English III: Calendar of Learning

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

What's Your Thesis? (DUE 10/5)



DIRECTIONS: Each member of your group must represent a different side of the slavery debate. If there are more than 3 of you to a group, then you will have more than one person representing a particular side. Identify your argument from the perspective from which you are writing your persuasive essay. Evaluate the situation from the point of view of a slave, slave owner, or abolitionist, and determine your 3 most important points and how you will present them in your thesis statement. Stay in character and make a case!

CLICK ON THE LINK THAT IS PROVIDED AND WRITE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT:



18 comments:

  1. My name is Shonte' Lyons and i am a slave.I am African American. Slavery was the hardest thing in my life that i had been through. To this day im still hurting from the pain my slave owner put my trough. My position on slavery is that i believe that it was not fair that people had to go through that type of pain. We all are equal in my eyes and no one shouldn't have to make people do what they tell them to do, because they are not God.

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  2. Hello, my name is Autumn Perry and I, am a slave. My master’s names are Chiffon Sanford and Torrin Perry and you haven’t known harsh treatment unless you lived in the Perry home. Every day I go out to the fields to pick cotton and if I don’t do things their way they whip me. I have to be awake at the crack of dawn and they don’t let me sleep until way after midnight. I have one child her names Angel. She was ripped from my womb and when she was able to work they had her doing laundry in the house. They don't treat her bad as me. I was sold into slavery at the tender age of 7. Me and my momma lived in Africa, I was at the bay one day getting some water for my family, my momma, papa, and 7 brothers and sister, when I was stolen and sold to the Perry's. I am now 25 and everyday it gets worse for me. I miss my family a lot and I don't ever wish for anyone to deal with the things I am dealing with. I say this because it’s very painful, it’s not safe for our health, and if I am ever freed or I decide to try to escape from slavery I will have no chance at freedom because I hardly can read or write.

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  3. I am a proud slave owner of the South Carolina plantations. One of my favorite slaves was Autumn and her daughter Angel. Autumn works the fields while her child does the laundry. Autumn was my freshest slave strait out of Africa. I believe I’m doing them a kindness. Feeding them, clothing them and keeping them on my property and to do right by me they work the fields and clean the house. To keep their doing right by me I must enforce my authority over these confused young children to better themselves. I am afraid that this revolutionist is going to free my good working children. They do not understand the affection and love we are giving these poor children. There life was worse were they were born, the destruction it was distasteful hateful and discussing that is why we are trying to save these poor creatures. I know they are born bad that’s why I must continually beat angle. Slavery is not only benefiting the slave and owner but America it’s self. We must be diligent and attentive to protect these creatures!

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  4. Today’s date is 4/23/1830, my names Clarissa and I’m an abolitionist. I’m speaking out to the public telling them to do away with slavery. What if it was your family that was put through this horrible time? Matter of fact what if it was you, getting treated poorly. But it this way, treat others the way you want to get treated.

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  5. Salutations my good friend. My name is Sir Alexander Skelly. I am lord and master of these lands you see before you. I am a proud owner of slaves. Slavery is the right way. It is only proper for an inferior sub-species to serve their superiors. While those wretched abolitionists of the North claim that my keeping of these peoples is wrong and immoral, their lies are wrong and immoral. I have taken these people from horrible homes and have brought them to a plentiful land. Here I cloth, shelter and feed them. All I ask for in return is that they work in my fields or my house. My slaves are not treated cruelly. Fifty lashes is the maximum punishment and it is to discipline them so they learn. One can not teach one's children to behave without discipline.The work of my slaves brings pride to my house, which brings pride to America and by extension they bring a small bit of pride to themselves. Therefore my keeping of these people is a right given to me by God. As I have stated they are inferior and it is only right that they serve their superiors. Not only have I saved them from the eternal damnation of heresy but they now may find a better place in heaven by working for me.

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  6. Hello to all. I am James, I own slaves and feel it is a good thing for them. I feed, nourish, and keep these people well, because if I didn’t they would be sick. In return i encourage them to clean, pick crops, and complete any other thing I don’t have time to do. this is good to them and the Americas considering these people would be starving, and struggling to live if I was not there to take control. They came here not knowing what to do so I took them in to teach and control them for the better, and gave them a lifelong job, if that’s not good than I don’t no what is.

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  7. I am Johlil Reynolds, and I am an abolishinist. Slavery was one of America's worst times. To actually put human beings through that unbareable labor is horrid.

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  8. Hi my name is Sir Master Torrin Perry the slave owner. I Torrin Perry and my beloved wife own a very well educated hard working slave named Autumn who was acquired at the age of seven years old. It was sort of easily done without any agruements because we just saw her alone so I grabbed her then feld the area. Furthermore I and my wife's slave has became very aware of the less hot climates. This is a major benefit to her because she has more stamina to last through the long cooler days. Concluding from furthermore statements Autumn is not for sell!

