Phyllis Wheatley, born somewhere near present-day Senegal, was captured into slavery around the age of seven and sold to the Wheatley family in Boston. The Wheatleys taught her to read and write and encouraged her poetry writing. Her writing paid off when in 1773 her work Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published. Her writings even caught the attention of General George Washington who praised her. Phyllis Wheatley’s writings helped launch African-American literature.
When the great preacher of the Great Awakening, George Whitfield died, she wrote in his honor the following poem:
On the Death of the Rev. Mr. GEORGE WHITEFIELD. 1770.
HAIL, happy saint, on thine immortal throne, Possest of glory, life, and bliss unknown; We hear no more the music of thy tongue, Thy wonted auditories cease to throng. Thy sermons in unequall'd accents flow'd, And ev'ry bosom with devotion glow'd; Thou didst in strains of eloquence refin'd Inflame the heart, and captivate the mind. Unhappy we the setting sun deplore, So glorious once, but ah! it shines no more. Behold the prophet in his tow'ring flight! He leaves the earth for heav'n's unmeasur'd height, And worlds unknown receive him from our sight. There Whitefield wings with rapid course his way, And sails to Zion through vast seas of day. Thy pray'rs, great saint, and thine incessant cries Have pierc'd the bosom of thy native skies. Thou moon hast seen, and all the stars of light, How he has wrestled with his God by night. He pray'd that grace in ev'ry heart might dwell, He long'd to see America excell; He charg'd its youth that ev'ry grace divine Should with full lustre in their conduct shine; That Saviour, which his soul did first receive, The greatest gift that ev'n a God can give, He freely offer'd to the num'rous throng, That on his lips with list'ning pleasure hung. "Take him, ye wretched, for your only good, "Take him ye starving sinners, for your food; "Ye thirsty, come to this life-giving stream, "Ye preachers, take him for your joyful theme; "Take him my dear Americans, he said, "Be your complaints on his kind bosom laid: "Take him, ye Africans, he longs for you, "Impartial Saviour is his title due: "Wash'd in the fountain of redeeming blood, "You shall be sons, and kings, and priests to God." Great Countess,* we Americans revere Thy name, and mingle in thy grief sincere; New England deeply feels, the Orphans mourn, Their more than father will no more return. But, though arrested by the hand of death, Whitefield no more exerts his lab'ring breath, Yet let us view him in th' eternal skies, Let ev'ry heart to this bright vision rise; While the tomb safe retains its sacred trust, Till life divine re-animates his dust.
To learn more about the life and work of this great American woman, visit the following links:
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
Despite this expansive wording, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border states. It also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory.
Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free a single slave, it fundamentally transformed the character of the war. After January 1, 1863, every advance of federal troops expanded the domain of freedom. Moreover, the Proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union Army and Navy, enabling the liberated to become liberators. By the end of the war, almost 200,000 black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.
From the first days of the Civil War, slaves had acted to secure their own liberty. The Emancipation Proclamation confirmed their insistence that the war for the Union must become a war for freedom. It added moral force to the Union cause and strengthened the Union both militarily and politically. As a milestone along the road to slavery's final destruction, the Emancipation Proclamation has assumed a place among the great documents of human freedom.
The document was bound with other proclamations in a large volume preserved for many years by the Department of State. When it was prepared for binding, it was reinforced with strips along the center folds and then mounted on a still larger sheet of heavy paper. Written in red ink on the upper right-hand corner of this large sheet is the number of the Proclamation, 95, given to it by the Department of State long after it was signed. With other records, the volume containing the Emancipation Proclamation was transferred in 1936 from the Department of State to the National Archives of the United States.
The original of the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, is in the National Archives in Washington, DC. With the text covering five pages the document was originally tied with narrow red and blue ribbons, which were attached to the signature page by a wafered impression of the seal of the United States. Most of the ribbon remains; parts of the seal are still decipherable, but other parts have worn off.
to issue
délivrer,émettre
rebellious
rebelle, révolté
henceforward
dorénavant
wording
la formulation
to secede
faire sécession
to expand
élargir, étendre
moreover
de plus
enabling
permettant
a milestone
une étape importante
bound
relié
binding
la reliure
strip
une bande
fold
le pli
wafered
comme une gauffre
decipherable
déchiffrable
worn off
effacé
The Emancipation Proclamation January 1, 1863
A Transcription
By the President of the United States of America:
A Proclamation.
Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit:
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.
"That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States."
Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred days, from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to wit:
Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. John, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, (except the forty-eight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth[)], and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued.
