Frederick vs Solomon + EXAM 2 Flashcards
1
Q
Early Age Experience
A
Solomon
- born free and raised with father present
- father instilled values of gaining good education + instilled Christian beliefs
- father’s words would inspire him to keep going during slavery
- saw his music (violin) as a source of comfort/happiness
- from New York (allowed him access to more opportunities for both work/networking with prominent whites)
Frederick
- much tougher upbringing than Solomon
- born a slave and separated from mother from early age (never knew his father)
- early image of his Aunt Hester being whipped by Master Anthony first time he witnesses evil of slavery
- even being offspring of white man did not improve Douglass condition and often made him a target for even more abuse (similar to that of Eliza in 12 Years who was hated most by her own half sister)
2
Q
Pragmatism (similarity)
A
while running away and gaining freedom is the goal of every slave Solomon and Frederick understand the difficulty of this endeavor and know it’s best to survive and live to fight another day
Solomon
- learns from beating from Burch to stay quiet about his free and educated status (only uses these skills when he knows it’s safe to)
- makes the best of a bad situation and uses his skills and past experiences to earn favor with whites to better his standards (takes pride in his work)
Frederick
- knows to keep his mouth shut when it comes to speaking his true feelings about his master from an early age or risk being sold or killed
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3
Q
Opinions on Whites/Slavery (similarity)
A
Though both understand that their white masters can be unnecessarily cruel, they also encounter kind white people that show them that slavery corrupts not only slaves but owners as well
Solomon
- Even though Master Ford is still a slaver, Solomon believes under different circumstances they would’ve gotten along well
- Acknowledges that Master Ford is a good man and is a victim of a cycle that he was born into (has never known life without slavery)
- Says that Mistress Epps could’ve been a good woman in a different life also
- Talks about how Tibeats, Burch, and Freeman all reducing to shells of themselves due to the torture and pain they inflicted finally catching up to them
Frederick
- Talks kindly about whites in certain circumstances like how he first arrived met Mistress Auld and the white children that he had befriended while in Baltimore
- Also says that slavery corrupted Mistress Auld and her transformation proves that this hierarchical system slavery creates is not inherit but taught
4
Q
Christianity (similarity)
A
Both men have their Christian faith as a large part of their belief and willingness to keep fighting and point out how it’s been used to keep slavery in tact
Solomon
- instilled his Christian values by his father
- the only white man that shared the same beliefs that God loved all no matter the race was Master Ford
- he mostly ran into whites that only preached passages that reasserted slavery as a proper way of life and slaves shall be punished if not fulfilling the tasks their masters give them
Frederick
- both acknowledge the hypocrisy of slaveholder Christianity and that racism is a sin punishable by God
- Frederick is critical of Christianity not so much towards the principles of the religion but the verses that slaveholders use to justify their actions
- sees the profits from slavery being funneled back into the church which only spreads this hypocritical and false take on the Bible further
- also talks about rise in mulatto pop. will eventually destroy the entire Christianity angle behind slavery
5
Q
Slave Education
A
Both are well aware of the importance of education and the danger that is poses to the institution of slavery
Solomon
- keeps his education and skillset a secret but uses it to his advantage and of those around him when necessary
- makes fishing traps when the food supply on Epps farm is tainted
- knowledge of reading and writing and crafting his own pen and stealing own paper led to his freedom
Frederick
- much more painstaking process to receive his education but eventually got there
- saw education as his path towards freedom and used it to escape like Solomon when he forged the passes from his master
- knew masters were fearful of educated blacks because it would destroy the cloud of ignorance that slaves were under and bring to light the injustices that they were going through
6
Q
Evaluation of Slave Punishments (similarity)
A
Both have similar takes on slave punishments and have a logical set of values that they use to deduce whether they deserve the treatment they’ve received
Frederick
- both talk about while punishments are sometimes doled out because out the societal norms (such as those in rural areas) the exposure to the abuse that the Hamilton slaves received shows that punishments can be done out of pure sadism
- Feels that his master isn’t entitled to any of his wages due to his mastering acknowledging that he’s entitled to some of them (meaning he should be given them all)
Solomon
- Also has sense of what he feels is a deserved and not deserved punishment
- acknowledges difference in morals between Ford and Epps with Epps seeming to beat his slaves out of pure disturbed entertainment moreso than b/c of something they did
7
Q
Conditions
A
Both describe similar conditions that they faced while living on slave plantations
Solomon
- While under the ownership of Tibeats, Solomon is normally overworked and is berated for not doing anything right
- While working mostly in lumber under Ford, Solomon worked on a cotton plantation under Epps
- the cotton plantation works as its own production unit with the entire cotton process taking place there
- slaves on Epps plantation are only fed small helpings of cold bacon and given a short window of time to eat
- slaves given ration of corn meal to eat throughout the week as well
- slaves are beaten for ridiculous reasons that seem to be made up as they go (pick too little you get beat + pick to quota but not as much as last time you get beat)
- When Solomon falls sick with smallpox on Epps plantation it takes him to be nearly on his deathbed for Epps to call doctor (even then doctor tells Epps to give him small amounts of food to keep him alive)
- abuse of black women also present with the constant sexual assault of Patsey at the hands of Epps
- slept on the floors of the wood cabins that didn’t have proper roofing or insulation so it was always cold and wet
Frederick
- exposed to plantation culture from time he was born
- saw Aunt Hester being abused from early age
- Lloyd plantation specializes in corn, tobacco and wheat
- slaves given monthly ration of food and clothing from the main Lloyd plantation house
- slaves would get 8 pounds of meat and a bushel of corn meal for one month
- annual clothing was two linen shirts , a pair of linen pants, a jacket and trousers for winter and one pair of shoes/socks
- children only given two linen shirts and must be naked otherwise (Douglass describes how he was always cold and wet much like Solomon)
- like Solomon most slaves were regularly sleep deprived by master and overworked constantly
8
Q
Rebellion (similiarity)
A
9
Q
Witnesses to Legal Injustices (similarity)
A
Both understand that the values that the US instills of inalienable rights doesn’t apply to them due to the circumstances that they are living in
Solomon
- Burch is never punished for selling Solomon into slavery b/c the testimony of black man is irrelevant in the US legal system
Frederick
- witness to several blatant murders of slaves (Demby in water + slave that ventured into neighboring plantation) with neither crime being punished
- showed slaves nothing more than financial commodity for master to do what they wanted (justification for rape of black women also)
