Friday, November 25, 2011

LAD #16 & #17: Douglass and Truth

Douglas Speech Summary

Douglas's speech was held on July 5th 1841 in Rochester New York. Opening the speech Douglas asks why he has come to speak the day after July 4th Independence day, he said that for him and other slaves it meant nothing for they were still slaves and not independent. He goes further into saying how the 4th of July is not a good day for slaves and instead a bad one like all the other days as a slave. He describes the hardships of being a slave, and talks about how slaves suffered on the 4th of July. Douglas then brings up the constitution and bible and says that african americans are people too, that all races are equal. In essence the 4th of July was simply a day marking independence for only white Americans, and for slaves it was nothing but a reminder that they were still slaves.

Truths' A'int I a woman

On May 29th 1851 Sojourner Truth spoke to a group of women at a convention in Ohio. Truth touched upon the many unfair things and rights that women did not have compared to men. Although Truth was african american she took a different approach in the speech and said that if both african american and white women worked together for womens rights they would truly be a force to reckon with. In this speech Truth was able to fight for womens rights and anti slavery at the same time. The speech was able to gain lots of support for anti slavery and womens rights.

Monday, November 14, 2011

LAD 11

The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was a document created  to protect/create womens rights. The document was written at the first womens rights convention in Seneca Falls. At the convention both men and women attended convention. the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was based off the United States Declaration of Independence. In the document their was a list a sentiments, examples:
He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise.
He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice.
He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men - both natives and foreigners.
The document also included a list of resolutions for the sentitments, examples:
Resolved, That all laws which prevent woman from occupying such a station in society as her conscience shall dictate, or which place her in a position inferior to that of man, are contrary to the great precept of nature, and therefore of no force or authority.
Resolved, That woman is man's equal— was intended to be so by the Creator, and the highest good of the race demands that she should be recognized as such.
Resolved, That the women of this country ought to be enlightened in regard to the laws under which they live, that they may no longer publish their degradation by declaring themselves satisfied with their present position, nor their ignorance, by asserting that they have all the rights they want.
The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was the first of its kind and was a major step in the future of womens rights.