How the other half lives

Upon looking through countless images I found on this topic. The two images in this post are two similar images of children, most likely between the ages of 5-8 sleeping in gutters outdoors. It is not easy to establish what ethnicity the children are, however I can guess that most likely these children are not 'native' American's. The image shows the extremities of living in urban New York during this period. It is a very difficult place to grow up in. In keeping with the Ragged Dick theme, it is evident these children are being treated the same and are facing the same perils that Dick faced during his story. However what is different is that this is very much real, and it is hard to escape it.

What I find so remarkable about these images is that there are no adults trying to help these children. There are no stories that I could find of adults helping children living out on their own like this. Ragged Dick as a story romanticises this struggle of growing up in American cities like this. However realistically, the struggle was real and many look past this. From what I have looked into, there are few novels or movies that tell stories of growing up in New York during this period as really how it was. Instead, they will look onto making a story of it, which is to be expected in this genre. There is a lack of knowledge about this with today's American public.

You could argue these boys have been left alone like this because they are foreign, which indicates frictions in society in New York. As has been the case over the years in large cities; there is definitely a class division as well. With those in the upper echelons of society looking down on those who live on the streets, decades before any sort of welfare was considered in court, these boys who are clearly either orphaned or abandoned from a young age by their parents who were left to fend for themselves. Whether the parents could not afford to look after them or were forced to lose them.

How the other half lives

Lodgers in a crowded Bayard Street tenement—“Five Cents a Spot”

To immigrants America was the land of opportunity and freedom. However this picture suggests that the idea of the American Dream did not apply to everyone. As the tittle of the photo suggest it costs five cents for a spot to live in some horrible, cramped conditions. Under the description of the photo it says that "Another room on the top floor, that had been examined a few nights before, was comparatively empty. There were only four persons in it, two men, an old woman, and a young girl. The landlord opened the door with alacrity, and exhibited with a proud sweep of his hand the sacrifice he had made of his personal interests to satisfy the law. Our visit had been anticipated. The policeman’s back was probably no sooner turned than the room was re-opened for business". I would assume that this is a family otherwise this demonstrates how immigrants were treated. In some cases strangers from completely different countries could be forced to live together depending on what they could afford. The room does not particularly look very homely and does not even have much space to move around. Again this highlights how immigrants were seen as inferior and the landlord just wants to make as much money as he possibly can by fitting as many people in one room as he can regardless of the law.

The area that these people are living is called "the bend" which is part of the slums in New York, therefore will be full of deprivation and unsanitary living conditions. This also signifies the shock that these immigrants would have felt having to live in these awful conditions when they would expect to be somewhere nicer in the "land of the free". Again they do not have as many opportunities living in a run down area but are free from the persecution of their home countries, this may not be the case in the US. Immigrants that could be found in these areas were predominantly from Eastern European countries such as Poland as well as Jews. However in this photo they do seem to have a decent place to live, with blankets and various supplies so other immigrants were in a lot worse places than this. These people seem to be treated well and looked after so it shows how different living situations different people had when they arrived to America.

Jacob Riis- How the Other Half Lives

Within Jacob Riis' project, How the Other Half Lives, he included various images that depicts the way of life for many immigrants around the year 1890. The image I have chosen was entitled A downtown "Morgue" (unlicensed saloon) c. 1890 and it truly shows the harsh conditions many New York immigrants faced in this period. The building itself is dark and dirty and could hardly be considered a "saloon". All of the men in the image look tired and worn down, they fit in well with their surroundings. Judging from this image, the New York that the immigrants experienced probably did not live up to their expectations. A place such as a saloon is normally imagined to have bright lights, loud music and vibrantly dressed dancers whereas this was not the case for an immigrant saloon. It is even nicknamed a "morgue" which does not give a very good impression of the building or the lives the immigrants must have been living during 1890.

The attitudes towards the "new" Americans pictured here cannot have been positive simply due to the conditions of the characters and the building within the image. The men in the picture, once I closely examined the expressions on their faces, look tired and depressed. The character that stood out for me was the black man by the bar. His clothing appears to be ripped and his facial expression shows sadness. Why would these men go to such a depressing place? Perhaps the saloon, or "morgue", may have been the only place the "new" Americans were able to go as they were not accepted anywhere else. It is well known that immigrants tended to live with and near other immigrants as this is where they felt safe. Although this saloon was probably not the nicest place to go and wind down after a long day of hard work, it was all the immigrants had. It also begs the questions as to whether or not the immigrants even wanted to be integrated into American society if they were willing to spend time in a building like this.

How the Other Half Lives

These are images by Jacob Riis from his project, 'How the Other Half Lives' sourced from http://www.authentichistory.com/. 

