became a free man. According to Local Government, "On September 3, 1838, abolitionist, journalist, author, and human rights advocate Frederick Douglass made his dramatic escape from slavery--traveling north by train and boat--from Baltimore, through Delaware, to Philadelphia." But, he also expressed that becoming a free man was just one step in accomplishing his dreams. 

Douglass believed that all slaves should be freed. But, specifically black male slaves should be freed first and this is something that Douglass stressed within the town hall meeting. Another point that Douglass stressed within this town hall meeting was the important role the Emancipation Proclamation played in abolishing slavery in America. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued during the time of the civil war under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation was to free all slaves during the time of the civil war. This was issued on January 1,1863. This was just another step to Douglass accomplishing some of his dreams.

He also shared in this town hall meeting how he became an author to an amazing book entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. According to Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is the memoir of former slave, writer, and famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Published in 1845, the narrative is hailed as an important abolitionist text, which was a type of polemic from the 19th century that called for the end (or abolition) of slavery in the United States. The story, told from the first-person perspective, describes Douglass' life as a slave before he is freed." Douglass expressed in this meeting that within his book how he truly exposes the horror of slavery and the things he had to go through as a slave.

Based on the information given we can see that within this town hall meeting that was held on Wednesday, September 14,2022 a lot was said and one of the people that had a lot to say was Frederick Douglass. And within this meeting he truly expressed his concerns he had. 

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

Abolitionist

 Frederick Douglass was born in 1818. He died on February 20,1895. Frederick Douglass was a former slaved who became a well-known activist and public speaker. Douglass was a big advocate for promoting anti-slavery, equality, and human rights.  He was one of the leaders in the abolitionist movement. After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 Frederick Douglass still fought for equality and human rights. 

The purpose of the abolitionist movement was to put an end to slavery. The abolitionist movement also sought to put an end to the Atlantic slave trade. This movement was meant to end slavery in country that really valued all men being created equal. And the act of slavery was not representing this.

The purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation was to abolish slavery permanently here in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation started on September 22,1862 and ended on January 1,1863. This proclamation made slavery abolished permanently here in the United States and Douglass was a prominent activist for the abolishment of slavery in the United States. According to Emancipation Proclamation - Definition, Dates & Summary - HISTORY, "Finally, the Emancipation Proclamation paved the way for the permanent abolition of slavery in the United States." Based on the information given you can see that the Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery here in America permanently which is something that Douglass felt so strongly for. 

Douglass was a prominent advocate for the abolishment of slavery because he was once a slave his self. He knew what it felt like to be seen as property and not to be seen as a person. The first time that Douglass tried to escape slavery he was let down by a slave that he knew, and he was sent to jail. But, on September 3,1838 he used papers of a man that was already free and disguised himself as that person, got on the train and escaped. According to How Frederick Douglass Escaped Slavery - HISTORY, Undeterred, Douglass vowed to try to escape again on September 3, 1838, although he knew the risk. "I felt assured that if I failed in this attempt, my case would be a hopeless one, "he wrote in his autobiography. "It would seal my fate as a slave forever."

His chance of becoming a free man all weighed on the decision of the conductor that was on the train. The conductor that was on the train had to make sure that the people on the train had some type of documentation to show that they were free. Douglass made a strong effort to disguise himself as well as he could to look like the free man that he got the papers from. And on September 3,1838 Frederick Douglass became a free man.

Frederick Douglass was also an important activist for equality. One of the biggest problems that he fought for under the umbrella of equality was slavery. He believed that each human should be treated fairly and not seen as property. He accomplished his lifelong goals of becoming a free man and abolishing slavery in America. 

Bible Team Challenge

Is the Bible for or against slavery?

 Should slavery be banned? Why did slavery even ever exist? Was the bible for or against slavery? This is a question that people have been trying to answer for a long time. Some say that the bible shows that it's for slavery and others say that the bible shows that it's against slavery. A lot of research has been done to try and prove both sides whether the bible is for or against slavery. There are always two sides to a story so let’s take a look at this from both sides. 

Is the bible against slavery? There are things in the bible that speaks against slavery. What Does the Bible Say About Anti-slavery? (openbible.info), (Exodus 21:16) “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.” Based on the information found we can see that there were certain parts in the bible that speak against slavery. 

Some may argue that the bible is also for slavery. But, according to What Does the Bible Say About Anti-slavery? (openbible.info), (Colossians 4:1) “Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.” Some may say that based on this information the bible condones slavery. But this versus is letting them know that if they do own slaves and they don’t treat them right reminding them that they have a master in heaven. This was not condoning slavery completely but telling them that they should treat people right. 

Another great piece of evidence that can support the bible not coding slavery is according to Does the Bible Condone Slavery? | Emergence Church - New Jersey (emergencenj.org), “In both the Old and New Testaments, the words used to denote slaves did not necessarily carry the same connotations that we associate with slavery today. Only by understanding the biblical texts and the cultures that produced them can we understand what is being referred to in the Bible.” If you do not understand the biblical terminology, then we can’t really compare it too today. These are just a few reasons why some believe that the bible is against slavery. 

  However, the other side of the story over time has had arguments in favor of slavery based on religion. In the Bible, you can find many different places where it is for slavery. People that argued God protected slavery had a very clear understanding of the New and Old Testament of the Bible. Specifically southern Christians felt slavery, “stands as an institution of God.”

Why Did So Many Christians Support Slavery?

 

Specially in the Ten Commandments slavery is mentioned twice, which reveals that God has acceptance to it (Exodus 20:10,17). Moses was ordered by God that his people can chose to own child slaves, which eventually bequeathed in family heritance. “… but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.” This verse means that no one, not even slaves, should not work or be a servant to your master.

 

Another supporting piece of evidence is in Philemon 12. In this story Paul, an apostle, returned a runaway slave back to his master. “I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you (Philemon 1:12). Paul and Onesimus, the runaway slave, became very close in a short spam. Onesimus became very helpful to Paul, so he wanted to keep him in Rome to help him while being imprisoned. Overall, this was Paul begging to choose forgiveness for the runaway slave, instead of him being commanded to him. 

Bible REF

In conclusion, religion can argue both sides. The Bible has scriptures that support both sides of the argument. Is the bible for or against slavery a question that is still being answered.