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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
In this passage from the autobiography, Jacobs describes her life as a teenager in the household of her enslaver. She describes the sexual advances of her adult male enslaver, as well as the jealousy and ire of her adult female enslaver those advances caused.
January 6, 2018
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Frederick Douglass Describes Enslavers
In this specific passage, which comes from the book’s first chapter, Douglass describes his enslavers. The passage focuses on Douglass’s memory of his first encounter with the brutality of his enslavers.
January 6, 2018
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Letter to Ziba B. Oakes, February 1, 1855
King writes to inquire about the availability and price of certain categories of enslaved persons in Charleston, South Carolina. King also makes some general comments about the state of the economy in Milledgeville.
January 6, 2018
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Letter to Ziba B. Oakes, February 26, 1855
Sumter inquires about an enslaved woman named Clarissa, whom Oakes had evidently “advertised” for sale as a “cook & washer.” Among his questions, Sumter inquires specifically whether Clarissa "has had children or miscarried."
January 6, 2018
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The Militia Act of 1862
The Militia Act paved the way for the Emancipation Proclamation, but it also illustrates inequality and reflects perspectives of white supremacy.
January 6, 2018
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“Cornerstone” Speech
In this speech, Alexander H. Stephens justifies the Confederacy’s secession, arguing that the “cornerstone” of the Confederacy is the maintenance of the institution of slavery and the belief in the inferiority of African Americans.
January 6, 2018
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Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union
South Carolina’s Declaration provides its justification for seceding from the union, revolving around maintaining the institution of slavery, which it believes is threatened by free states.
January 6, 2018
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Letter to Alexander H. Stephens, December 22, 1860
Lincoln’s letter to Alexander H. Stephens states his desire to prevent slavery’s spread and not threaten it where it already existed. This speaks to the centrality of slavery as a cause of the Civil War.
January 6, 2018
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First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861
Lincoln’s first inaugural address illustrates the centrality of slavery in southern states decision to secede after the 1860 election.
January 5, 2018