And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.
And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages.
And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.
And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh.
By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
whereas
attendu que
to wit (phrase)
à savoir
whereof
de quoi, dont
aforesaid
susdit
thereto
y
wherein
dans lequel, où
countervailing
contrebalançant
deemed
considéré, jugé, estimé
vested
acquis
fit
propre
in accordance with
conformément à
henceforward
dorénavant
hereby
par la présente
to labor
travailler
wages
une salaire
to garrison
placer une garnison dans, tenir garnison dans, être en garnison à
As part of Black History Month, here is the story of slavery abolitionist Harriet Tubman. She was born into slavery in Maryland but eventually escaped to Pennsylvania. She returned to Maryland secretly several times in order to rescue her family out of bondage. Over time she led dozens of other slaves out and never lost one earning her the name “Moses.'’ When the Civil War broke out, she worked for the Union army as a cook, a nurse and then as a spy. At the end of the war, she worked hard for the women’s suffrage movement. To learn more about this great American woman, read about her at the following links:
As part of celebrating Black History Month, download the FREE audio book below written by one of America’s greatest abolitionists and statesmen. He is a prominent figure in African-American history and his literary work is a masterpiece! I have read this book and I very highly recommend it! Most of this post comes from FreeAudio.org
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American SlaveBy Frederick Douglass
First published in 1845, the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass became Frederick Douglass’s most well known work. It is as the name implies, his autobiography.
Frederick Douglass was born a slave and underwent horrendous treatment at the hands of his ‘owners’. He later escaped to the north and became an outspoken abolitionist. Not only did he have a great life story to tell, his skill in telling it has long been admired. Douglass traveled throughout Europe lecturing about slavery.
After publication, the Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass quickly became a best seller and within three years there were over 11,000 copies published in the United States had been reprinted nine times and had been translated into two languages (Dutch and French). The book was so well written that some argued that an ex-slave could not be as articulate as Frederick Douglass demonstrated himself to be. Of course, Douglass did write the book and it stands today as a monument to the human spirit and what may be achieved with hard work - no matter where in society somebody may begin.
Frederick Douglass had to leave the United States and flee to Ireland for a period after the books publication and its immediate success for some believed that Douglass’s ex-owner Hugh Auld might try to get his ‘property’ returned. After two years, he was able to return to the United States after his freedom was purchased for $710 from Auld.
If you are interested in learning about the life of a great man who rose above his birth as a slave and became one of the greatest literary figures in American history, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is the book to read.
NOTE: To watch the video from MSN, click on the above image link. Be patient, there is unfortunately an advertisement first. You will have captions of his testimony so you will be able to understand his accent.
On this day in 1831, President John Quincy Adams took his seat in the House of Representatives which he won in the 1830 Elections. He would be only the first of two American presidents to serve in the Congress after their term as President. John Quincy Adams, the sixth US President, was also the son of the second American president, John Adams. The only other father and son who were both president. John Quincy Adams would serve in the US House of Representatives for 17 years from 1831 until his death in 1848. While there, he was a staunch antislavery advocate presenting many petitions for the abolition of the slave trade and slavery.
He continued to practice law and he had the case of a lifetime when he defended the Africans slaves of the Amistad before the US Supreme Court. In that case, United States vs. The Amistad Africans, Adams argued that the Africans who seized control of a Spanish ship were being transported illegally as slaves and should not be deported to Spanish Cuba but should be considered as freemen and allowed to return to Africa. President Martin Van Buren's Justice Department argued that the Africans should be deported to Cuba for having mutinied and killing officers. John Quincy Adams won the case!
The other former US President to serve in the Congress was President Andrew Johnson who was elected in 1874 by the Tennessee legislature to serve as a senator from the state which he did until his death in 1875.
VOCABULARY
staunch - loyal, fervent
advocate - militant, défenseur, champion
Note: The 1997 Steven Spielberg film Amistad is based on the above court case for which Anthony Hopkins received an Academy nomination for his role as John Quincy Adams.
President Abraham Lincoln issued the 
As part of Black History Month, here is the story of slavery abolitionist Harriet Tubman. She was born into slavery in Maryland but eventually escaped to Pennsylvania. She returned to Maryland secretly several times in order to rescue her family out of bondage. Over time she led dozens of other slaves out and never lost one earning her the name “Moses.'’ When the Civil War broke out, she worked for the Union army as a cook, a nurse and then as a spy. At the end of the war, she worked hard for the women’s suffrage movement. To learn more about this great American woman, read about her at the following links:
