Missouri Compromise
I recently heard about the Missouri Compromise. Why do we not just abolish slavery? We would not have this problem of what state is free or what state is a slave state. But the south has much love for the money they are making off the slaves. The south does not want to give up precious land that could be theirs. They are not just getting cheated out of land; they are getting cheated out of money. From that land they may earn x amount of dollars, and if they do not want to loose out on that. So they got their Missouri Compromise. Hopefully, they will not complain that a certain state should have been brought in as a slave state. There is the imagery line that separates the free from the enslaved.
Fugitve Slave Act
As if things could not get worse. My group of abolitionists and I have given up. Now with the new Missouri Compromise came the Fugitive Slave Act. Our chance of getting slaves to freedom has become more difficult and more stressful. With this act any slave seen in the North by a Northerner must return him/her to their owner. We can no longer bring the slaves to the North; we have to bring them to Canada. That is the only way to assure them of true freedom. The South keeps getting what it wants. What about what we want? We want every slave to be free, but do they go and pass a law abolishing slavery? No! The process to help slaves reach freedom will take more strategy, patience, and money.
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Today a book was brought to me, and I read the first couple of chapters. The book’s title is Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I am captivated by this book. For this type of work to be published now is just amazing. This book unleashes the true identities of the slave masters. And of course the south is not too fond of that. The southerners are boycotting the book. They claim it is all propaganda because it only shows one side of the story. They deem it as unfair. They are being depicted as brutal and no respect for humans. That is what they are. They are just ashamed of themselves. Hopefully this book will open the eyes of the Northerners and show them what is really going on.
Fourth of July
Frederick Douglas is an inspiration to me. He is the reason I keep fighting for my brothers’ and sisters’ freedom. Since he is a big part of me, I had to take a trip to New York to hear his Fourth of July Speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro". I was mesmerized the whole time by Frederick’s words. I have a way with words, but he pulls it off even better. I will leave you with one of the lines that grabbed my attention. Even though America is free, there are still the slaves who are not free. That the Fourth of July is complete nonsense to them.
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.
-Frederick Douglass
