Examples Of Slave Narratives And The Civil War

Kylie McEwen

Slave Narratives and the Civil War

"The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers" (Douglass 43). This was said by Frederick Douglass, an ex-slave from Maryland. Douglass wrote a book recounting his experience as a slave, called the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (Frederick Douglass and the Civil War). The book is an example of a slave narrative, which is a "firsthand account of... African Americans whon were enslaved" (Criner 1). Former slaves wrote different slave narratives differently before and after the Civil War. The purpose of antebellum slave narratives was to spread awareness and recruit people to the cause. Postebellum slave narratives were used to empower African

It was published over sixty years before the civil war began, causing it to become very popular (Tucker 3). After this, many other freed or escaped slaves, such as Frederick Douglas, were inspired to share their stories. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in "1818" (Frederick Douglass and the Civil War 1). During his time as a slave, he educated himself, learning to read and write. After his escape, he wrote his "wildly successful" slave narrative, "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave" (Frederick Douglass and the Civil War 6). The country was impressed by the intellect of Douglass, causing his work to become very famous, selling almost "30,000 copies between 1845 and 1860" (Slave Narratives and Uncle Tom's Cabin 2 ). The people of the north had never encountered a well written intelligent account of a life of slavery. Europe and the north showed their appreciation for Douglass's work by buying him his freedom. All slave narratives of this

People were not interested in rehashing the cruelties of slavery. Therfore, slave narrative writers took a different route. They focused more on the "resilience, industry and ingenuity" they had gained from their experiences (Criner & Nash 6). They depicted former slaves as productive members of society. They also focused on the persistent racism of the north, showing the struggle was still not over. Booker T. Washingtons' Up from Slavery is an example of an antebellum slave narrative. (Criner & Nash 4). Booker's slave narrative focused on his success at creating an African American school after his time in slavery. He illustrates that his experience in slavery paved the way for his role as a successful schoolteacher at "Hampton" (Up from Slavery 22). His slave narrative also continued the discussion about racism between races by giving examples of racism in the north. Another reason former slaves continued to write slave narratives was the Lost Cause. In "1865," the Civil War ended, and all slaves were freed (Up from Slavery 5). Once the war was lost, a new movement began to "defend the myth of the South," named the "Lost Cause" (Andrews 11). The Lost Cause were slave narratives written by pro-slavery southerners, depicting slavery as a utopian system. They romanticized the lifestyle, describing slaves as happy, "members of the... family" (Medlin 5). Sadly, while many former slaves attempted to remind the world of