The photographs of numerous, basic bunks shows how impoverished many immigrant 'new' Americans were when they came to the United States in 1890. Immigrant New York was an overcrowded and dirty placed to live, advocated by the conditions portrayed by the '7 Cent Boarding House' above. A huge influx of European immigrants to New York via the gateway of Ellis Island flooded the city with non-English speaking (some unskilled) people whom struggled to assimilate to American culture. This caused New York City to become a squalled, cramped and conflicted City to live in for not only the struggling immigrants but for Americans who inhabited the city previous to The Great Deluge. The types of hardships highlighted in Anzia Yezierska's, "The lost "Beautifulness" such as struggles to pay rent or be creative and personal in such depressing spaces gives context to such establishments pictured above. Living in cheap boarding houses was a reality for many immigrants as they were unbelievably poor and had no option other than living on the streets. An aspect of Immigrant New York which Riis thoroughly documented in his photographs of 'street Arabs'.

The most interesting aspect of these Riis images in my opinion is linked to the name of the project itself. Attitudes towards the immigrants that came to New York in the late nineteenth century was at times an unforgiving one, mirrored by the label 'other half'. The mood doesn't quite suggest that immigrants were seen as second class citizens as America was built on the ideology of everyone having a fair chance to better themselves. However, the fact that people, whether it be 'native' Americans or more successful immigrants were profiting from the helplessness and impoverishment of Immigrant New York society indicates that; there was a lack of empathy and compassion for immigrants whom struggled to make the 'American Dream' work for them and their families. 

Presentation- Honesty vs Being Streetwise

Big question- how can Dick be honest as well as streetwise?

First point- Chapter 7- The Pocket-Book

- Dick knows how to cheat people but still considers himself honest
- Send a bad message to children?

Second point- Chapter 11- Dick as Detective

- Dick is completely honest and does not use his knowledge of how to swindle people
- End of chapter, Dick is rewarded with money- right message?

Third point- Chapter 9- A Scene in a Third Avenue Car

- Dick stands up against dishonesty
- Interesting change of Dicks character from previously in the book

Conclusion

- Dicks character develops throughout the novel
- What made these changes occur?
- Consider the big question at the beginning of the presentation

Ragged Dick- Work vs Leisure

Work:
Dick always worked hard but would squander his money
He realises that in order to have a good future he must work harder and save
He has a good work ethic
Would study hard helping to shape a better future


Leisure:
The way the upper classes spend their leisure time= very different from Dick
Dick spends time gambling his money
Began spending time studying instead of gambling
Very grateful for the help Fosdick gave him, is very aware that he would not become 'respectable' without the help of a certain few

Friendship V Rivalry

intro - poll for questions

Main body - luck and pluck with all
Frank
Fosdick
Greyson
Rivals

Conclude - further poll to ascertain different findings

Ragged Dick: Obedience .vs. Inventiveness

Presentation layout and structure:

Obedience

• Henry Forsdick and Mr Greyson
• Frank Whitney
• Moral code
• Micky Maguire

Inventiveness

• The counterfeit bill
• The pocket book
• Jim Travis
• Dick's journey

Youth vs Experience

> Ragged Dick - Dick Hunter- Richard Hunter = Experience shapes progression of character
> Starting from the bottom shining shoes - meeting people gains experience:
Meets Mr Whitney- a man visiting New York
           Mr Whitney's nephew Frank - gives Dick advice about how to change his life e.g future aspirations and getting an education


Dick uses his money secures a place to stay
Meets Henry Fosdick - another bootblack boy - becomes Dick's tutor
Both use past experiences to help each other progress


Dick 14 years old - comes into contact with grown men
Uses talents of being streetwise to gain experience
Just because he is young does not necessarily mean that he is inexperienced
Different way of life to Frank - inspires him to better himself
Education is the tool for Dick to be able to become literate - sends Frank a letter
                                                                     Helps Fosdick to get a job
                                                                   

12 Years a Slave

Throughout this film, the audience sees a number of views regarding slavery during the 1800's. We see an accurate representation of what life for a slave would have been like on a plantation. We see the struggle of some of the white slave owners who want to help the slaves, and finally, we witness the view of the white slave owners who has no regard for the lives of his slaves, thinking of them only as his property, not as human beings.

McQueen has accurately portrayed the life of Solomon Northup, showing how his life was turned upside down by people he thought he could trust. This situation would have been quite common for the time as white people would often trick free black people, men in particular, into thinking they would be well paid and have a better life if they were to follow. However, as clearly shown in this film, this was not the case. Solomon, being ripped from his family had to endure a painful boat journey, (accurate of the journey many would have taken from Africa to America) witnessing the deaths of his friends, later to discover his name had been changed. The scene when Solomon's name is changed to 'Plat' shows the taking away of an identity, and actor,Chiwetel Ejiofor, conveys shock and disappointment when he discovers this.

Furthermore, we see a sympathetic white slave owner in Ford (Cumberbatch), we see the struggle and pain in his eyes when he is forced to split up mother and child, although it can be argued by some that he could have tried harder to keep the family together, that he gave up too easily. The contrast of this character and the character of Epps played by Fassbender is prominent. The audience can see the difference between the tow owners and the way the slaves are treated. When we witness the harsh whipping of Patsey towards the end of the film, the audicne can almost feel her pain, we shudder at the sound of the whip hitting her back, your heart bleeds with every one of her cries of pain. This  scene in particular makes you feel for the slaves. We undersatnd the sheer brutality of the slave trade during this period and we gain an authentic understanding of the life of a slave.

