12 Years a Slave: film review

The New York Times: The Blood and Tears, Not the Magnolias 

Key Points: 

• the story line of the film connects not to your knowledge of slavery but to your feelings of it
• there is modern meaning to society by the place that every single character is at in their life
• the pictures in the film and that are painted in your mind as the viewer presents slavery as a system nothing embellished at all 
• the recreation of Solomon's story in the timeline and explanation of everyday of enslaved life
• the acting and portrayal is so raw that it seems to be able to get out of the control of the director 

Paraphrase:

original:
“12 Years a Slave” isn’t the first movie about slavery in the United States — but it may be the one that finally makes it impossible for American cinema to continue to sell the ugly lies it’s been hawking for more than a century. Written by John Ridley and directed by Steve McQueen, it tells the true story of Solomon Northup, an African-American freeman who, in 1841, was snatched off the streets of Washington, and sold.

The movie " 12 years a slave" that was written by John Ridley and directed by Steve McQueen follows the tragic and real life of a free black man named Solomon Northrup in 1841, living Washington was captured and enslaved for 12 years. while the film wasn't groundbreaking because it was on slavery it, its because it unveiled the truth that entertainment was too scared to tell their audiences. 

Solomon Northrup in movie (Smithsonian)

Slave Narratives:

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Ann Jacobs

While reading Harriet's story I was shocked at the details she provided when telling about events that occurred in her early slave life. She didn't know she was a slave till 6 years into her life and after her mother died. Her father was enslaved but was allowed to do outside work as long as he paid 200 dollars back to his owner. I found this interesting because I have not heard many circumstances like that. Harriet's grandmother as she got older and could only work in the house, was also allowed to use the main house kitchen at midnight to make her pastries and goodies to sell as long as she worked and gave some profit to the boss. Harriet was transferred to a new house and there is were she experienced extreme abuse. She was abused by Dr. Flint, her new master the abuse that she spoke on wasn't sexual but physical abuse. She talks about how she hated Dr. Flint and once feeling the true sense of hatred she couldn't feel that way about any one again.

Were many slaves given opportunities to do outside work?
how does slavery take a toll on the mental state of someone?

Paraphrase Practice: Lincoln Movie Review

Paraphrasing Practice

'This is, in other words, less a biopic than a political thriller, a civics lesson that is energetically staged and alive with moral energy. Lincoln, having just won re-election, faces a complex predicament. The war has turned in the Union’s favor, but the Capitol is in some turmoil. Lincoln must contend with a Democratic opposition that reviles him as a dictator (“Abraham Africanus,” they call him) and also with a deep, factional split within the Republican Party.'

The New York Times:A President Engaged in a Great Civil War

My Paraphrase of this selected passage:

 Abraham Lincoln's presidency had recently been renewed yet he was confronted with a serious problem even though the union or north now had the upper hand in the war. In spite of that fact in Washington D.C. things were unsettled and there was conflict. The president had to handle the forceful Democrats who were accusing him of being a leader who had taken absolute power and calling him "Abraham Africanus". Lincoln had another problem to deal with,a profound split in  his own party, the Republicans. The film depicts this captivating cycle of political struggle and power during this era. Centering around politics like this makes the film less focused on Lincolns biography teaches what governing was like. 

Newspaper Research Free Choice: Dancing

Dancing

The concept of dancing as a hobby and social interaction goes back to the beginning of European empires. The idea of dancing carries on into the colonial times and the revolution of the United States  of America. When looking at dancing in the newspaper archives there wasn't many social events reported on or reflections of the type of dancing of the time. But there were many adds or announcements of dance lessons or dance instructors to take prep from. also what I found that was interesting is the adds or announcements weren't just in one region they were all over the country in the union and rebuilding confederacy. Here is an add for a dance academies written in the New York Herald in 1875

Civil War era contra dancing 

Reconstruction Newspaper Research

Reflection: 

Reading the actual 19th century newspaper is far different than reading a textbook. The textbook provides large events, amendments and governmental activity and doesn't go into extreme detail about what is occurring in different areas. The newspapers go into detail they provide the before, during and after of events. Newspapers also have the ability to be extremely opinionated whereas textbooks are created to educate centuries later. Their audiences initially are very different, newspapers are presenting information to the citizens in that time and in that moment and textbooks are delivering information to thousands of students over the course of many years. A prime example to show how a newspaper is different is the Memphis Daily Appeal published august 27th 1874. The newspaper is reporting of mob massacre that occurred in Gibson County and was an act of klan violence and ends with the murdering 16 blacks that were in the Trenton jail. What makes the newspaper article so interesting is that it provides other reports on the same incident from different newspapers in the state of Tennessee. The difference in the reports and the difference in how much the sources unveiled different information was surprising.(Library of Congress-Memphis Daily Appeal)

Memphis 1870 

Reconstruction Ends in 1877

Why did reconstruction end in 1877?

The Compromise of 1877 was created to settle the dispute of the 1876 presidential election. The result of this was that the government pulling the last troops out of the south which ended the reconstruction era. It involved the democrats who were controlling the House of representatives at the time. When troops left, republicans left leaving the democrats in control.
(Wikipedia: Compromise of 1877)

Terms of the Compromise:

1. removal of all U.S troops in the south

2.appointment of one southern democrat in Hayes' cabinet 

3. addition of another transcontinental railroad 

4. legislation to help the southern economy in the post reconstruction and civil war phase

5. rights to handle blacks without northern intrusion 

(Wikipedia: Compromise of 1877)

in exchange the democrats would accept  Hayes a republican as President and not cause conflict in the session of Congress to approve the election
(Wikipedia: Compromise of 1877)

Compromise of 1877 Cartoon