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  9. Helo. My name is Ariana Dragone. I am a slave. I do not no how to reed or rite so i am doing my best. I am owned by Sir Julian Class. He works us alot to the point of passing out from heet and exhaustion. My husband (Henry) died under his care last year. He was in his 40's. He passed out from the heet and Sir Julian ordered him to go out in the cotton feild for an extra our. He died in the feild. Days after my Henry died, i found out i was pregenent with my son Henry Jr. I am strait from Africa The boat ride was long and many died on the ship itself. My owner Sir Julian wants to sell me. He says i am getting to old to work on his feilds. However, He does not want to sell Henry Jr. Please..Henry Jr. is all i have left of my Husband...don't let hi seperate me and my baby...

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  10. I am ShaNell and I am an abolitionist. Slavery is wrong. To snatch someone from their home is wrong. What if someone took you from your home? How would you feel? Slavery should be abolished. People shouldn't have to go through this. Way too many people have died because is of slavery. People should be paid for their work. Not be force to do it. You wouldn’t want to be beaten so why would you beat somebody else.

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  11. Journal Entry 1. October 14, 1835

    Hello, my name is Briana. I've never written in a journal before. But my slave owner gave this to me as a congrats on learning to read and write. Slaves usually don't know how to read OR write so I am proud of myself. The good thing is, knowing how to read and write can help me make it through these hard times. Now I have someone to talk to. But I have to stop writing now, I can hear my slave owner stirring in his bedroom. Maybe next time I’ll tell you more about myself.

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  12. If this blogg had a "like" button on it. i'd like your comment Briana^^^^

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  13. I am John Smith, and I am a slave owner. Personally I believe i am a good man, husband, and brother. I own a lot of property; about 74 acres. About 60 acres are my crops in witch i make my living off of. The other 14 acres are split up to my house, garden, horse barn, and my dog den. I am too busy to farm my own crops because i'm always out making business with local grocery stores and big companies up north. I have bought slaves to help my farm my land. Instead of them just standing around and taking up space. They can do some work and i'll feed and house them. It may not be the best but they will have something at least. And I am helping them by getting out of that country africa in witch wild beast rom and dry caked dirt lies. I do not accept my slaves to learn how to read because i have talked to many doctors and they said their brains are not big enough to fit all that information. I'm just trying to do whats best for them so my crops are the best they can be. If you'd like to by some let me know, .25 cents per pound of slave.

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  14. I used to spend most of my days sitting on my porch just enjoying the beautiful weather but lately more and more people have been coming to my front door asking me to hide them from their slave masters. i talked to a few trustworthy neighbors of mine that also believe that slavery is wrong and that everyone is equal. we came up with a few ideas to help these slaves become free, we are still trying to decide which idea is best but i personally think we should build a railroad underground. I'm not sure if this idea will work but we don't have many other ideas as promising as this one. i sure hope that those slave masters stop knocking on my door each time they knock on my door they seem more suspicious, if they find out ill definitely get killed. i hope we can get this railroad done soon i really don't want any more people to die or to even get hurt. My name is Nate and I'm a abolitionist, and i wish that we could stop slavery once and for all.

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  15. hello, my name is John Traenkner. and well, i was an indentured servant, now i'm a slave. unlike a slave, i had a contractual agreement with my "owner" who paid for my ticket to come to america, and all i had to do was work off the ticket (which wasn't cheap, mind you) and i was free to live in this great country. it's been a few years since i've paid off that ticket, but i'm forced to stay. if i leave, i'll be searched for. if i'm found, i could be brutally beaten, maybe even killed. being a male, i don't have it as bad as the female indentured servants. beaten and raped. if they become pregnant, their contract is voided and become slaves for life. i was a servant, now, i'm a slave.

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  16. Slavery has existed for many years, in all societies around the world and human social life requires extra help and it is the only way we can live a comfortable live throughout a difficult world since it helps with the economy, gets more work done in a smaller amount of time and where all the common people are free they are actually worse off than slaves.
    (POSITION: Slave Master / AUDIENCE: Politicians)

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  17. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR THESIS STATEMENTS TO THE LINK PROVIDED. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT FOR SUBMITTING TO THE COMMENT BOX ON THIS ONE. THANKS!

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  18. The mighty oppression and awful abuse of Africans through sickening administration of slavery by white men needs to be abolished in order to
    make this world a better place. How can some people be so cruel? Slavery needs to be done and over with. Please become aware of the horrible life of slaves. It is definitely not a pretty sight. Slavery is wrong in so many different ways. Why can’t you open your eyes and see?





    Position: Abolitionist Audience:Towns people

    Sonia R.

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