State Vs. Mann Mock Trial - Law Anti Slavery

    I want you to close your eyes and imagine you’re alone in a new house. You have just been hired to work a job where the hours are unbearable, the conditions are cruel, and the boss is ruthless. You are scared and unsure of what the next day has in store. Imagine that you are Lydia, a slave who was shot and assaulted for trying to escape. She was scared. Scared for her life, scared of her temporary master John Mann, and scared of the punishments he had in store for her. Assault and battery were the charges given to John Mann for shooting and injuring Lydia. That was the ethical and right choice. Assault and battery are felonies and against the laws of North Carolina as well as the rest of the United States. Slavery is legal in North Carolina but shooting another human to prove a point is unlawful and wrong.

    Lydia was hired for a year by John Mann, but her master was Elizabeth Jones. Jones was renting Lydia to Mann for the year so that she could do work for him. Lydia was never sold to Mann and never was considered his slave or his property. In the case, the assault and abuse shown towards Lydia would be against the law. “The Southern United States declared whites that killed slaves were treated the same as if they had killed another white person.” (Homicide Justified ) Judge Thomas Ruffin agreed with this statement and that is why Mann was charged. Physical abuse shown towards slaves is a very common thing, but only if the slave master is the one doing the punishing. This is similar to the case State vs. Hall. In this case, residents Hall and Dockery were charged with assault and battery for the shooting and killing of Andrew Bryson. In this case the jury stated, “the relation between a master and a slave to those existing between parents and children, masters and apprentices, and tutors and scholars, and upon the limitations to the right of the superiors in theses relations.” (Civil War Era NC) Masters of slaves own and work slaves to what they believe is the proper amount. When one is the master of a slave, he/she have the lawful right to do what they want. But in the case of John Mann and Lydia, he was not her master.

    He had no right to punish her and definitely not the right to shoot at her as she tried to escape. Mann openingly firing at Lydia is demonstrating battery which is “an unlawful application of force directly or indirectly upon another person causing bodily injury or offensive contact.” (LII) The attempt of battery is assault which is illegal. Lydia being a slave does not change the facts of the case. Mann was in the process of hiring Lydia, and that process meant that Lydia had not yet become Manns property. Elizabeth Jones would still be the only person who had the right to punish Lydia because she is still the lawful owner of Lydia. Mann had no right to assault Lydia and that is why the felonies he was convicted of are unlawful and why he was properly charged with assault and battery.

More Details on the Case: State Vs. Mann Case Brief Summary

https://cwnc.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/items/show/44

https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3148&context=cwbr

https://www.google.com/search?

q=definition+of+assault+and+battery&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS918US920&oq=definition+of+assult+and+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i10l2j0i10i22i30l7.7541j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Gone With The Wind Reflection

  The movie Gone With The Wind is one of the most complex movies that I have seen. It was a romance, it had touches of comedy, history, action, and so much more. One of the meanings in the movie was the title. When I think of wind, it blows things away. Disrupts what was there before, changes the surroundings of an environment, things vanish, and pieces are left behind. The title of the movie is a metaphor of what is happening in the South during the Civil War. The movie starts with a girl living in a bubble of higher class life in the South. She goes to balls, lunches, has many maids to help her, the nicest fashion, and her only issue is that the boy she is in love with is getting married to someone else. As a wind storm starts brewing, the talk of war starts circulating her town and then suddenly all of the men are off to war. She is forced to work as a doctor and care for the men coming back injured. The lighting changes in the film as well. As things get worse, the backgrounds become darker and darker. Symbolizing the storm and the wreckage that came with the Civil War. The Civil War was one of the most brutal wars in America's history. Towns were destroyed, burned, and they also disappeared. 62,000 lives were lost, 360,222 Union deaths and 285,000 Confederate deaths. Lives were lost, towns destroyed, and the future of America was altered. The Civil War was an intense war but the cause was a worthy fight - ending slavery. Gone with the wind - the changes of our surroundings. America was forever changed by the Civil War, lives and towns vanished, but in the end the storm left America in a better place. 

