Everyone who has taken an American History class should be familiar with the southern slaves of the nineteenth escaping to freedom in the north, but often do not realize they were not the first ones with the idea of running away. Gregory Wigmore is a doctoral candidate for Department of History at the Univerity of California. In his article, “Before the Railroad: From Slavery to Freedom in the Canadian-American Borderland,” he explained how Canadian slaves escaped to North America in the Great Lake region before the times of the Underground Railroad. During this time the gradual emancipation of slaves was in effect in Canada since 1793, meaning that child slaves were still acknowledged as human property until they were twenty-five years of …show more content…
For example, Wigmore writes, “It also led authorities on the ground to finally recognize the boundary’s political significance” (Wigmore, 438). Also, the author’s use of a map effectively shows Canadian-American Borderland and allows the reader to have a visual of the closeness of the two cities with river dividing them (Wigmore 440). The author makes it difficult to determine whether or not this article is organized topically or chronologically because of its use of multiple examples throughout a specific time period. Over the course of the essay, the writing did bounce around from topic to topic, but at the same time it did follow an order of events that demonstrate, “how native’s peoples used porous borderlands to project power in ways that preserved their independence and limited the influence of encroaching empires” (Wigmore, …show more content…
Within the text, he used certain sources more that others. The source used the most by Wigmore was the “Sibley Papers” both Sibley to Woods as well as Woods to Sibley. The repetition of these sources makes it obvious that they are valuable primary sources used by Wigmore. Wigmore also cited additional sources more than once in his article such as the source titled, “Black Slavery in Detroit” which is applied as a secondary source. “Slave in Canada” is another source which he used frequently that attests to the political and social developments of the Old Northwest and Upper Canada border. These sources are used to provide the reader with evidence to verify that the contents of, “Before the Railroad: From Slavery to Freedom in the Canadian-American Borderland” is factual. Both primary and secondary sources are also used to acknowledge the findings of previous historians and to give them credit. Wigmore does not necessarily challenge the work of other historians, but agrees and contributes to their already established
All people. regardless of race, religion, or gender, are human beings, they should be treated fairly and equally, although even in modern society, that is unfortunately often not the case. Peaceful resistances help shape our nation as a whole, and bring us together in a way that created a more diverse and understanding culture. While there will always be people who refuse to accept changes like this, civil disobedience leads to the betterment of society and more equality for everyone by making people more aware of the problems at hand.
According to Cronon, “Many European visitors were struck by what seemed to them the poverty of Indians who lived in the midst of a landscape endowed so astonishingly with abundance” (Cronon 33).European ideas about owning land as private property clashed with natives’ understanding
His insights into the mechanics of land speculation,on the frontier and on the effect of the Indian removal controversy and on the nascent abolitionist movement are particularly noteworthy. Inskeep’s incredible storytelling skills guide us through a critical period of time that meant heartbreak for thousands but expansion of the country for
In the article by Anthony F. C. Wallace, “The Hunger for Indian Land in Andrew Jackson’s America,” the reasons for America's need for Indian land is discussed. The purpose of this article is to explain the Indian removal that occurred under Andrew Jackson’s presidency. The thesis of this essay states that Americans kicked the Natives off of their land to fulfill a selfish desire to expand the cotton industry. The first point Wallace uses to support his thesis is how Jackson’s financial interest in the land affected the removal of Natives.
These strengths include the explanation of John Ross’s involvement in Indian removal, the use of statistics to back up his claims about cotton production in America, and the fact that he doesn’t only blame Jackson for the atrocities that occurred. Wallace includes a personal example as one of his main points, adding to the appeal of the essay. He personalizes Indian removal and does an excellent job of explaining how the events affected Ross. Another strength in this essay is the amount of statistics Wallace incorporates about cotton production. He explains how much cotton America produced compared to the world, how much cotton the world required, and how important cotton was to America's economy.
A weakness of this article is its thesis. The thesis is weak not because there is ample evidence in the article that proves the main argument, but because thesis statement is not as clear compared about the argument as the abstracts final sentence, “At Détroit—as at other sites of colonial interaction—colonialism was negotiated among a large cast of indigenous and foreign characters.” It is hard to understand what Sturtevant is arguing based on the thesis alone. A strength of this article is the evidence proved and used. Sturtevant uses primary sources well to prove his argument.