This is the story of a lucky man, who wasn't born into slavery, no did he die in slavery. Although his time as a slave would have been horrific, as portrayed, it is important to understand that he was one of the lucky ones who was freed, who was able to see his family again. As the audience, we need to understand that for the majority of slaves, the events shown in this picture were not experienced for 12 years, but for their entire lives.

Review of 12 Years a Slave

The portrayal of slavery during this film was astonishingly raw. By this I mean certain scenes throughout the film, such as the whipping of Patsey, contain brutal content and last for a significant amount of time. During this specific scene, the camera does not look away from Patsey or skip to another less brutal shot of the scene thus making it more hard and upsetting to watch. This is what it would have been like for many slaves, in constant fear of being whipped and the excruciating pain they would have felt during and afterword.

The film highlights the differing views and attitudes of a few slave owners, for example Ford, played by Cumberbatch and Epps, played by Fassbender. Ford is somewhat kind and grateful for the work his slaves do for him whereas Epps considers his slaves his property and that he shall do whatever he wishes with them, whether it be reward or punishment. The main character Solomon causes some trouble for Ford and although Solomon is sent away, Ford risks his life to protect him. Could this be genuine kindness or a man seeking to protect his investment in this slave?

Another scene in the film that was interesting was where the slaves ran into a group of Native Americans. They then proceeded to come together and build a fire and share a meal. The natives also performed a dance, possibly a specific one for the slaves, whilst the slaves watched. It was interesting how these two groups of people came together, unaware of each others existence's and shared a peaceful meal together. There was no violence, a sheer contrast to the treatment shown to slaves and natives by white Americans who appear to be scared or suspicious of anyone who is not white.

Throughout the film, it is clear that Solomon's hopes to return to his family as a free man seem to die as he realizes there is little chance of escape, as he is betrayed by an ex-overseer who said he would deliver a letter to his family. He also takes part in singing a song, "Roll, Jordan, Roll", at a funeral with the other slaves in which we see Solomon break down and even give in to his current situation and show his anger and sadness by singing with the other slaves. Later on in the film, he is seen to break his violin on purpose, a significant image throughout the film as it is his only joy whilst being a slave. The violin could also be seen as a symbol of slavery, as many of his masters make him play the instrument for their own amusement. After breaking the violin, this would make the audience feel as if Solomon had completely lost all hope for escaping and returning to his family.

The ending was extremely emotional for myself and the audience. Instead of showing happiness to his family, Solomon breaks down and cries and apologizes for having been gone for so long. This shows how Solomon completely blames himself for ending up being a slave, as he trusted those men who promised him great fortune at the beginning of the film.

12 years a slave review

12 years a slave was one of 2014's biggest movies in terms of box office revenue ($188.7 million). The film was made to give the wide American public, many of whom have not been fully educated in detail about the brutality of their history, an idea about what their ancestors did or went through.

The cast of the film is star studded, which was the only way this movie would have worked in my opinion. Big names such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Fassbender were drafted in to give this film the awareness it needed, without big stars, a film about slavery may not have been successful.

However, from watching the movie for the third time, I have noticed that the film focuses far too much on the brutality of slavery, the overuse of the whip is noticeable. On numerous occasions, we see slaves being whipped. Many who watch the movie are aware of how brutal slavery was towards those enslaved, we don't need to see how brutal it was, because we already know how bad it was. In terms of its brutality, i'm surprised the movie is only rated a '15'. The scene where Epps (Fassbender) forces Solomon to whip Patsie is brutal, more so when Epps takes it upon himself to do it himself. Its unnecessarily brutal, I understand there is an emotional attachment to Patsie which is trying to get the audience to feel sorry for her, as if they weren't already feeling sorry for her. Another unnecessarily brutal scene is the scene where Solomon is kidnapped and is being brutally assaulted and beaten for claiming he is a free man. Again, it is overly brutal, I understand the point being made about him needing to feel scared about those who have kidnapped him, but I don't understand the need for the scene to go on as long as it does.

One other part of the film has had me surprised was the over use of the 'n' word. I understand then it was a common word to use, but in a movie adaptation that may have some scenes shown to children in schools for history lessons, do we really need to repeatedly here that word used? It will get to the point where some children will call their friends by that word, which would spell trouble. I made a tally chart of every time I heard the word used; 52 by my counts, however it could have been more, I think I missed at least 15 more occasions.

Many who have reviewed the film have reviewed it for entertainment purposes, and on that front, the movie is fantastic, I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't already seen it. However for the third time watching it through, I was more focused on the historical accuracy of the movie, and in that sense, some sections of it are a little off. Take the ending for example, there is no way Solomon could have walked away a free many with no type of backlash. Epps hardly put up a fight to keep him which surprised me a little bit. Anothet example is that I feel that Ford (Cumberbatch) was almost too nice towards his slaves. There was no examples of every day slave life, only scenes of violence and gut wrenching scenes of Solomon crying, that is what made up the majority of the film, and on that front, I would suggest the movie struggled in its quest to be informative and accurate, in terms of entertainment, the film is brilliant, it's just finding the middle ground between the two. Steve Mcqueen deserves a lot of praise for this brilliant piece of work.

