Kayla+Meadows

= Name: My name is Ann Mechelle Lee Watson I was born on January 26,1817 in Charleston,South Carolina. I am 16 years old. My father's name is William Watson and my mother's name is Mary Watson. My father William works as a carpenter and my mother is a house maid. I was born a slave and i lived on the Johnson Plantation. I worked as the Master's cook. Master Johnson is very nice. I lived in the house with the Master and his family because i was his cook. After 5yrs of living on the plantation i was sold away to a nasty and cruel man named Master Shelton. He would whip me everyday because i would sneak and teach other slaves how to read and write. I did this because i was tired of the whites thinking that all slaves were dumb. I became his washer woman. I washed all of the family's garments. I feel that slavery is very bad. Us, slaves should not have to work for the white people. We should all be treated equal and with respect. I am a person not an animal. =

=A page from the journal of a slave= = = =Entry Number 1: Nat Turner =  Dear journal, i am writing you to tell you about this man named Nat turner. Nat turner is a slave. . He was born in Virgina on October 2, 1800. He was taught to read by his master's son. As he grew older he became a religous leader and baptist minister. He was also called the prophet. When a solar eclipse occured on 1831, Nat turner belived that it was God's sign that the time had come to strike the blow for freedom. On the night of August 21,1831 Nat Turner and other fellow slaves murdered their master and his family while they were sleeping. He also held a campaign of brutal murder that terrozied the country side. He killed 55 white people. As he traveled he picked up more slaves from different plantations along the way. They moved through Southampton's country through the seat of Jerusalem where they captured armory. For fourty-eight hours Turner and others rampaged and killed until their selfs were killed, captured, or dispersed. Nat turner managed to escape for six weeks until he was captured. He was discovered by Benjamin Phipps and confronted with a gun and sent to jail. His attorney was Thomas C. Gray. He and sixteen of his followers were hanged. two hundred blacks were killed. November 11, 1831 he was hung. His skin was peeled off and given to the whites as souvenirs. He had a wife named Elizabeth and three children. I think that Nat turner was a brave and heroic person. He showed me and many others how to stand up for what we believe in. He never gave up and even though he died during this riot i feel that he will leave a long lasting impression on his people. Standing up for what you believe in is showing that you have courage. ([|www.marcusgarvey.com])

**Entry Number 2:** **  Angelina and Sarah Grimke. Dear journal, Its me again and now I am writing to tell you about Angelina and Sarah Grimke. Angelina and Sarah are Abolitionists. Abolitionists are people who are agaisnt slavery they want to get rid of it. Well before i start going into detail I would like to tell you their background. Angelina Grimke was born on Febuary 20, 1806 and Sarah Grimke was born November 26, 1792. This all occured in Charleston, South Carolina Their father was a judge and their mother was attorney. They both disliked slavery at a very young age. After staying in Charleston Angelina Grimke later moved to Phildadelphia in 1819 and she joined the Society of Friends. Then later both of the Grimke sisters moved to New York and they both became the first women to lecture for the Anti- Slavery Society. In 1835 Angelina published a letter agaisnt slavery. It was published in William Lloyd Garrison's newspaper. Sarah later her Epistle to the clergy of the southern states. Angelina later married a slavery Campaigner, Theodore Weld in 1838. Sarah Grimke was not married. Sarah died in 1873 and Angelina died in 1879. My view on Sarah and Angelina Grimke is that they were great women. They made the break for slavery stronger. They helped get closer to our goal of being free. They did a lot for many women too because it made us seem a lot stronger so that we wont have to depend on our men. I think that they were wonderful. They made history.**

Angelina Grimke Sarah Grimke

Entry Number 3:Harper's Ferry Raid.
October 16-18 1859. It been 3 days since the Harper's ferry raid happened. I am now 27 years old and things have gone up hill since i last wrote. John Brown a white man led soldiers (21 white men and 5 black men) to the Federal arsenal in Harper's ferry, Virgina. He was much like a abolitionist. He was trying to help runaway slaves and plan attacks on the slaveholders. He also plan to establish a base in the Blue Ridge Mountains. His plans changed.One year later; he was ready for war in 1858. He had men and money. But it was postpone because one of his followers threatend to reveal the plan. So John hid. He rented a farm in Maryland across a river to Harper's Ferry. He got everything ready and he waited for his "army" to arrive. But many of the men that followed him changed their minds, moved, or just thought the plan was crazy and that it would never work. Henry Garnet one of John's friends didnt even believe in the plan even when he helped him come up with it. John Brown met with Fredrick Douglas in August of 1859. He told Douglas all about what he planned to do. Douglas rejoinered by saying "Youre' walking into a perfect steel-trap and you will never make it out alive". To make a long story short Brown continued with his plan and on October 16, 1859 on sundown he crossed the potomac with his men in heavy rain. They reached town at 4:00am. They began damaging the town by cuttting telegraph wires then they captured the federal arsenal.The men also captured Hall's Rifle Works,(supplied weapons for the government). John got 60 citzens and held them as hostages. He was hoping tha their slaves would join and help them fight. No slaves did. John Brown was pinned down by the militia and his son was sent to help work things out but he was shot and killed.Word got around and Marines and soldiers were told to go help take brown and his men down. But by the time they got there 8 of John's army were killed. In the end 2 blacks and both of his sons were killed. Seven were captured and 5 escaped. Brown was sent to Charlestown, Virgina where he was sentenced and executed. I feel that John Brown was a brave man. But i also feel that he didnt have to take so many voilent paths. He could have handled the situation better because all he really did was create more choas. If I were in his position i wouldnt have held the people of that town hostage because what if I was in there shoes. But he did what he had to do. He took many precautious steps that i would have never thought to take. ** John Brown Harper's Ferry Raid
 * Dear journal,

1. How does one's understanding of slavery affect his understanding of the people and events of the 1850s and 1860s?

 * answer: I think that one understanding of slavery effects ones understanding of the person and events because many people that you thought would agree with slavery seemed to have different views and they began to take matters into their own hands.**

2. Why would slavery ever be condoned in the United States?

 * answer: I think the reason why slavery would be condoned in the U.S. because many people have stopped their hatred among each other. They now respect each other and we have many laws against it. Plus it is so dumb to treat people like they are animals. EQUALITY.**

3. Was the Civil War the only means to end slavery in the United States?

 * answer: I think that the civil war was the only way to end slavery because it the tables were turned and the south won then i feel that slavery would still be going on. I also feel that this situation could have been handled in a better way so that the civil war never would have happened.**

4. What are some of the long-term effects of slavery that are linked to the people and events of the past?

 * answer: Some of the long term effects of slavery that are linked to the people and events of the past is that we still have racism in the U.S. today. It took a long time to abolish slavery. For Instance when President Obama was running many people didnt like him because he was black. Many people didnt even give him a chance because of the color of his skin and they still don't**.