The American Civil War was a major turning point in America’s history. Before this defining moment, many Americans were cruel to many groups of people, including those of color, and women. This maltreatment of people was the main motivation behind the Civil War. Through the efforts of men (and women) fighting for the freedom of all in the country, the American Civil War redefined what it means to be an American. Two great examples of these fighters are Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. Frederick Douglass, being a slave himself, knew the sorrows of slavery. Yet, the true cruelty of slavery was only made clear to him after he learned to read, as described in his piece, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave.” In …show more content…
Later in the account (paragraph 3), Truth makes another statement in regards to men being “superior” compared to women, “As for intellect, all I can say is, if a woman has a pint, and a man a quart—why can't she have her little pint full? You need not be afraid to give us our rights for fear we will take too much—for we can't take more than our pint'll hold.” Sojourner Truth is being a little bit of a wisecrack by saying that women can't hold as much in their jugs as men, referring to the belief that men are better than women. She's saying that, if men will always be better than women, women should get rights because it wouldn't affect the superiority complex of men over women, and women would be satisfied. Then, the final argument in this account of her speech. In the fifth paragraph, Sojourner states “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up