12 Years a Slave

It soon became apparent the harsh reality of how brutal slavery was during the 1800s. The film portrayed the horrific and violent aspect of slavery whilst telling the story of "Platt". It was an authentic representation of slavery because we saw different sides to it, The first is a free man who was forced into slavery, which is a side that for me personally I had not hard of before. This shows that the film is making a modern audience more aware of the less well known events that do not have as much awareness. Also we see a "kinder" slave owner in Ford who did not want to separate the mother from her children and also respected Soloman's musical talents. We also see a plantation where a black woman is treated equally as a white woman. It is at this point that Soloman sees how Patsy is given special treatment only because of Epps' dark favouritism of Patsey. The film  represents such a difficult part of history with respect and ease, even though it does tend to focus on the brutal aspects it does show us the difficulties the slaves had to endure even in a short period of time.

Chiwetel Ejiofor's outstanding acting in portraying Soloman's hope and despair adds real emotion to the film. How he presents hope at the start of the film that he will be a free man again, that someone will find his papers and set him free. The resilience to fight to keep his name Soloman Northup and refuse to answer to the name Platt just shows how at first the slaves had the strength to try and be themselves. However as soon as a whip comes out he slowly starts to lose his sense of hope and realises he is in fact a slave and will probably never see his wife and children again. We can see this pivotal moment when Soloman sees the letter he had wrote to his family burn into ash. At this point we can see by his facial expressions that he has lost all hope, he had one chance to escape and that had gone. Soon after this scene "Platt" joins in singing the song Roll, Jordan, roll, this suggests that the only hope of escape exists in death. The sense of despair really does enhance how awful slavery was. He was a free, well educated man who had the rest of his life ahead of him was kidnapped into such a completely opposite situation. He believes that he will never be a free man, the only way to escape this living hell is to die.

The film does seem to be based on violence, so when Bass offers a different view it does hit home that not every American was in favour of slavery. The contrast between Bass and Epps does have a moral impact, it shows that some people saw slaves as human beings and should not be viewed as property. After all it was Bass who sent a letter on behalf of Soloman who eventually led him to become a free man. This is a beautiful scene that makes us see the side of slavery that we are not as familiar with, a white man was willing to risk his life to save a black man.

Even though 12 Years a Slave is based on a true story Hollywood did not over glamorise the scene which made it heart warming to see Soloman return home to his family, Again this made the film more authentic because these attitudes were not seen as the norm therefore to be overplayed would make it lose its original meaning and would not have had historical value.

Comments on 12 Years A Slave.

It has been said that 12 Years A Slave is an authentic representation of slavery. I would agree and give a lot of credit to director Steve McQueen and his team for how they portrayed the condition of slavery in the most realistic fashion possible.

The brutality of punishment enhances the authenticity of this film a great deal. The severity of abuse is put in plain view and never hidden from start to finish. Physical pain and suffering is also repeatedly shown in an unfiltered manner which has the effect of never letting the viewer ignore it. In continuation, the worthlessness and helplessness in the attitude of the slaves is made particularly poignant by the first class acting. It gives a veritable picture of how the structure and mechanics of the slave society totally destroyed the self worth of African Americans. Multiple scenes show slaves just wondering around, unrestrained, however they show not even a flicker of thought towards trying to escape or fighting back. This representation is a great strength of the film and its sense of realness. 

Smaller details provide the same outcome. Solomon having his name changed to Platt shows how the identity, history and significance of slaves was torn away from them completing a total degradation of character. One of the harshest realities of slavery which the film portraits very successfully.

The image of slavery that 12 Years A Slave presents has a broad scope and depth. It triumphantly investigates a range of characters from blacks slaves, white slave owners and white sympathisers.

Both Ford and Epps (slave owners) are products of the slave society and are equally enslaved by it themselves. Despite being a compassionate man, Ford still sells Solomon down the river to work for Epps to save a financial blunder. Although Ford knows he is selling a man, whos character he somewhat admires, to a more ruthlessly punishing plantation owner in Epps. He cannot help Solomon.

Epps on the other hand has clearly been driven somewhat insane by his infatuation with Patsey, religious ignorance and the continued, merciless beatings and whippings that he carries out. Epps is an example of how the empowerment of whites in the slave society had them too, trapped.
Also in the film Epps says that there is no sin where his property is concerned. This highlights how white slave owners justified the crimes upon humanity they were committing. Epps uses the filters of religion and the slave society to protect himself from mental and moral self annihilation.

Bass broadens the scope of the film further. As a sympathiser of Solomon he offers an anti-slave/anti-Epps narrative strand which provides hope and later a means of freedom and justice. This character maintains the reality of the film by not letting viewers forget that not everyone in the USA during this period was racist and pro-slavery.

Wattie Curtis - North Carolina

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mesn&fileName=111/mesn111.db&recNum=220&itemLink=D?mesnbib:16:./temp/~ammem_6Tq2::

The first thing I noticed about this passage is the English used. The use of slang in the wording is very striking, even in the first sentence; "I wus borned" and also "seberal of de chillums". It is interesting looking at the accentual differences between early and later periods. To me it looks as if they have southern accents, which is understandable given they were raised in the south. The grammar itself is significant in terms of learning the way they spoke and how they wrote. This passage was taken when Wattie was 98, which in itself is quite a feat, and she speaks as if she still hadn't learnt the English language properly. The typing indicates her accent was strong and that she had little teaching in terms of spelling.

