- Slavery to Freedom
- The literature during this period is concentrated on the ideals of human dignity.
- The first authors during this period focused on the brotherhood established by Christianity and used this to appeal for Whites to confront their prejudices.
- Black literature combated the ideas of separating religious and political issues.
- Authors appealed to the idea that all God's laws applied to everyone because we were all apart of him.
- Many Black writers used irony to expose the contradictions between White America and its laws and precedents.
- There was a major contradiction between the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and the institution of slavery.
- The first slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia.
- Slavery created something called a "social nonperson" - a person who had no family, honor, or future.
- Chattel slavery was strengthened by the idea that slavery was natural and proper.
- Thomas Jefferson believed that the differences between blacks and whites were so great that the races had to be separate instances.
- Weirdly, Jefferson opposed the idea of slavery as noted in Note on the State of Virginia.
- Dark color of African skin represented the lack of light within African Americans.
- Early in the 19th century, Blacks joined forces with Whites to bring about social and political advances.
- Blacks couldn't do much to change their life in South.
- On April 12, 1861, the Civil War began.
- The Fugitive Slave Law was created to uphold the balance of power between the North and South.
- The Thirteenth Amendment (abolish slavery) was passed on December 6, 1865.
- Blacks joined Civil War to ultimately end slavery.
- Lincoln recruited black soldiers on a grand scale.
- Spirituals were widely used for both politics and spiritually.