The Appeal and Garnet’s Speech
Lehman College Freshman Student Essay: The Appeal and Garnet’s Speech
Introduction
There are many instances that illustrate horrendous situations slaves lived in America. From death to some of the most unspeakable acts of cruelty for many years. For instance, the slave auction by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper is very enlightening, and correlates to the views of Walker and Garnet. The poem highlights the injustices that resulted from the enslavement of African people in America.
Children were sold, separated from their parents, treated like pets and domestic animals. In such circumstances humans become unsympathetic and focused on profits rather than giving in to the obvious feeling of wrongness that comes from seeing your fellow human suffering. For years human beings were treated as castles and submitted to instigating situations.
Under what circumstances slaves revolt?
Walker and Garnet argued that slaves “must” revolt from under its masters’ hill. One pushed for rebellion by sheer numbers alone, while Garnet argued for a sort of “eye for an eye” approach to slavery. However, although the approaches, and views may have differed somewhat, the main view on the brutality of slavery was clear to all. People were suffering, millions to be exact. Therefore, a revolt as Walker and Garnet suggested was not unheard of.
A revolt was an actuality, an actionality for slaves. Unlike Walker, Garnet sought a more peaceful approach to the situation, still including revolt. Arguing for the numbers, and the capabilities to go back to Africa and establish a prosperous colony. The goal would be to settle back home and never look back.
Walker was a proud black American, descendant of slaves. He pushed for rebellion and empowered his readers with pride, and a cause to rally behind. Walker argued that all who contributed to the development of the United States deserve a claim to the nation. Walker even went as to suggest that African Americans, who gave their blood for the nation, deserved more than others. He pushed for pride and revolted from the white masters.
According to the reading by “J.W Lindsay Describes Sexual and Family Relations Under Slavery, 1863” according to the readings, children of masters and slaves were not considered people, and did not inherit any rights from their white parents. Any child that was colored was automatically categorized. On many occasions slave owners would become fond of their female slaves and fall in love and send their children north for a better life.
Disinherited Mixed Children of interactional love
Nevertheless, that means that slave owners, and wealthy slave masters fathered many children with their slaves, even white women birthed many children from their slaves. The dark skin was the sign, if not the eyes, or other revealing characteristics.
However, the social construct and generational influences on the human mind created a society where it was ok to slave people for profit. The people organize well with a very clear and concise introduction. The author views the suffering of the people during those times.
Describing the sadness and spare suffering of mothers seeing their children dragged away sold gold and auctions treated like pets and atoms. The darkest time in American history. Auditory Imagery Is alighted upon by the author at the end of this poem. The author relies on visuals and expressions that require visualization from the reader.
The author describes the anguish and pain of the parents as their children are sold away to slave owners. “And Men, whose sole crime was hue, The impression of their Market’s hand…” is an impacting line. The author uses words such as hue to describe the skin color, and the spectrum of colors at the same time. Auditory Imagery serves the purpose of explaining ideas, and many other things using words.
When done poorly this can be confusing, and pretentious. In the case of “The Slave Auction,” the author painted a clear vision of what it was to be in the auction for African Americans. The proper way to conclude this analysis is with the line “… Whose loves are rudely torn away”. This line illustrates the deep feeling of hopelessness of the slaves in auction.
Slaves were property and had no rights whatsoever. Slaves were not considered people. Slave owners had absolute control over their slaves, and housed them, and took care of them solely for the purpose of productivity, and insurance for their investments. However, slave owners allow their slaves to rest, and socialize with each other. Still slaves had no power over their lives. In contrast, not even freed slaves had any power over their bodies, and could not run to any institution, such as the Police, for support, and protection.
Conclusion
Ultimately, slavery in America, was a dark time for the lives of millions of slaves, many who were born into slavery, and had no other knowledge, or world other than as a slave since birth. Something that sent shockwaves for generations.
American history is no stranger to horrendous acts against slaves. Both Walker, and Garnet symbolize the cry for freedom by African American during the time of Slavery. A time that, according to Walker, was seeing slaves gain freedom, while newly freed black people would respectively lose them. Therefore, on one end, things would look like they are getting better, on the other end they would gradually get worse. Therefore, the “war cry” by Walker, and Garnet simply highly a necessity of the times to make things better for all “people”.
Works Cited
Child, Lydia Marie. “Was There Love in Slavery? – McKayla Meadows.” Blogs@VT, 16 February 2017, https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/mckaylameadows/2017/02/16/was-there-love-in-slavery/. Accessed 8 January 2023.
Garnet, Henry Highland. “Garnet’s “Call to Rebellion.”” PBS, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2937.html. Accessed 8 January 2023.
Walker, David. “David Walker’s Appeal.” PBS, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2931.html. Accessed 8 January 2023.
Wright, Elizabeth S., et al. “David Walker, 1785-1830. Walker’s Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America, Written in Boston, State of Massachusetts …” Documenting the American South, https://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/walker/walker.html. Accessed 8 January 2023.
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