LIVING HISTORY AT THEARC THEATER
High School Level
Study Guide / Activity Packet
F REDERICK D OUGLASS 1818-1895
Born into slavery in February of 1818 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland,
his future was as bleak as any slave before him, and he suffered great
pain and indignity.
But Frederick Douglass found a way out, and he led the way for others.
As a child he learned to read and discovered the power of the written
and spoken word. As a young adult, after escaping slavery, he used
that power to fight for justice and equal opportunity.
Frederick Douglass became an internationally recognized abolitionist,
orator and statesman. As a prolific writer, his body of work remains
available today.
ADELAIDE J. VAUGHN (FORMER SLAVE) ON THE BREAK-UP OF FAMILIES
“The Hickmans had my mother ever’ since she was four years old. My grandfather was
allowed to go a certain distance with her when she was sold away from him. He walked and
carried her in his arms. Mama said that when he had gone as far as they would let him go,
he put her in the wagon and turned his head away. She said she wondered why he didn’t
look at her, but later she understood that he hated so bad to part from her and couldn’t do
nothing to prevent it that he couldn’t bear to look at her.”
RESOLVING TO FIGHT(AN EXCERPT FROM A BIOGRAPHY OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS BY SANDRA THOMAS)
In January 1834, Frederick was sent to work for
Edward Covey, a poor farmer who had gained a
reputation around Saint Michaels for being an
expert "slave breaker". Frederick was not too
displeased with this arrangement because
Covey fed his slaves better than Auld did. The
slaves on Covey's farm worked from dawn until
after nightfall, plowing, hoeing, and picking
corn. Although the men were given plenty of
food, they had very little time allotted to eat
before they were sent back to work. Covey hid
in bushes and spied on the slaves as they
worked, if he caught one of them resting he
would beat him with thick branches.
After being on the farm for one week, Frederick
was given a serious beating for letting an oxen
team run wild. During the months to follow, he
was continually whipped until he began to feel
that he was "broken". On one hot August
afternoon his strength failed him and he
collapsed in the field. Covey kicked and beat
Frederick to no avail and finally walked away in
disgust. Frederick mustered the strength to get
up and walk to the Auld farm, where he
pleaded with his master to let him stay. Auld
had little sympathy for him and sent him
back to Covey. Beaten down as Frederick
was, he found the strength to rebel when
Covey began tying him to a post in
preparation for a whipping. "At that moment
- from whence came the spirit I don't know I resolved to fight," Frederick wrote. "I
seized Covey hard by the throat, and as I did
so, I rose." Covey and Frederick fought for
almost two hours until Covey finally gave up
telling Frederick that his beating would have
been less severe had he not resisted. "The
truth was," said Frederick, "that he had not
whipped me at all." Frederick had discovered
an important truth: "Men are whipped
oftenest who are whipped easiest." He was
lucky, legally, a slave could be killed for
resisting his master. But Covey had a
reputation to protect and did not want it
known that he could not control a 16 year
old boy.
Page 2 of 4
Study Guide
Living History at THEARC THEATER
INNOCENCE LOST…
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
(1861), is an autographical slave
narrative written by an African
American woman, Harriet Jacobs.
In this autobiography, she focuses
on
the
practice
of
sexual
exploitation of female slaves by
their white masters.
PROJECT #1
“CREATE A SCAPBOOK”
Step 1 – Become an
Investigator gathering
an abundance of
printed information
and graphics on
Slavery, starting with
the African Slave Trade
through Emancipation
Step 2 – Keep a journal
of your feelings and
thoughts on things of
particular interest or
concern to you
Step 3 – Combine your
researched information
and journal clips to
create a Scrapbook
Step 4 – Name your
Scrapbook, making a
fantastic cover page
Step 5 – Share with
classmates, family and
friends
African American women had to
endure the threat and practice of
sexual exploitation daily.
There
were no safeguards to protect them
from
being
sexually
stalked,
harassed, or raped, or to be used
as long term concubines by masters
and overseers.
