Monday, April 9, 2012

History of Uncle Tom's Cabin

        When “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was published in 1851, its shocking depiction of slavery appalled the people of the United States (and Great Britain) for different reasons in the North and South. At a time when the institution of slavery was slowly falling apart, the publication of this novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe outraged the people of the South. They believed that slavery was shown in an unfair and extreme light. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” only fueled the rage in the North, igniting the anti-slavery movement.

Stowe’s novel was published about ten years before the Civil War, and is often said to be one of the main causes. Abraham Lincoln was believed to have greeted Stowe during the war by saying, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.”  Whether or not this story is true, it is indisputable that Stowe’s novel added tensions to society that sped the impending war along. Though the war’s main cause was states’ rights and the power struggle between national and state government, slavery was the greatest issue of this argument.The majority of people in the North had never encountered slavery themselves. They had only heard about it through political speeches and newspaper accounts. (http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/utc/impact.shtml) This book gave them emotional details of what the life of a slave was like, and made them more eager to end slavery. All the while, this reaction made the South hold on tighter to this institution that was so dominant in Southern culture.

One main argument stemmed from whether or not Stowe’s depiction of slavery was accurate. People in the South claimed that Stowe’s work was exaggerated and that it only served to make them look bad. Contrasting this is the argument that Tom’s first two owners were kind Southerners while only his third owner was cruel (and he was originally from New England). (http://www.inklingbooks.com/blackhistory/blackhistory.html)  
On the other side of the argument, pro-slavery groups were publishing literature depicting slaves in a different way: as happy workers, merrily singing songs while doing what their masters wanted of them [though these “happy songs” were actually a way of expressing sadness. (http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/interpret/intslav.html)]
 
Frederick Olmsted, writing for the New York Daily Times wrote detailed observations about life on a Southern plantation in the 1850s. He describes watching the slaves work as “painful” because of the lifelessness in their eyes and defeated looks. He also gives a vivid account of seeing a girl brutally whipped after supposedly lying to her overseer. These types of accounts strengthened Stowe’s argument and make it more likely that she gave an accurate depiction. (http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/plantation.htm


The effects that Uncle Tom’s cabin had on the world today are quite obvious. Slavery is no longer legal, and now all citizens of the United States, regardless of color or gender, have legal equal rights. If Harriet Beecher Stowe could see the country today, she would likely be proud of the response to her writing. Even though a war that resulted in the loss of many American lives was an immediate effect, the end justified the means in the longterm.

About 2 minutes in, this video gives a little more information about slavery and the Civil War.




Sunday, April 1, 2012

Transcendentalism and the Libertarian Party

       While reading the selections from Emerson and Thoreau, I noticed a common element: independence. Independence is what many believe makes a person successful. Before the days when government interfered in almost every element of the lives of American citizens, the most respected figures in society were totally self-reliant and idolized for their independence.
       Key figures in American history stressed the importance of independence. People like Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and even Henry David Thoreau have been credited with the famous quote, "That government is best which governs least." Though it is not sure which one of these men actually said this quote, I am sure they would all agree on its meaning. (http://www.quotecounterquote.com/2010/06/that-government-is-best-which-governs.html)
       A modern-day kind of transcendentalism is seen in the Libertarian party. Libertarians (like Congressman Ron Paul, pictured above) believe in the rights of the individual. My history professor once said that the view of Libertarians about government is "Pick up my trash, don't let anyone mess with my property, and leave me alone." Libertarians believe that people should be allowed to do pretty much whatever they want as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. (http://www.libertarianism.com/content/libertarianism-101/lib_101)
       People like Ron Paul believe in doing away with taxes and adopting a foreign policy in which we do not help other countries unless we are directly affected. These same ideas can be seen in the work of transcendentalists. They are against powerful governments and societies. In "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, he says, "Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members."
       So what about charity and helping others? Libertarians believe that the decision to give to private charities is left up to to the individual, but should not be required by the government through welfare programs. (http://www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/econn/econn110.htm) Transcendentalists seemed to believe that charity in general does more harm than good. They believed that the well-being of others was not their responsibility, like Emerson saying, "Are they my poor?"
       Transcendentalism and Libertarianism can both seem like harsh ways to view society. Though Libertarianism is not quite as extreme as transcendentalism, it has very similar key elements. It is probably safe to say that government policies, like welfare and taxation, will never be radically changed the way Libertarians would like. However, if Libertarians continue to be elected, some of their policy changes could show up soon.

This is what Libertarians believe from the perspective of a Libertarian:


Sources:
Picture 1: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Ron_Paul,_official_Congressional_photo_portrait,_2007.jpg/220px-Ron_Paul,_official_Congressional_photo_portrait,_2007.jpg
Picture 2: http://amptoons.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/libertarian_housepets.png
Picture 3: http://garretr1112.edublogs.org/files/2012/01/tumblr_lmr5kznjtJ1qjda9lo1_500-14yjzs5.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgTnjTm3YhQ