Blog assignment two: explaining contradiction

The text, When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection, edited by Norman R. Yetman, exposes the reader to the various confrontations and hardships a slave may have had to endure through a first person narrative.  Throughout each interview, many different perspectives are conveyed to show how, though frequently similar, no two enslaved persons experiences were the same.  This text discusses multiple instances when slaves were pronounced free, took advantage of their freedom, and left the plantations.  It also discusses the slaves who decided to continue working/residing on the plantations even after realizing their freedom.  The inconsistency of these actions are more commonly referred to as a contradiction.  

When interviewed, Boston Blackwell, a former slave, speaks of the year that Abraham Lincoln declared all slaves free.  He reveals the thought process behind his decision to escape later that year, as his master had accused him of stealing, and as punishment, threatened to whip him to death.  With this knowledge, Blackwell decided to runaway to the Yankee camp to insure his survival.  When speaking of his arrival, Blackwell says, “When we gets to the Yankee camp all our troubles was over...They was hundreds of runaways there” (Yetman 12).  This quote blatantly demonstrates how relieved many were to leave the plantations and begin their new lives.  However, many who receded from an enslaved existence were not adequately equipped to be exposed to the outskirts of the world of which they had come to know.  A majority of slaves had little to no reading or writing skills, and were not educated to the extent that society considered acceptable.  Though, this knowledge could possibly be categorized as semantics when compared to the freedom that these individuals were now able to enjoy.  Many were just joyous to be free of the restraints they had lived under for so many years.  

Frank Bell also served as a slave during the time of the Civil War.  He is one of those who stayed with his master after recognizing his freedom.  In his interview, Bell discusses his masters wishes for Bell to stay and to work for him as he is “of value in his trade.”  Quoting his master, Bell says, “He say, “Nigger, you’s supposed to be free but I’ll pay you a dollar a week and if you runs off I’ll kill you”” (Yetman 10).  This is an example of an extreme measure taken by a master to remain custodial of a slave, but nevertheless, it was often a common reaction.  Many slaves were threatened in one way or another concerning their newly found freedom.  Regardless of the cause, an overwhelming majority of slaves were not free when they were pronounced “free.” 

As shown primarily by comparing Blackwell’s and Bell’s experiences, each slave faced different encounters when presented with “freedom.”  However, the commonality that both examples share is that both men were still limited to the things that they were able to do.  Blackwell was restricted by his lack of knowledge, all the while Bell was still confined to a life not much different than that prior to the conclusion of the Civil War.  When the Declaration of Independence stated, “all men are created equal,” it failed to address the absence of recognition that this truth had gotten up until this point, meaning much of the damage had already been done.  Though, all men were supposedly considered equal at this point, since they were not treated in such a way until this document surfaced, most were ill equipped with many of the characteristics that all “men” should posses.  This is a contradiction within itself.