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Slavery, civil war battles, plantations and more!
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist, an author, and overall an amazing woman, she had an amazing life, and did so much to help her cause. Harriet Beecher was born on June 14, 1811, in Litchfield Connecticut, she was the sixth out of Lyman and Roxana Beecher’s thirteen children. Harriet’s mother sadly passed away when she was five, due to tuberculosis. As a child Harriet went to Hartford Female Seminary, where her sixteen year old sister taught. Harriet started writing at the age of thirteen, and at the age of sixteen started teaching teenagers her age.
Harriet married calvin stowe in 1836, and had seven children with him, four of which died of illness. Harriet was an author for more than fifty years and wrote more than thirty books and many articles, she got her inspiration from reading about slaves, she also knew what it was like for a mother to lose her child, so she wrote about it. In addition Harriet met Abraham Lincoln, and he said to her “ So you’re the little lady that started the civil war,” because of her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Harriet Beecher Stowe was known for her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, published in 1852. Which made people feel sympathy for slave so people stopped turning in runaway slaves,but that wasn’t her only accomplishment. Like Queer Little Folks published in 1897, or Palmetto leaves, published in 1873. She was also added to the National Women's hall of fame. And while on a reading tour in Europe, she met George Eliot, Robert Browning and his wife Elizabeth Browning, and Lord George Gorden Byron and his wife Lady Byron. Some of her other famous books are Dred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp, Pearl of the Orr’s Island, and Old Town Folks.
Some interesting facts are, her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the second most sold book in the United States, the Bible was the only book that outsold it. Also Harriet lived next to Mark Twain for twenty-three years. She was also a teacher at the age of sixteen. Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist, an author, and overall, a truly amazing woman.
A Slaves Journal
Today was a intrestin day like no other. I was taking the coats of a family that had just got to the hotel. There was a young girl, no older then nine or ten, and another girl who was a little older then the youngest girl, musta been fourteen maybe, And a young man about fifteen or sixteen. the youngest girl gave me a curious look and said, "Are you a slave?" and let me tell you, I was shocked that she had been so blunt, but I knew my manners, so I nodded and said, "Tabitha's my name, don't got no other." and then she started lookin me up and down like I be some new spieces ain't no one ever seen before. The girl sighed and I went over to the window and opened it to let in some air. I sniffed in that sweet cedar smell and said, "Thats the smell of the south, missy." guessing that she ain't ever been to the south before.
Side view of a brand new plantation
Front view of the same plantation
An aerial view of the plantation
The Underground Railroad
Dear journal, April 27, 1853
Today, I reached the north, and now i’m free! It was a long and treacherous journey, First I planned to leave on the night of the twenty-fifth. But when I got to my quarters from working, one of my fellow slaves walked up to me, he was walking with his head bowed like something bad had happened
“Your roommate, Hannah, is sick with yellow fever,” He said grimly “It doesn’t look like she’ll make it through the night.” I ran straight to Hannah and my quarters, Hannah looked terrible, I knew she wouldn’t make it. Hannah died that night. I worked that day and left that night saying to myself, Hannah wouldn’t have wanted me to stay and grieve for her, she would want me to get out of the plantation.
I came to a road that morning, I was so afraid that someone would come down the road and see me, that whenever I heard any noise at all I would jump as high as the sky. I followed the road till finally, finally I reached the border to the north and I ran, and when I crossed the border I jumped up and down like a little girl! I was finally to the north, I was free!
Frederick Douglass's former life as a slave
Frederick Douglass was born February 1818, in talbot county, Maryland. And he has had a very hard life so far, its been four years since Frederick Douglass escaped from Mr. and Mrs. Auld's plantation, we are here in Philadelphia, to discuss what Mr. Douglass's life was like as a slave.
1st Question,
So, what was your favorite food on the plantation?
My favorite food on the plantation was the Pea soup and bread that one of the cooks used to make, it was amazing.
2nd Question,
Where did you get the sailor costume that you wore when you escaped? And, why a sailor costume?
I got my costume from a friend, he was a free african american sailor, and I just thought it was the best option to make me look like I, belonged.
3rd Question
Where did you sleep? did you like where you slept or not?
Well, when I was a child I slept in the kitchen, but as I grew older I slept in my quarters.
4th Question
What did you eat?
Usually just meat, greens, cornmeal, and bread which was actually more filling then you
would think.
5th Question
When did you start working? Was working hard?
We usually started working around the age of three, and working wasn't hard when I was little because all the younger kids only had to do domestic chores like scaring away birds or toting water. Working did get a lot harder as I grew older though!
6th Question
What was your job?
As a child I pulled weeds, toted water, and pulled grubs off of plants. And as an adult I worked in the fields.
7th Question
What was it like having your owner teach you how to read?
It was seemed normal at the time, but looking back now and thinking about it, Sophia was putting so much on the line just teaching me the alphabet, she could have been sent to jail.
8th Question
Where you ever beaten? If so why?
Yes... I was beaten many times, for the whole year that I was on the main plantation I was beaten every day for no reason by the cook who took care of all the children.
9th Question
How many times were you sold? Was being sold hard?
I was sold once by Captain Aaron Anthony to Hugh Auld, and no being sold wasn't hard because I wanted to get away from Captain Aaron,
10th Question
If you could go back in time, would you have tried to see your mother more? Why or Why not?
Yes I would have tried to see my mother more because, I have so many unanswered questions, like who is my father, Or do I have cousins, just family stuff like that.
The battle Of Chickamunga
Dear Mother and Father, September 20,1863
Hello, do not worry about me like I suspect you have been, I am fine. I fought in my first battle today, the battle of Chickamunga! And we won! It was not at all like what I thought it was going to be. We got to Catoosa and Walker county, Georgia at about dawn and fought very aggressively, we fought and fought but the Union line wouldn’t break! Then our reinforcements came and we outnumbered the Union 70,000 to 55,000. Then someone spotted a hole in their formation and we went in for the attack, pushing them off the field. Over the night over ⅔ of the Confederate soldiers crossed to the west side of the creek and attacked. The next day General Braxtion bragg said not to pursue General William Rosecrans, just to block their food supply until they surrendered, so that’s what we did. And finally after we lost 18,454 men, and the Union lost 16,170 men the union gave up, and we won!