Town Hall Debate Reflection

    The Town Hall Debate in class was very moving and powerful. I was on the pro slavery side which was a little uncomfortable to talk about but it was interesting to see why someone would support - still was uncomfortable to debate. But hearing the arguments given by the anti slavery side was so powerful and impressive. Some of the things that I took away from the debate was that slavery was a horrible thing that impacted so many individuals as well as generations. Families were torn apart because of slavery and that was one of the things that haunted me the most. Children would be taken from their mothers and families to later be sold to different masters. One speaker mentioned that she had 12 children and had never met a single one. That is cruel, unfair, and just wrong. Taking away an infant from their mother is disgusting. Husbands and wives were separated, brothers and sisters were separated, and parents and children were separated. Families should never be forced apart and taken away from each other, it is immoral and something that America's history should be greatly ashamed of. The treatment towards slaves was also unjust. Slaves would have to work long hours in any conditions, slaves were rented out, traded, and had harsh punishments. The Bible says “treat people that way that you want to be treated,” and that was a big way for abolitionist to argue against slavery. A human being should never be treated this way and be forced to do things against their will. The debate in class was very mature and the performances were delivered beautifully on the anti slave side. I was so impressed by our class and this assignment is one that I won’t forget. 

George Washington Script - Town Hall Post

"Hello members of Town Hall. My name is George Washington, I was born February 22nd, 1732. I have had slaves my entire life and my view on slavery has evolved as I have aged but today I am here to convince you why it is necessary for the growth of our country. When I was younger living in Virginia and working in the tobacco business along side my father, slavery was something that I relied on heavily. Virginia is best known for our supply in tobacco and how fast we were able to grow, harvest, and sell it. My father passed away when I was eleven years old and I inherited 280 acres of land as well as the slaves that my father had. Having slaves was the only way I was able keep the legacy of my father alive as well as grow my reputation in Virginia. Without slavery the economy would become much weaker then what it already is. Slaves are the foundation of the tobacco and cotton industry.

Those two industries are what is keeping the economy afloat and why America is making money. Slavery doesn’t only benefit the master, but also benefits the slave. Slaves are given a place to live, food to eat, are able to care for themselves, and at Mount Vernon they have the freedom of religion. Slavery gives African Americans somewhere to call home as well as providing a service to their country by helping our economy thrive. Slavery also takes the labor pressures off of the lower class of white people which helps our country move froward as well.

The South where we rely on slave labor as the foundation of the economy, without it, the cotton economy would collapse, as well as the tobacco industry. Our society could not function and thrive to the potential it could without slavery and that is not what we want the future of America to look like.

An America without slavery is an America that does not progress as a country. We left Europe to build something new. To build a new democracy, a new economy, and a new country. Slavery gives us the opportunity to do something that has never been done, a chance to make history. God and the Bible permit us to do this and as Americans it is our duty to succeed on our own.

Slavery not only gives us free labor but gives us the chance to focus on other issues that come with running a country. Slaves give us what we need and that is growing an economy through the labor that they provide. Without it, America will not progress to its true potential."

George Washington is one of the most well known people in America’s history. Above were his views on slavery, but that is not how history sees Washington and that is because after the Revolutionary War and after being elected President his views changed. For my town hall debate, I described all of the reasons why Washington supported slavery, but that is not the full story of our First President. Later in his life, Washington freed all of his slaves in his will, decided that slavery wasn’t good for the economy, and how morally wrong slavery really was. 

George Washington grew up where slavery was just a part of his life. He grew up with a father who owned a tobacco plant and once his dad died, Washington inherited the property as well as the slaves. When he married his wife, Martha the slave count at Mount Vernon went up as well. Washington used to justify slavery because it gave him free labor and helped his plant make money as well as the rest of the country. But once Washington began fighting in the Revolution his views changed and he wasn’t so sure that slavery was helpful to Americas young economy. Washington realized that slavery was wrong and “found slavery economically inefficient. In the last decades of his life, the profits from his farmland did not cover the cost of feeding and clothing the estate’s enslaved people.”(George Washington's Changing Views on Slavery) Slavery as a whole was taking more money from Washington than what it was making him. He realized that slavery had become a disadvantage and harmful to the economy. He also realized that it was wrong and something that he didn’t want to be a part of. 