European adventurers who visited America faced little resistance from the local populations. This fact has been attributed to some vulnerabilities which made it difficult for Native Americans to wage a war against the European foreigners (Digital History, n.d). The wrangles among the local communities have been cited as among the factors that lowered the defense capacity of Native Americans. These communities fought over such resources as water and land for farming. For instance, the Hopi and Zuni communities had an uneasy relationship that was characterized by conflicts (Digital History, n.d).
It was a cold night in the small shed we were forced to sleep in. It was dirty, smelly, and dark. The only thing we had to drink was a bottle filled with only about thirty-two ounces of rain water. Some other slaves were nibbling on small pieces of bread that had bits of mold on them. Slaves weren't treated fairly at all.
Enslaved African Canadian and American’s participated in gaining their own freedom in a few ways, and they also helped each other in certain cases. Due to differences in sovereignty this affected how slaves could become free based on their physical location. Due to the unclear permeable borders between Upper Canada and the States, this allowed slaves to cross over the border without question of their ownership or enslavement status. Upper Canadian slaves such as the mother and son from the house of James Woods in Sandwich Upper Canada left to America in search of freedom, and similarly Moseby found his way to freedom in Upper Canada from America due to an escape to a British colony which abolished slavery. Governor Simcoe was unable to abolish
As the Shawnees were attempting to reunite in the Ohio Valley, they found themselves displaced and had to defend their territory from western expansion. The Shawnees placed all their trust in the British, which didn’t turn out positive for them, for when the British ceded all lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, which endangered the lives of the Natives. “For the
White begins his book with discussing the extent of the railway system and the way it operated in time before the 1860’s, and the effect the Civil War had on the original inception of the idea behind the building of the transcontinentals. White writes about how the establishment of the transcontinentals affected people outside of the United States. The establishment of these railways scared politicians from the politicians in Canada and Mexico because it could lead to invasion or an establishment of a North American Empire. Beyond international concerns of expansion, the Native Americans were experiencing the expansion first hand by being kicked off of their own land in order to make way for the transcontinentals. White touches on how business monopolies and political corruption influenced land titles.
The Transcontinental Railroad was essentially built to link our country as one. Being about 1,776 miles long, it was the first completed railroad to connect land stretching from Sacramento, California to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Many people were involved in the creating the railroad. The excitement of people as well as some concerns were expressed in the Primary Source Documents. The Chamber of Commerce of New York invited The Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco to a congratulatory party.
HARRIET TUBMAN Early Life Harriet Tubman was a slave in the west. She didn’t know when she was born. At the age of six she started slavery. The line between freedom and slavery was hazy for Tubman and her family. Harriet Tubman’s father, Ben was freed from slavery at the age of 45, stipulated in the will of a previous owner.
The detailed descriptions included in primary sources, along with the descriptive and emotional illustrations included in graphic history are crucial elements in studying and understanding the process and history of the transatlantic slave trade. Rafe Blaufarb and Liz Clarke tie both of these together to help readers truly understand this historic tragedy in the book, Inhuman Traffick: The International Struggle Against the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Although different than the standard book that may be used, that simply spews information out in an uncreative and somewhat boring way, this book is a tool that can be chosen in classrooms to teach different aspects of the slave trade. Working together, the primary sources and graphic history
Modernity has been mainly characterized by its imperialistic policies and colonizing endeavors, which while creating the current legal organization of the world have largely marginalized the many indigenous groups who originally occupied the conquered lands (Andrews and Walton 600). Although post-modern societies have seen an increase in the awareness of these matters, American-Canadian author Thomas King has dedicated his work to throwing light on issues still not tackled. In his short story “Borders”, King tells the adventure of a Blackfoot mother and her child, who try to cross the border to the U.S. but refuse to declare their nationality. It is through his masterful choice of narrator and the careful depiction of the mother’s struggle to maintain her Blackfoot identity that the author conveys the many difficulties First Nations face in their effort to keep their heritages alive.