The content regarding living conditions is vile; "I'se seen him whup my mammy wid all de clothes offen her back. He'd buck her down on a barrel an' beat de blood outen her". Even reading this type of graphic recollection is unnerving. The fact she watched it happen to her mum to start with is a talking point.

The next page talks about her religious life. They went to church on sundays, but it was as much a deterrence as actual religious freedoms. "we went to chuch on sunday an' dey preached to us dat we'd go ter hell alive iffen we sassed our white folks". The fact they were told this in church is frankly disgusting. Instead of praying they were sent direct warnings. The next section is regarding clothes. Wattie talks about having to be naked until the age of 14, and the only reason she got clothes was due to her 'mammy' speaking to the plantation owner. Which may have had its own risks, many would have likely been whipped for asking for clothes.

Wattie ends it with talking about life post civil war; she talks about the fact her parents were allowed to marry and then went on to search for their children, finding most of the 14 but not 3, who were presumed either dead or missing indefinitely.

All in all it's quite a harrowing recollection of what 99% of slaves went through, even though I was only touching the surface of this. Hundreds of biographies of slavery will feature similar content.

Slavery

William Moore  Age 82

William Moore recalls his times living as a slave on a plantation alongside the recollection of his family. As a family he would go to church with his mother and listen to a white man preach "bey our masters and work hard and sing and when we die we go to Heaven." This just shows how slaves were forced to obey their white masters and was enforced upon them in all aspects of life. Particularly as Moore goes on to say that praying was all that the slaves had but could not risk getting caught praying or they would get a beating.

He mentions multiple times how his mother has been so brutally beaten that they could not get the clothes off her back because they were stuck with blood. The beatings were so bad that they remained permanently scarred until the day she died. Another time he saw her tied to a tree with her clothes pulled down screaming in complete agony. She was being beaten with a bull whip and was stood completely covered in blood running down from her eyes all the way down her back. When William tries to save her the man hits him with the whip. He explains this in terms of "First white man sets himself inside that rail fence gits it from the gun" This means that as soon as you cross the fence you are in the white mans territory. If you dare to cross him or try to escape he will not hesitate to shoot you. In addition to this they are the property of the white man so he will also not hesitate to beat up the slaves so that they do not disrespect the owner and that they know there place.

Until one day he hears the news that he was free. He was in such disbelief that all he could do was look around, he saw all of the others packing little piles of clothes in the cabins. He jumped into a cart with his sister and mother and finally became a free man. Once they arrived at Miss Mary's they all celebrated by praying and singing but were so exited and full of emotion that they could not eat or stop themselves from crying.

From then on he managed to find a job not long after leaving and began a new life. He got married and had three children who even went to school, until trouble arose during emancipation. Moore goes on to mention briefly that his brother had some trouble with the Ku Klux Klan. As he became an old man his children had grown up and his wife had died he still says "I'm thankful to Gawd and praiseful for the pension what lets me have a lil somethin to eat and a place to stay." It just goes to show how grateful William Moore was to be freed that he is now content with life and is just happy to have the basic things that we today take for granted.

Despite having some tough treatment by his master William Moore lived a good life. He managed to stay together with his family which was quite rare during those times and even experienced freedom as a family. He later had his own family who could get the education that he never had and improve themselves, even though he did get shown stories by some of the children on the plantation. Therefore William Moore despite having a rough start died a happy and free man.

Slavery- Amanda McCray

Amanda McCray was born and trained as a house servant on the Pamell Plantation in Florida, she enjoyed making dresses for her mistress and was taught everything by her blind mother who had also spent the majority of her adult life at the plantation. Although her mother was blind, she was determined not to let this disability affect her work, passing down her knowledge to the younger generations, this goes to show the resilience and determination of many of the slaves in America at this time, that they would not let anything interfere with doing their job.

When recalling her time at the plantation, she speaks of it fondly, saying that although her owner had over one hundred slaves, he treated them fairly and kindly, a situation that would not have been common among the majority of slave owning plantations. Unlike some plantations where children would be put to work as soon as they could walk, children at this plantation led a "carefree existence" until aged 13 when they were given light chores. Some children at Pamell were even given a small amount of education, although many, like Amanda, never knew their exact age. At this particular plantation, children led a fairly normal childhood and were even given small gifts from their owners at Christmas.

Slaves at Pamell were also given access to a black minister, allowing them to exercise their right to free religion. During services they would often pray for the slaves who were treated badly by their owners. Clearly the slaves at Pamell knew that they were in a good position and were grateful for what they had, some may have even felt guilty because they had a good life at the plantation, while others had to endure beatings and threats.

Very few slaves chose to leave the Pamell Plantation because Mr Pamell had been so good to them and promised those who stayed housing grants. Many of them would have been unsure of what life outside of the plantation might have been like and were happy to stay at Pamell where it was familiar.

