Everything in the history of the United States of America shaped
it to what it is today. There are some things that have shaped it more than
others and the Civil War was one of those things. What happened before the Civil War to cause
this huge change? With new ideas coming out and more people expressing what
they thought about certain subjects, it was only a matter of time that a Civil
War happened. From women’s rights to the freedom of slaves, things were
starting to change in the United States. Some people liked it and others did
not. Margaret Fuller, Black Hawk, and Angelina E. Grimke influence many people
to act against slavery and take a stand for what they believed in.
Margaret Fuller was born in 1810 in Cambrideport, Massachusetts.
She had an “un-natural childhood” were her father taught her many things,
including four different languages. She was a well educated woman for her time.
Fuller also attended Miss Susan Prescott’s Young Ladies Seminary, which was
similar to a finishing school. It was clear that her parents had high standards
for her. By the time she was 10 she was studying writers such as Shakespeare, Cicero,
and Virgil. Not only was she well educated but she also met many influential
people such as James Freeman Clarke (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 737).
In her writing “Man verus Men. Woman verus Women” she does not seem
to use the rhetoric of the founding fathers. On the other hand she uses
language that is not common for the time. She seems to mock the way society
runs things concerning a man and wife, for example, “The household partnership.
In our country the woman looks for a ‘smart but kind’ husband, the man for a
‘capable, sweet tempered’ wife” (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 739).
In this sentence, one can see how she uses a more modern language to express
how she feels about the daily life of women in her time.
Fuller seems to put a higher emphasis on the female in her pieces
versus the male. It seems very deliberate. “Self-sufficing strength and
clear-sightedness were in her combined with a power of deep and calm affection.
The page of her life is one of unsullied dignity” (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 740).
In this section the reader can see that she is focusing on the female rather
than the male. Also that she is slightly bias.
It is clear that Fuller’s role in literature of the pre- Civil War
period is as a women’s activist. She wants women to have equal rights. Just as
other people, including minorities wanted. In her writings she is clear that
this would build a better society. “But that is the very fault of marriage, and
of the present relation between the sexes, that woman does belong to the man,
instead of the forming a whole of him. Were it otherwise there would be no such
limitation to the thought” (Franklin
et al., 2008, p. 747).
Black Hawk was born in 1767 in “Saudkenuk on the Rock River in
western Illinois” (Franklin et
al., 2008, p. 570). It is insinuated that he was the chief of his tribe
because he was one of the signers of the treaty with the Americans about the
tribes land. Hawk claimed that he did not fully understand what the treaty
meant. So in the 1820s when the white settlers were trying to establish the
land in the agreement Hawk left. However, he returned to the Rock River
“determined to reestablish his people on their traditional homelands” (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 571).
The governor determined that Hawk’s returned was “an invasion of the state” he
had people volunteer to drive Hawk and his people off the land (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 571).
When they left they were perused and eventually caught. Hawk was “imprisoned
and taken east, where he met twice with President Jackson” (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 571).
Hawk’s “Life of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kai-kaik” story about how the
“white man” took his land without his true knowledge of the treaty that he
signed as discussed above. Hawk uses vary little rhetoric from the founding
fathers. This could be because he at the time of writing this he was not happy
with America and therefore did not want to honor them in any way. The one part
he does use is the first discussion of signing the treaty. He says, “They
explained to us the words of our Great Fathers at Washington…” (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 572).
He also does discuss different governors calling them, “the great chief of
Illinois” or the “great chief of St. Louis” (Franklin et al., 2008, p.
572-573). These examples are more of Hawk’s title for these people and not
the official title.
Hawk changes the rhetoric of the founding fathers quite a bit to
fit into his perception of them. He
calls them the “great chief” of the job that they do and what they are in
charge of. It almost changes it to the point that it is not the same rhetoric
but something he created for his own understanding. However, because it is the
only sign of the founding fathers rhetoric in his piece one could consider it
to be that in a way. One would need to keep in mind while reading it that the
people that he is speaking of are not titled so informally.
“Life of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kai-kaik” is unique in some of the
techniques used as well. In the piece there seems more informal than other
pieces published during the same time period. The language, and the vocabulary
are easier to understand for the common man than many pieces because of this
informal language. Also he introduces the story telling theme. When one reads
his story it is just that, a story. This is different from other pieces during
and before this time period because they were more formal and not in story
format.
Hawks goal in writing this piece was to tell his story and to show
people what it was like for Native Americans with the peace treaty. In leading to
the Civil War it showed people how unfair the “white man” had been to the
Native Americans. Just as they had acted toward the African American people and
the women leading up to the Civil War. This story encouraged people to get
justice for everything that the white men had done to them and all of the
people before them.
Angelina E. Grimke was born in 1805 in Charleston, South Carolina.
She “was raised in a slaveholding family”(Franklin et al., 2008, p. 758).
She was a “supporter of Garrisonian abolitionism” (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 758).
She also was a womens activist. “She found that her work in antislavery led her
to champion women’s rights…” (Franklin
et al., 2008, p. 758). Grinke was a leader and encourager of her time to
both men and women.
In “Appeal to the Christian Women of the South” Grimke does not
seem to use any rhetoric of the founding fathers. However, she quotes the Bible
quite often making the reader think that she regards the Bible more than she
does the government. For example when she is encouraging her audience to pray
for the slaves and their freedom, she says, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father
in my name he will give it to you” which is John 16:23, a verse from
the Bible (Franklin et al., 2008, p. 760).
Grimke uses some interesting techniques in these pieces which are
not common even today. The main thing
that stands out is she numbers the points that she is will make. More like
someone would do in a speech or a PowerPoint today. She starts off by covering
all the points she will make and continues by going into detail through each
point. This is more of a speech format than typical formal writing (Franklin et
al., 2008, p. 758-761).
“Appeal to the Christian Women of the South” was an influence on
many people in regard to slavery. It indicates that in is sinful to do some of
the things that people did to their slaves. This was a big eye opener for those
Christians that did own slaves. This also was an influence on the pre-Civil War
period because it showed people how “ungodly” the unfairness to the slaves was.
Therefore, making even more of a point for why slavery was bad.
The pre-Civil War was a time of change of thinking. Instead of minority
groups conforming to what the white man saw fit; they started to go against it.
Fuller, Hawk, and Grimke were a few of the people who encouraged these people
to continue with their fight for justice, which in the end created the Civil
War.
References
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