August 15th, 2017

Reflection – Document Interpretation

   I have become more comfortable in writing Document Interpretations, and although a lot of work goes into them, I enjoy the research that goes into them. I normally read the document first and prepare for the questions, and I look for information to include for the paper while I go through the rest of the material. These assignments have taught me to plan ahead to take full advantage of my resources and try to conserve time by doing the research from the very beginning. I think it’s important to start with a plan, by doing so, my paper gets turned in with all the best sources to contribute in backing up my analyzation, rather than coming to a source I would have loved to have quoted once the paper has been turned it which happened in the fist document interpretations I did.
 This particular assignment was also when I found my group-members. I had read the announcements before, but the only place I found then that mentioned my group, was the calendar. That showed up empty so I mistakenly thought that we were not assigned groups after all. After having read yet another announcement for this week that mentioned our groups, I was finally able to find my group and follow the directions on replying to discussions. This again reminded me that I am still not good at paying attention to details, and as much as I have tried to be thorough to avoid missing important details, I still managed to do so. I will have to look for resources to aide me in becoming more attentive so that this does not continue on to future classes, especially since I want to go into computer science where a forgotten semicolon or closing bracket can break your code, and being able to spot those issues are needed to debug.
   The substance of the document also gave me an opportunity to look into the thought-process of someone who is racist and sexist. I have been left confused at times when I learn of the actions of certain people who commit hateful things and use violent speech, but seeing how they twist reality to fit their best interests lets me understand them a little better. However I don’t know how to persuade them to change their ways because it is not in their best interest to change, in this case, slavery provided Southern slave-owners a labor advantage to create their wealth that they convinced themselves they earned on their own. These men elevate and overestimate their intelligence above those who they consider inferior to them, diminishing others to the mindset of children whose brains have not fully developed and are incapable to take care of themselves. This is something I want to work on, I’ve been able to persuade people to give up sexist language and acknowledge that the lives of women are not yet equal to those of men and their privilege, but finding a way to get through to people who are racist to open their minds is something that I don’t know how to accomplish yet, but at least I have gained insider information to racist brains from reading this document. 

< Back

hist007a_fmayen_document_interpretation_week_7.doc
File Size:	26 kb
File Type:	doc

Download File

---

Next >

​George Fitzhugh, Slavery Justified

1. What does Fitzhugh consider to be the basic failures of the northern states and France?
2. According to Fitzhugh, what is the proper status and role of women?
3. Give some examples that illustrate why Fitzhugh considers slavery to be superior to free labor.

   George Fitzhugh published a pamphlet entitled “Slavery Justified” in 1854. The Union at this time was divided between free-soil States, and Slave-holding States. Free-soil Northerners saw slavery as an evil and did not want slavery to spread. Slave-holding Southerners felt that their freedoms were being infringed upon by not allowing them to own slave in any State they wanted. In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Law meant that free Blacks had fewer freedoms than before, and could become slaves (kidnapped) if a white person simply accused them of being a fugitive because the law did not recognize them as citizens. “[S]uspected fugitives were [then] denied a jury trial, the right to testify in their own behalf, and other basic constitutional protections” (American Stories, 315). Southerners, as well as many Northerners believed that Blacks “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect” (Green, US#18). Fitzhugh shared with fellow slave-holders and those who sympathized with slavery his view that slavery was freedom because slaves would always have their wants met.

Read More