Beloved - Context Flashcards
What was the reconstruction era?
A period in American history following the American civil war where people tried to reshape America
What is the novel based on?
The true story of a black slave woman, Margaret Garner, who in 1856 escaped from a Kentucky plantation with her husband, Robert, and their children. They sought refuge in Ohio, but their owner and law officers soon caught up with the family
What is Toni Morrison famous for?
Her exploration of the Black experience, particularly the Black female experience
When was Toni Morrison born?
1931
When is the novel set?
During the reconstruction era in 1873
What is part of Morrison’s project in Beloved?
To recuperate a history that had ben lost to forced silences and willed forgetfulness
What does Morrison want contemporary American readers to do?
Confront the history of slavery which manifests itself in ongoing racial discrimination and discord
When was the 1850 fugitive slave act passed?
September 18, 1850
What did the 1850 fugitive slave act require?
Slaves to be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state
What did the black codes do?
Restricted black peoples’ rights to own property, conduct business, buy and lease land and move freely through public space
What years were the American civil war?
1861-1865
When did the reconstruction era end (approx)?
1877
What happened during the reconstruction era?
Attempts were made to counteract the political, social, and economic legacies of slavery
What did congress do during the reconstruction era?
Abolished slavery, ended the remnants of confederate secession in the south, and passed the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the constitution (the reconstruction amendments), in theory, guaranteeing the newly freed slaves the same civil rights as white people
Who was Margaret garner?
An enslaved African American woman in pre-civil war America who killed her own daughter rather than allow the child to be returned to slavery
How did garner and her family escape enslavement?
Travelled across the frozen Ohio river to Cincinnati
What year was the novel written?
1987