The abuse was
widespread, as the men with
authority took advantage of their
situation. Even if a woman seemed
agreeable to the situation, she had
no choice – she was considered
PROPERTY.
Surprisingly, women are being
sexually exploited today.
The
numbers are staggering! The carnal
incest,
pleasures
of
man;
molestation,
rape
and
sexual
harassment
are
still
running
rampant through our communities.
Is there any safe haven? Will there
ever be peace?
Read and analyze the attached
excerpts from Incidents in the Life
of a Slave Girl.
Then conduct
research on the female condition
today as it relates to the afore
mentioned carnal pleasures. Using
a journal, document your thoughts
and feelings.
The goal here is for the student to
try and understand the context of
the life of an individual in the
researched time periods. Ponder
and discuss the following:
•
•
•
Is it possible to understand
someone
who
lived
in
another time period?
Why is research necessary
for understanding people?
How is history something
that is living and not
relegated to the past?
FREDERICK DOUGLASS’ THOUGHTS ON THE
WORST THING ABOUT SLAVERY
When I think about all of the terrible things I experienced and
witnessed while in slavery, I can find nothing that is more
terrifying, more horrible than the intentional destruction of
families. It is in the family that we discover who we are, and
when that family does not exist, we can not know who we are.
I have thought, in these years since slavery ended, and the Civil
War was won by the north, that if the people of this nation ever
believe that they want to have slavery again, all they need do is
destroy all sense of family, and they will have achieved their
goal.
WHAT SLAVE CHILDREN ON AARON ANTHONY’S PLANTATION ATE:
Slave children were fed cornmeal mush that was placed in a trough, to which they were called. The
children made homemade spoons from oyster shells to eat with and competed with each other for every
last bite.
Study Guide
Living History at THEARC THEATER
Page 3 of 4
AN INTERVIEW WITH FREDERICK DOUGLASS
Question: Was there any
point
(any
specific
instances) where you were
about to give up?
SLAVE CODES
In addition to the authority
practiced on individual
plantations, slaves
throughout the South had
to live under a set of laws
called Slave Codes. The
codes varied slightly from
state to state, but the basic
idea was the same: the
slaves were considered
property, not people, and
were treated as such.
Slaves could not testify in
court against a white,
make contracts, leave the
plantation without
permission, strike a white
(even in self-defense), buy
and sell goods, own
firearms, gather without a
white present, possess any
anti-slavery literature, or
visit the homes of whites
or free blacks. The killing
of a slave was almost
never regarded as murder,
and the rape of slave
women was treated as a
form of trespassing.
Whenever there was a
slave insurrection, or even
the rumor of one, the laws
became even tighter.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part
4/4p2956.html
Answer: One instance was when I
was living with Edward Covey, the
slave-breaker. During those first
months with him, when he was
whipping me – it seemed like
almost everyday – I felt as if my
life
had
no
purpose,
no
significance, and I was about
ready to give up. But, somehow,
everyday came, and everyday I
was awake, and everyday there…it
seemed like it might be a
possibility that I might not be
whipped, and, as a result, there
might be a chance of something
better happening.
Question: Early in your life
you were known for your
non-violent
protest
movement, but after you
spoke with John Brown he
persuaded you to think
slavery could only be ended
with violence. When it was
time for John Brown to
enact his slave rebellion,
you withdrew from taking
any part in his plans. Why?
Answer: Well, let me just correct
you, first of all, John Brown did
not persuade me that slavery
could only be ended with violence.
But, what he did convince me of
was that slavery might have to be
ended with violence. And there is
a difference. And, when he began
his work, it wasn’t so much the
slave rebellion that we had been
supporting and talking about all
those many years before he
attacked Harper’s Ferry.
But it
was that actual attack, which I
told him was an attack against the
United States government, which,
of course, was the American
people.
And I said that they
would respond and hate him, as
well hate all – what we, as
abolitionists had done all of these
years, if he went through with
that effort. But, of course, he
did.
