'If You Didn T Like Sojourner Truth'

Oppression, the exercise of power or authority in a cruel or unjust manner (dictionary.com). Throughout history there have been many situations where a group of people have been oppressed for their way of thinking, skin color, beliefs or even gender. Through the speeches, books or peaceful protests of several figures throughout history, these people have gotten the peace or freedom that they have been wanting. The conjectures of society have been heard through the work of historical figures. The impact left on society have been phenomenal and had changed the future.
“If you want a thing done well, do it yourself” (Brainy Quote 1). This quote from Napoleon Bonaparte perfectly describes what Sojourner Truth had done. She didn’t just sit around waiting for someone
to articulate for her, she conveyed to other groups all over the United States that wanted the same thing that she did. “Women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud puddles, or gives me any best place” (Gilbert & Gubar 253). The quote above means that no matter what color you are you shouldn’t be treated differently. We are all humans and the color of your skin shouldn’t deny you of your humanity. Thoreau had the same perception on discrimination in his work also. Truth not only conveyed about women’s rights but she also conveyed about discrimination and everyone should be treated equally. “I want women to have their rights. In the courts women have no right, no voice; nobody speaks for them” (Gilbert & Gubar 255). What is the difference between a black man and a white man? If a black man get his rights to vote or his freedom then black women should also. If you're going to give freedom to one sex of a different race then why not give it to the other sex also. By giving freedom to one sex of the same race, are you really fixing the problem completely or are you just covering it up? These are the points that Sojourner Truth was trying to get across to others throughout the United States
Like Sojourner Truth, Henry David Thoreau had some of the same ideas.
These suggestions consisted of abolishing slavery and giving blacks the right to vote. “A common and natural result of an undue respect of law is that you may see a file of soldiers... marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, against their common sense and consciences…” (Saxby). The Conscientious Objector of those who had to serve in the armed forces had been taken away from soldiers during this time period. They were forced to go to fight even if they didn’t want to. The government was dehumanizing the men to make them do what the government wanted them to do. “What is the current - price of an honest man and patriot today? (Saxby). “ There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them…”(Saxby). Like in the film The Great Debaters, lynching of negroes was taking place in Texas, and those who were against it didn’t vocalize for what they thought (The Great Debaters). If you don’t agree with something you need to convey and let your conjecture be heard. Sitting there not saying anything isn’t doing you or anyone else any
good.
Mohandas Gandhi used ideas kind of like Henry David Thoreau’s in his essay “Civil Disobedience” to accomplish his goals of helping to free India (Applebee). “No state is possible without two entities, the rulers and the ruled. You are our sovereign, our government only so long as we consider ourselves your subject” (Applebee). You are only considered a government if you have someone to govern. If you don’t listen to what the people of your country are saying then you shouldn’t be ruling them. “We will gladly die and will not so much as touch you. But so long as there is yet life in these our bones, we will never comply with your arbitrary laws.” (Applebee). Gandhi is telling the British government that no matter what they do as long as he is alive, he and the rest of India will not agree with the laws that they propose. The government soon will have no other choice than to listen to what he and the other citizens of India have to say. Gandhi like all the other historical figures we read about stood up for what he thought was right, and did not give up when things became nearly impossible. Like Mohandas Gandhi, Ronald Reagan took some risks while speaking to the people of West Germany on June 12, 1987. “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev -- Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (Eidenmueller, 3). Just like in other parts of history countries, and people were torn due to two different ways of thinking. In the United States during the civil war which lasted from 1861 to 1865 (American Civil War,1), the country was split into two due to conflict. The north in this case thought that slavery shouldn’t be allowed and the south thought that slavery should stay. Like in Germany after World War Two, Germany was split into the East and the West. The wall had torn families apart and had torn a country in half as well. “There in Berlin, like the city itself, symbols of love, symbols of worship, can not be suppressed.” (Eidenmueller, 6)This relates to Sojourner Truth, you can’t take away someone’s right to love someone or something. Truth had her children auctioned off into slavery, and you can’t take something that someone loves or the right to worship away. This deprives all of their uniqueness. Loving someone else is what makes you and others happy. Worship is what you believe in, and you can’t deprive someone of their beliefs or happiness.
The importance of having a historical advisor is to prevent these situations that have happened in the past from happening again. “Applied historians would take a current predicament and try to identify analogues in the past. Their ultimate goal would be to find clues about what is likely to happen…”(Allison). History repeats itself, the job of a historical advisor would be to do research to prevent problems from happening again. A current world problem is ISIS, it can be seen that what they have done in the past can relate them to being like the Bolsheviks. “The longer you can look back the farther you can look forward.” (Allison). If you only look at the past how will you ever be able to improve. If the Germans during 1987 only looked at how things were before the wall it wouldn’t have helped them become one nation again. If the African American’s wouldn’t have worked together to get equal rights they may still be working at the issue today. Nothing will change unless you move forward.
The conjectures of society have been heard through the work of historical figures. The impact left on society have been phenomenal and had changed the future. The message that all five articles and the movie was trying to get across to its audience is that things don’t change unless you work hard and move forward. If you don’t speak for yourself, your ideas and thoughts will be worthless. If Ronald Reagan wouldn’t have told the people of Berlin what he did on that very day, the wall more than likely wouldn’t have came down as soon as it did. “The longer you can look back the farther you can look forward.” (Allison, 2).