All people that live in the United States have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You are allowed to make individual choices as long as you don’t hurt or abuse or threaten anyone.
Individual Rights By: Erica Le
I think that the slave quarter photo connects to many CDV’s. The first one is equality first CDV is Equality because slaves were treated very poorly because of the skin color, they would have to be separated from their family and be crammed on a boat with others they don’t even know and go to America and then be sold at a auction to plantation owners and work for 16 hours just because of their skin color. I also think that it connects to Justice because they had no justice. The white people were more favored the African Americans and did not have many rights to do stuff like vote. Life as a slave was terrible. They would live in a small but with other people that they didn’t know. They would sleep on a small bed stuffed with hay. When my group went to the slaves quarter at GreenfieldVillage I saw that it was small, smaller then our classroom and the walls was chipped and nothing was in the room beside a small table in the middle. Also this connects to Individual Rights because they had no rights. They were threatened and some were killed. They had no rights to speak for themselves or say what they thought was right. Lastly I think that this connects also to Diversity because they were treated differently because of their color and that they weren’t protected because it was ok to own someone. Now in this time period most places don’t allow slaves but some do. This makes me feel sad that just because of people race or beliefs that they should be treated any different than others. It makes me madder that some places still allow slaves and that slave owners care nothing more but themselves. I wish that world peace would happen for everyone regardless of their race of beliefs.
Individual Rights By: Andrew Hall
I chose photo number 5 because it connected to the Core Democratic Value Individual Rights. Back in 1700s through the1800s slaves didn’t have a right to Life they got a new name and did whatever their master or overseer (A worker that watched slaves in the field) told them to. They also didn’t have Liberty they could be free as long as they escaped…but escaping was a horrible and dangerous risk. If you were caught you would be brought back and whipped burned or even killed. They also couldn’t do what they wanted they did what their master told them to do. They also didn’t have The Pursuit of Happiness. They must have not have been happy having to work from sunrise until sunset and if there was a full moon even longer.
For example when I was at the slave house in Greenfield Village I asked the slave how often they get clothes. And the slave said about once every year. The slave also talked about escaping. The slave said that the slaves could try to escape they met under the moonlight planning escapes. They also sang songs with secret messages while they were working in the field but if they were caught they would be brought back and whipped burned or even killed and whipped, burned, or even killed. The slave also talked slaves refusing to work by breaking tools or pretending to be sick. The slave also said slaves could not get an education because they weren’t allowed to read or write. The slave also talked about slaves buying their freedom Slaves got paid extra if they worked on Sundays or holidays some slaves got free this way but very few did. I asked the slave what kinds of slaves are there. And the slave said there were slaves that worked in the outside fields or take care of the young slaves. The slave also talked about house slaves. The slave said house slaves were the slaves with a little better living condition they were the table setters and the cooks. They ate their master’s leftovers and wore their masters old clothing or clothes he didn’t want.
Individual Rights By: Megan Berg
I chose the photograph of the small slave shack, because it is easy for anyone, regardless of color, gender, or race, to argue about passionately.
Slavery itself violates the individual rights of African Americans. Individual Rights are something everything that breathesare entitled to. That doesn’t mean they receive it. African americans were treated so wrong, so violated, and the worst part of it? No slave owner gave them a chance to speak, because most of them didn’t speak the same language. They were forced to live in the worst conditions, whipped and even killed. A tiny, bug ridden Shack, could serve as a home for 5 families, when the slave owners house, held 1 family, and was five times the size. African Americans were fed disgusting leftovers, or rotted and expired food. They worked in fields until and after their hands were blistered and bled. They often worked dusk to dawn, sometimes late into the night, They were worked as hard as, if not harder than mules.
They Individual Rights were disregarded because of color, and race. They are still living and humans, none the less. But somehow, they thought that because their skin was darker, their rights didn’t matter, But they do. All the African Americans, even just Americans, have every right to be thankful to the people who would give it all to be treated right. Martin Luther King Junior had so many threats, so many attemps to kill him,yet he didn’t give up, for his, and all African Americans Rights. That woman on the bus, she wanted to be treated right, not differently because of her skin, the daring Rosa Parks, was thrown in jail, for just trying to get what she deserved. Best of all, African Americans live peacefull in this country because they forgave those who beat them.