Mariam Ahmadi
HIST 17B/Prof. Hupp
The Women Suffrage, Slavery and immigrants coming to The United States is what has made this country. There are many different groups that have made an affect on the United States and its development. Foner notes that "the history of the United States is, in part, a story of debates, disagreements, and struggles over freedom." This is something that I completely agree with. The first thing that was extremely influential was the bringing and cultivation of slaves in America. As we look at the letter of a fugitive slave we learn about a man named Joseph taper and his new life in Canada. He writes a letter to a white acquaintance in Virginia recounting some of his experiences. Taper writes “ And I …show more content…
Fitzhugh Says” at the slaveholding South all is peace, Quiet, plenty and contentment. We have no mobs no trade unions, no strikes for higher wages, no armed resistance to the law, but little jealousy of the rich by the poor.” (VOF 209) He goes on to talk about the growth of their crops having been the best in 15 years and that they are able to feed three times their households. He also says “ One free citizen does not lord it over another; hence feeling of independence and equality that distinguishes us; hence that pride of character, that self-respect, that gives us ascendancy when we come in contact with the Northerners. It is distinction to be a Southerner, as was once to be a Roman citizen….” (VOF 210). Over all we know that there were many different views of freedom during that period in United States. But the more we look we realize that freedom should have been a choice not something to dream about. The second major influential movement in United States has to be the Women Suffrage movement. We take a look at the Complaint of a Lowell Factory Worker in 1845 and realize that there working conditions were poor, they worked threaten hour days with only one hour break. They were treated extremely bad, they were paid less then the average white men, and what ever they made they had to hand over to there husbands if they were married. They speak of living in a free state but being treated like a slave. She says, “much has been written …show more content…
So as we read on we learn that they did not feel equal not one bit. They were fighting for they’re right to be looked at as equal, not just to the white men whom they lived with, but to the free slave whom they did not feel equal to. We know that women were big part of the abolitionist movement; they fought for the right of slaves even though they were not being treated like them. They did not take freedom at bay; they fought even though it wasn’t something for them. Third we look at the Chines immigrant and their struggles after their move to the United Sates. Nearly 25,000 chines landed between 1849 to 1852 almost all of them young men who had signed labor contracts to work in the mines and railroads. They were treated extremely bad. Anti-Chines sentiment quickly developed. The white men could not deiced whom they disliked more the Chines immigrants or the slaves. In 1852 the governor, John Bigler proposed that legislatures restrict Chines immigration. Norman Aising, a naturalized American citizen and the leader of the Chines community of San Francisco, wrote an
Page 4
Mariam