Amanda "seems happiest talking about the past that was a bit kinder to her". This is showing us that life for slaves wasn't entirely bad, especially for those at plantations like Pamell. Some slaves, like Amanda were treated very well, were cared for by the owners. They were not beaten and were free to learn and practice religion. However, this was not the norm, and most slaves at plantations would not describe their time there as the happiest time of their lives.

WPA Federal Writers Project- slavery

Benjamin Henderson- born September 8 1858- Jasper County, Monticello, Georgia.

Benjamin stated that he was 'only seven years old when freedom was declared' and that he can 'remember a few facts' of his life living on the plantation. His father, Mr Sam Henderson, was actually the owner and master of the plantation he lived on and his mother was a slave his father owned. His father never married but had help with the plantation from his mother, Allie Henderson.

Benjamin's life on the plantation was very different to some due to the master of the plantation being less harsh on his slaves. He only owned five slaves to do the necessary work around the grounds and was considered a 'kind master' who 'hardly ever punished his slaves'. Benjamin states he can remember when he was given his first pair of shoes by his master at five years old and that during the spring and summer time, 'each family was free to eat as many of the different vegetables, as they wanted'. Even at Christmas, the slaves who 'asked for whiskey were given an ample amount'. This treatment that Mr Henderson was displaying towards Benjamin and the other slaves goes against the normal type of treatment most slaves endured from their masters.

Benjamin recalls a story about three confederate soldiers: 'I remember the day they rode up on their grey horses, to take dinner and say goodbye to the family. When they were ready to leave, their grandmother gave them an old testament and told them to take it and read it and make good soldiers of themselves. One son replied 'oh grandma it won't last long, we're going to bring back old Lincoln's head back and set it on the gate post for a target' but they didn't come back: all three were killed'.

This story shows us the background to which Benjamin was growing up and living in. In the South, slavery was a huge part of every day life and was the basis of making money for many families. The Civil War drastically changed the lives of many in the south, both black and white. Benjamin goes on to state that he believed 'he has lived long because he has lived a clean, useful life filled with plenty of hard work'. Benjamin's story as a slave is very different to many as he experienced many privileges many slaves did not get to come by but he was very well aware of the dangers other slaves faced from their masters. He heard of one slave owner who 'kept wristbands of iron, and also a gag made to fit into the mouth, and fastened around the neck, which prevented rolling while being whipped'.

Overall, Benjamin Henderson lead a very well and normal life as a slave, and thought it to be a good way to make a living for himself and his family. He was well looked after by his master, a very uncommon thing to happen, and was well respected by all who lived on the plantation.

WPA Slave Narrative Project

Georgia Johnson - Ex slave - age 74

This account offers the recollections of one Georgia Johnson whom was born into slavery. She, unlike most, was moved around a good deal and so experienced many different versions of the slave society in which she was raised.

An interesting facet of the account is how normal, ordinary, the idea of ownership of a human being was to a member of such a society, especially a slave. 

Georgia says, 'My pa, he was Charlie Allen; he belonged to Master Duncan Allen too.', 'Master...give my ma to his gal' and most shockingly, 'Master give em my pa for a wedding present'. The latter of the quotes highlights the degree to which slaves, humans, were looked upon as nothing more than commodities - like silver or gold. The 'master' address shows the submissiveness of the relationship of slave and slave-owner too revealing one of the most disturbing features of the society; that one human could degrade another to such an extent.

Georgia was, 'born in the last year of the war so I don't have no sure enough recollections about them hard times what old folks say they had them days.', so examining her experience shows how slaves still struggled after the war. 'Master wouldn't have no settlement with him. He just wouldn't give my pa no money. Master said that us youngens still belonged to him...'.

This quote indicates how hard America struggled to up root the slave society in which it had become so entrenched. The account being taken from the Georgia narratives does reveal some of the reasons for Georgia's father's difficulties. 

Georgian whites being some of the most ironically enslaved to the system which their society and economy was entirely dependent on meant that despite being 'freed', ex-slaves still had very basic rights if any.

The presence and acceptance of death is also startling in all of the slave accounts and interviews from the WPA narratives, this one included. Georgia exclaims, 'whilst we was out there our little sister died...they put a little white dress on her and laid her out on the bed until they could make up a coffin...then they buried her away in the ground.'. The fact that slaves had to live through the constant fatalities of their family and friends, reduced to burying their own younger siblings, suggests how emotionally and morally damaging the experience must have been. Reaffirming the strength of the legacy it left behind.  

Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership - This is a very surprising and significant example of a pro gun representation in America. This is surprising because Judaism has had a very violent history, to me, any excuse to stop any form of violence would be taken by Jews. Through history they have suffered persecution at the hands of Nazi Germany, Arabs and Islamics. Even today in the USA they are persecuted, partly due to their social standing. In today's society, mocking Jews is somewhat of a norm. Which in turn could be part of the reason why there is a Jewish lobby for guns to remain throughout the USA. 

