Perspective Project
By Tiffany Haydt
Scarlet Annabelle Cane (nee. Myers)
Event: Compromise of 1850
Gender: Female
Perspective: Abolitionist/ Station Master
Age: 26
Family
Mother: Susan Viola Myers (nee. Houser)
Age- 48
Father: Benjamin Earl Myers
Age- 49
Sister: Rosie Lilian Myers
Age- 25
Sister: Katherine Elizabeth Myers
Age- 29
Husband: Jonathan Lawrence Cane
Age- 26 (Cobbler)
Daughter: Maria Alice Cane
Age- 3
Son: Samuel Aaron Cane
Age- 1
Home
Ohio, close to the Ohio River in the woods a mile away from the closest town. House is a Station. Scarlet is a housewife, unemployed, barn to hid runaways, and takes care of her children. They are homeschooled but still go to town to play with the other kids.
How She Felt Toward Event
She was happy that California was a free state, but did not like the new Fugitive Slave Act. She thought that it was unfair that the southerners could come up to the north and take the slaves back. To her it meant that the southerners could take any free african american and that the north was no longer rid of slavery She also does not like that new territory can decide for itself if it was to be free or slave. She thought that the southerner would be able to take over and their would be more slave states.
Paragraphs
“Maria, Jonathan, it is time for dinner” I yelled as I was finished up making our meal. Jonathan had just gotten home from work, he had made a new pair of shoes for the one of the towns people today. They had had them specially ordered, they picked them up after he finished the details. He was coming down the stairs holding Samuel. Maria played with her baby brother after her homeschooling. Samuel always slept during her schooling and he loved to play with her. Sometimes one of the escaped slaves we were helping would watch over them. Sometimes I wondered if it was worth all of the trouble, helping the slaves to freedom. But I knew that nobody deserved to be treated as they were. So, I did not care the consequences as long as there is slavery I will aid in the abolitionist cause. “ Jonathan can you go and check on the passengers, and bring them some food.” I said. He nodded and got a couple plates of food, then headed out to the barn. After everybody ate we went up to bed and fell asleep to the sounds of the Ohio river.
When Jonathan came back from work the next day he seemed tired and slightly angry. He had exclaimed “Scarlet you need to see this,” and given me the newspaper from town. It read “New Compromise Allowing Slave Owners In The North”. As I read the article I started to feel numb inside. This could not be happening, Southerners coming up to the North, being able to search for their “property”. This was bad, what would happen if we were caught now. The Southerners should no the allowed to do this. They are taking hold of the Northern states and soon the South will have more power and land. Since states are now allowed to vote whether they are slave or free, the U.S. will be over run with slave states. I looked up at Jonathan, “do you think we should shut down the station,” I ask. All he said was a simple “No”. “Then what are we to do in trying to keep them hidden,” I spoke. “ Well, lets just hope we have enough notice and time to hide them, when their owners come,” he replied. “ I guess so, lets just hope that no one comes looking around here,” I supplied. After that we had dinner in almost complete silence thinking about what was to come.