From Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

[Chrishayden]

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Ch 12

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Harriet_Jacobs/Incidents_in_the_Life_of_a_Slave_Girl/Fear_Of_Insurrection_p1.html

Some excerpts

By sunrise, people were pouring in from every quarter within twenty miles of the town. I knew the houses were to be searched; and I expected it would be done by country bullies and the poor whites. I knew nothing annoyed them so much as to see colored people living in comfort and respectability

It was a grand opportunity for the low whites, who had no negroes of their own to scourge. They exulted in such a chance to exercise a little brief authority, and show their subserviency to the slaveholders; not reflecting that the power which trampled on the colored people also kept themselves in poverty, ignorance, and moral degradation. Those who never witnessed such scenes can hardly believe what I know was inflicted at this time on innocent men, women, and children, against whom there was not the slightest ground for suspicion

[Cynique]

How thoughtful of you to provide excerpts from and a link to this book about slavery, Chrishayden. Who knows? There might be younger folks who are registered at this site and who now don't have to go through the trouble of googling "slavery" in order to learn what well-informed people have known since 1619; slavery was hell, and its repercussions awful.

You could have also recommended the option of watching the movie "Gone With The Wind" in order to provide the "ignorant" ones with an idea of what slavery involved. But, then, you claim to despise this film.

Whatever. In the year 2010, it's always provocative to be reminded how a certain element of slave descendants are now killing each other - while others argue among themselves about what constitutes a "slave mentality" - as if anyone knows what really went on inside the individual minds of those in bondage.

[Chrishayden]

How thoughtful of you to provide excerpts from and a link to this book about slavery, Chrishayden. Who knows? There might be younger folks who are registered at this site and who now don't have to go through the trouble of googling "slavery" in order to learn what well-informed people have known since 1619; slavery was hell, and its repercussions awful.

You could have also recommended the option of watching the movie "Gone With The Wind" in order to provide the "ignorant" ones with an idea of what slavery involved. But, then, you claim to despise this film.

Whatever. In the year 2010, it's always provocative to be reminded how a certain element of slave descendants are now killing each other - while others argue among themselves about what constitutes a "slave mentality" - as if anyone knows what really went on inside the individual minds of those in bondage.

(Once again, you saw the mote and missed the beam.

What I am focusing on is the ATTITUDES of the poorer whites toward those blacks who had things which parallel a lot of their attitudes today.)