One quote I found on the website reads;"Founded by Jews in 1989, JPFO initially aimed at educating the Jewish community about the historical evils that Jews have suffered when they have been disarmed. JPFO has always welcomed people of all religious beliefs who share a common goal of opposing and reversing victim-disarmament policies while advancing liberty for all".  This backs up the point made about Jews feeling the need to arm themselves against tyranny that has affected them in the past. It's not a website that is advocating peace, it is one that is for violence to continue, or to the extent of self defence that is. It has a minor following however; 2,195 followers on Twitter and 7,452 on Facebook as of the 3rd of November 2015.

Some of the quotes on the website are staggering however; 
- "Miraculously, Jews have outlasted all those who would annihilate them, typically by using force of arms"
-  A direct quote from the Torah; "If a man comes to kill you, rise early and kill him first (Talmud, Berakoth 58b)"
-  "Taking away guns merely transfers them to the government we all trust so deeply" - To me this quote is advocating they don't agree with any form of government, given they have been a group under both right and left wing presidents. It is giving off an anarchist vibe.

Video - This video is very concerning to me, the first few minutes scream 'cult' towards me just by the music playing in the background. The rabbi talks of liberal Jews being a detriment to the Jews in this group, which shows that this is a very dividing topic inside Judaism.


The Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence - I have selected this website because it is a very popular source with many followers, the mission statement for the Brady Campaign is; "The mission of the Brady organization is to create a safer America for all of us that will lead to a dramatic reduction in gun deaths and injuries." The numbers used in their 'about us' page are staggering: 32,000 a year die through gun related circumstances. Brady plan to cut out the '5% of gun dealers who supply 90% of guns throughout the US', now whether or not those numbers are accurate, it's quite a task they plan to undertake. 

In terms of social media following, The Brady Campaign has over 119 thousand facebook likes and over 25.8 thousand followers on twitter. So in terms of public recognition, they're doing better than most other anti gun lobbyists. One recurring theme with many anti gun lobbyists is the social media abuse they will receive for making their views public, in a country where the freedom of speech is advocated where possible, it is staggering how many people are scared to voice their opinion under fear of media backlash. To me, this is why groups such as the Brady Campaign have many followers, one person can't make a change, however a group of over a 100 thousand people may raise eyebrows. 

When comparing the two websites, it is quite enjoyable looking at the layout of the page itself.  The Brady Campaign website looks professional, whereas the JPFO website looks very amateur in terms of its layout and content. 

Pro and Anti Gun Websites

Anti-gun control website: https://www.nationalgunrights.org/

The National Association for Gun Rights seek to preserve the rights of the second amendment. They are a nonprofit, nonpartisan, single-purpose citizens' organisation dedicated to preserving and protecting the Constitutionally-protected right-to-keep-and-bear-arms through an aggressive program designed to mobilize public opposition to anti-gun legislation.They call people and groups that work towards gun control 'gun grabbers' and state that they are constantly working in the courts to uphold all American's second amendment rights as well as their first amendment rights, one of them being the right to protest unconstitutional government reach. 

The NAGR have over 3 million supporters and members and are located in Windsor, Colorado. The members and leaders of this organisation considers themselves defenders of the Constitution and will stop at nothing to keep the second amendment exactly the way it was written and to stop gun control. I do not agree with their point of view at all as they are not being realistic. It is obvious that these people, as most Americans are, very proud of their Constitution and wish to keep it intact. But they do not understand the dangers of allowing normal people to posses guns. Hundreds have been murdered by mass shootings in schools, people have been shot accidentally because, for example, a child was playing with a gun. They are ignoring these facts and this is very shocking to me. 

Pro-gun control website: http://everytown.org/

The 'We Are Everytown for Gun Safety' website/movement focuses on Americans coming together and working towards ending gun violence and building safer communities. They state that it is common sense for Washington leaders and gun lobby to implement steps that will save lives but that they have thwarted these efforts. Again, this movement has more than 3 million members and supporters and use the example of the young reporter who was killed due to a shooting that happened this year as the main headline on their website. They appeal to those who will sympathize with them, such as survivors of gun crime, mayors who hold the same views and mothers who want to protect their children.

They believe that background checks should be done on everyone who wishes to obtain a gun, they demand that everyone should know about the illegal gun sales that happen online as well as illegal gun trafficking, unintentional deaths should be stopped immediately and that suicides are more likely to occur when guns are more easily accessible. This website/movement is very much for the ordinary people of America and I firmly believe in the views they have. People should be made aware that the second amendment just does not work in American society anymore and that simple, common-sense measures should be taken to help save lives.

Gun culture

The pro gun control website I have chosen is coalition stop gun violence
They aim to enact popular common sense gun laws which will protect American families from the destruction and tragedy of shootings which have become so recurrent in the United States.

Csgv focus on taking guns out of the hands of felons and the mentally ill and strive for universal background checks on every gun sale in America. This centres on the want to make public places safer for children and adults alike across America. A kingpin in the ideology of the csgv. The other bedrock objectives of the organisation are to tackle the infectious spread of destructive values promoted by the NRA and alike organisations which preach their understanding of the Second Amendment. Also, to bring back a ban on Assault rifles which would end the absurd and nonsensical presence of assault and high powered rifles in the streets of America.