I also told John Brown that I
thought that going to Harper’s
Ferry was like walking into a steel
trap. And I told him that the
American government would not
waste any effort, or any time or
energy in doing everything they
could to destroy him, and those
who were supporting him, at that
time. And it was for that reason,
because I thought that what he
was doing was going to go
against all that we had been
trying to accomplish for all those
years, as abolitionists, that I
chose not to participate in that
attack.
Question: Could the Civil
War have been avoided?
Answer: When I first began
lecturing for the abolitionists, in
1841, we believed that moral
persuasion – simply speaking to
people and convincing them to
change their behavior – that
would bring about the end of
slavery. But, as the years passed
by, as the south became very
clear, as we approached the end
of the 1850’s that perhaps
violence might be the only way
that this cursed system could be
brought to its knees. I truly wish
that we could have avoided war,
but once John Brown attacked
Harper’s Ferry, I knew in my
heart that it never could be – that
violence would have to be the
way that this violent means of
treating three millions of its
people would have to come to an
end.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS’ MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH
THEARC THEATER
1901 Mississippi Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20020
Phone:
(202) 889-5901
Fax:
(202) 889-5905
Website:
www.thearcdc.org
Young people who come after me, over these next many, many years
and decades, I would tell them to please always look within to find out
who they really are – to trust in that inner reality – that, of course, we
contact when we listen to what the voice in our heart is telling us. I
would tell them, also, to please take advantage of every opportunity
that comes to them, because one never knows when that opportunity is
the last one we may see for quite a long period of time. And, I would
also tell them to please learn how to read and write and speak well –
well enough to gain control over their own minds. I would tell them
that the things that I have been able to accomplish even more, if they
follow these three keys, I would say: trust in yourself, take advantage of
your opportunities and utilize the spoken and the written words, if you
truly want to bring about permanent, positive changes, not only in your
own life, but in the lives of those among whom you live.
REBELLION AND RESISTANCE
Slaves resisted their treatment in innumerable ways. They slowed
down their work pace, disabled machinery, feigned sickness,
destroyed crops. They argued and fought with their masters and
overseers. Many stole livestock, other food, or valuables. Some
learned to read and write, a practice forbidden by law. Some
burned forests and buildings.
Others killed their masters outright -- some by using weapons,
others by putting poison in their food. Some slaves committed
suicide or mutilated themselves to ruin their property value. Subtly
or overtly, enslaved African Americans found ways to sabotage the
system in which they lived.
Thousands of slaves ran away. Some left the plantation for days or
weeks at a time and lived in hiding. Others formed maroon
communities in mountains, forests or swamps. Many escaped to the
North. There were also numerous instances of slave revolts
throughout the history of the institution. Even when slaves acted in
a subservient manner, they were often practicing a type of
resistance. By fooling the master or overseer with their behavior,
they resisted additional ill treatment.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2956.html
PROJECT #2
“JOHN BROWN AT HARPER’S
FERRY”
Option #A
Get together with a few
classmates, working as a
team, write dialogue for a skit
detailing the events that took
place during John Brown’s
attempt for Freedom.
Recruit other classmates, if
need be, to perform the skit
for remaining classmates.
Option #B
Write and illustrate a short
story detailing the events of
the slave revolt at Harper’s
Ferry.
WALTER RIMM, AGE 80 (FORMER SLAVE)
ON RUN-AWAY SLAVES
"My pappy wasn't 'fraid of nothin'. He am light cullud from de white blood, and he runs away sev'ral
times. Dere am big woods all round and we sees lots of run-awayers. One old fellow name John been
a run-awayer for four years and de patterrollers tries all dey tricks, but dey can't cotch him. Dey wants
him bad, 'cause it 'spire other slaves to run away if he stays a-loose. Dey sots de trap for him. Dey
knows he like good eats, so dey 'ranges for a quiltin' and gives chitlin's and lye hominey. John comes
and am inside when de patterrollers rides up to de door. Everybody gits quiet and John stands near de
door, and when dey starts to come in he grabs de shovel full of hot ashes and throws dem into de
patterrollers faces. He gits through and runs off, hollerin', 'Bird in de air!'