A New Way of Learning

Last week our class used a newly structured activity to get us thinking about the different aspects of slavery. We worked with a partner to organize a discussion which we would lead to a small group of people. We also got to choose to attend other peoples discussions that they organized. I really liked this structure of learning because it allowed us to hear other peoples ideas and input that you never would have thought of on your own. I also liked this model because it let us be independent, yet it was stress free and relaxed. Since this was our class’ first time doing an EdCafe, I think there are some things we could improve on for next time. I think each group could expand on their topic and come up with some questions that go more in depth. Some groups also lacked visual representations which was disappointing. I think more groups should have used images to help support their topic since many people learn better when the material is visually represented.

When I presented, my partner and I were well prepared. I think we covered the topic nicely and came up with some good questions to get people thinking. We also provided visual representations and quotes from the narrative which I think the attendees liked. For next time I think we could go a little more in depth just to keep the flow of the discussion going. Although only two people came to our discussion I still think it was successful and it would definitely be a good idea to come up with some more in depth questions in case we get more attendees at our next EdCafe.

When you were not leading an EdCafe, you were attending your classmates discussions that they organized. I think our class did a good job of coming up with a wide range of interesting topics to chose from. When I was an attendee I took detailed notes and contributed when I had a thought or idea. I even used quotes from the narrative I read to support my thoughts. I thought the EdCafe was very beneficial and resulted in excellent takeaways. I think it is safe to say an important takeaway came out of each discussion and my notes reflected the productive EdCafes that I attended.

To checkout what other people thought of EdCafe check out these blogs:

http://ushrs.wordpress.com/

 

Was the North Really Against Slavery?

When we think of the north connected with slavery, we think they were anti-slavery and the south was pro-slavery. Well think again. Our recent study in class showed us that the north wasn’t all that anti-slavery after all. We watched a movie called “Traces of the Trade” that was about the Dewolf family looking back on their ancestors past who were the largest slave trading family in the history of the United States. The Dewolf’s brought over 10,000 slaves from Africa through a process called the triangle trade. The triangle trade was formed because the Dewolf’s made rum in Rhode Island and traded it for slaves in Africa, then went to and got sugar in Cuba and brought it over to make more rum. Their route made the shape of a triangle. From an economical stand point, these slave traders were clearly not against slavery. They used slaves to make money. They owned an insurance company, bank and shipping business and bought their own ships to make their slave trade system work. The Dewolf family today is guilty and are against what their family did in the past. When the Dewolf family was planning their trip to retrace the path of the triangle trade so learn about their family’s past, they sent out 200 invites to family members, but only 9 actually went on the trip. As you can imagine, the family did not want to dig up information on the family because they are already ashamed enough. Another example of the north not being anti-slavery based on economical grounds is the “Public Anti Abolition Meeting” Broadside, August 21, 1835. Abbott Lawrence who was the mayor of Boston, who invested in the Lowell textile industry and benefited from the cotton industry that the slaves grew, held an anti-abolitionist meeting in Boston. Abbott Lawrence says “We believe that the sectional jealousies are thereby engendered, which threaten to disturb the harmony of our political system.” The anti abolitionists believe that abolition is too extreme and will hurt them. They care more about their political system and the money they invested to support abolishing slavery.

This is the Dewolf’s distillery in Rhode Island.

Photo Gallery

Even though the North was not against slavery on economical grounds, they were against slavery on moral grounds. The Lowell Mill girls stood up for the slaves saw a connection between the way they were treated and the way the slaves were treated. They organized a petition to abolish slavery in Washington D.C. The petition got 1,634 signatures and was 27 feet long according to “The  Liberator” (an abolitionist newspaper) that was published on March 14th, 1835. This shows that the Lowell mill girls had many supporters and believed slavery was morally wrong.