The csgv website (above) compiles a host of interesting articles written by their members; religious groups, child welfare organisations, public health professionals and social justice advocates. However, they also feature articles or work from others including an interview with Kate Kretz - an artist who published some anti-gun culture paintings in 2015. The series of art is called 'Gunlickers' and when interviewed; Kretz alluded to her distaste of Gun Culture in her home nation, 

"The other day, for the first time ever, I found myself opening up a news page and thinking, kind of absent-mindedly, “Hmm…oh, another deadly rampage…” Gun activists work so hard to make open carry “the new normal,” hoping we will all somehow acclimate to this attempted regression back to The Wild West where everyone walks around with a gun, and the one who draws the fastest “wins.” The apparent premise of this radical agenda is that we will all be safer, but the resultant “new normal” is that our country is suffering from constant gun-related accidents and homicides. The numbers are mind numbing, but, until it has happened to someone you know, it’s easy to become desensitized to the reality of it.". Kretz went on to say; "At a certain point, I decided that I really had no choice but to start making art about how insane our country has become."

The anti gun control (pro gun) website I have studied is USA carry which also has a range of articles along with a forum, merchandise and even 'Join NRA' tab.
Interestingly, the anti gun control website isn't any less in your face with its views than its opposition but i would argue that it uses slier and more manipulative devices in its articles and imagery.
Even to a non-American that has never experienced their deep rooted gun culture and can view it from a level far removed, some of the articles on this website seem simply ridiculous. For example, one of their authors, Jason Hanson writes '4 weapons for when the ammo runs out'. Might i add, he is a former CIA officer. The article explains how, when you run out of ammo, you might want to get your hands on either a Kukri knife, tomahawk, fixed-blade knife or crowbar - As if this is responsible, honestly constructive advice for majority Americans. Its like Hanson is imagining everyone has been transported into a video game scenario or zombie apocalypse film in-which they must fight to the death for a slice of bread.

It goes on: two articles, '30 page terrorist attack manual from uncle sam' and 'How to be prepared when flying', clearly seek to use the national fear of terrorism since the tragedy of 9/11 to justify and warrant the ownership and use of guns by the individual American. Shamefully obvious scare mongering is used by USAcarry within these articles. "So far, the government has been able to thwart several attacks but they won’t be able to stop every single one and eventually it’s going to happen again." Its hard to comprehend the extent of irresponsibility shown by the organisations website when it can easily be viewed by a young and impressionable audience. Another appalling statement is used in the same article, "Unfortunately, most Americans will be unprepared for any type of attack. But that doesn’t mean you and I have to follow along with them.". Such a negative comment on union and togetherness in the face of a crisis seems to directly conflict with ideals that were born out of the creation of the USA. Abandoning everyone to protect yourself is an Anti-American concept which i believe many Americans would dissociate themselves from. Despite this, many would associate themselves with this viewpoint on gun culture. A hypercritical notion is anything.

Gun control

http://bearingarms.com/

This pro gun website contains the slogan "saving liberty and lives" this is shown with various articles on gun safety and training. It emphasises the aspect of safety, therefore guns should be used as a method of protection. Also that if you own a gun you know how to use it safely should a situation arise that you would need to use it. The website is covered with videos regarding minor and serious gun related articles which enhances the need for stricter gun control laws across the country. With the increase in gun ownership across the US it is important to have strict controls, especially with the sheer size of the country some more action needs to be put in place. Children under the age of 10 are getting guns as presents, if someone as young as that doesn't know the correct safety protocols then serious accidents can occur. The more guns that are in circulation and the continuation of owning more guns only makes society even more dangerous, therefore more gun controls should be put in place before things get even more out of hand. That being said the amount of gun related incidents we hear on the news in this country about America it's worrying to think about how many unreported incidents occur across the country. This website is pro gun ownership, therefore would not agree with stricter contols being out in place, especially as they have a link on the 2nd amendment so know what rights they have. I don't agree with the slogan that owning guns will save lives, however the American society is very different to ours so for an American they probably would feel more safe owning a gun because almost anyone get a gun so you never know who may be carrying one.




http://momsdemandaction.org/

This anti gun website on the other hand has the slogan "it's time for gun sense in America". In some cases they have experienced an incident with guns or just want children and adults to be safer. The website has plenty of campaigns and reports on recent incidents and even have an option to become a gun sense voter so more action can be done as well as raising more awareness politically. In addition to this they have a petition to President Obama telling him that you support him in taking executive action to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. These women are making a big difference by taking up such a huge issue, they are gaining more awareness in the hope of reducing the crimes and accidents that involve guns.

The common theme in both arguments is protection and safety but see it in a different light. The anti gun control argument tries to advertise different guns whilst blaming the media for how guns are presented. Whereas the women who are pro gun control are campaigning and making the effort to protect the children from the dangers that coincide with guns. If owning a gun makes you feel safe you have the right to own one, however stricter controls do need to be put in place not only on the general public but with the police as well. The police kill innocent and unarmed men on a regular basis which is constantly reported on the news, every year we have new names of tragedies of innocent often black or Hispanic men in particular being shot. Therefore strict measures need to be considered about gun ownership and its uses.