Once Washington's main reason for supporting slavery no longer benefitted him and after spending time fighting in the war with abolitionist, Washington no longer supported slavery. George Washington is best known for being the First President of the United States as well as freeing our country from the British. If you have ever listened to the musical Hamilton, you know John Laurens and Marquis De Lafayette. These two men had a huge impact on Washington’s beliefs on slavery. They made Washington realize all the reasons why slavery was unjust and morally wrong. They showed him what freedom should look like for a new country, and slavery was not the answer. Laurens and Lafayette popped the bubble that Washington was living in and taught him how to be a leader. They influenced his views so much that “Washington explored ways to reduce the number of enslaved people at Mount Vernon without selling them. Most ideas involved renting or selling land to finance an emancipation.”(George Washington's Changing Views on Slavery) He also privately not longer supported slavery and at the end of his life made his beliefs public. He did this by freeing all of his slaves in his Will and sparking the end of slavery.  

https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/ten-facts-about-washington-slavery/#:~:text=Despite%20having%20been%20an%20enslaver,owned%20in%20his%201799%20will.

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/washington-george-and-slavery/

https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/washingtons-changing-views-on-slavery/

Bible Team Challenge

Slavery was a controversial issue that haunts the history of the world. It was not only an issue in society but also an issue in religion and in the Bible. As Professor Dean wrote on the page, “they based arguments both for and against slavery on religion usually on the Bible.” (Smith) In Christianity the argument between if slavery was right or wrong was a big debate, especially in America’s earlier years as a country. The Bible supports slavery and also looks down on it. The debate of what was right and what was wrong in the eyes of God was a big part of deciding whether slavery should be abolished or not in the US Constitution. And the opposite views based on the Bible caused division in early America and why the decision of abolishing slavery was delicate in the eyes of Christianity.

Christianity is a religion that preaches loving your neighbors, forgiving your enemy, as well as forgiving those who have wronged you. From the outside looking in, a religion with these values would never support slavery. Slavery is considered a sin in Christianity based on the belief of treating people the way you wanted to be treated. The Bible follows these values by stating: “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.” (Exodus 21:16) As a Christian, the only higher power is God and all men and women are created equal regardless of skin color. According to the Bible, “slave holders cannot be Christian because slavery is a sin.” (Hosmer) In the beginning of the 16th century, many Popes declared slavery as a sin and that made it against the religion. A huge advocate for anti-slavery was Henry Ward Beecher, he claimed that “while the fundamental feature of the Roman system was that he was a chattel and not a man.” (American Historical Association) He and many other Christians believed that slavery was sinful, against the Bible, and unchristian because it put the well being and selfish needs of some above others. It also put the slave owner above the slave which would make him closer to God/above someone else which wasn’t prohibited in the Bible. Slavery was against the Bible and that is why so many Christians were pushing for the Constitution to get rid of slavery based on that fact that is was sinful. 

(Lauren Pujolar)

The denominations of the Christian religion have not always been anti-slavery. In fact, many Christian thinkers and leaders were staunchly the opposite. While Christian views are obviously different today, there is no denying that Christianity once condoned slavery.

The slave trade in America brought about the need for theological justifications in the Christian world. If slaveholders were Christian, either they or someone else would have to confront the issue of slavery from a religious standpoint. Many theologians and church leaders did, and many reached a conclusion in support of slavery.

For example, John Henry Hopkins, who was an Episcopalian bishop, strongly believed in the idea of slavery and used the Bible to defend it. He stated that while the Bible did establish that blacks and whites had a common ancestor through Noah, they were not equal. In one of his pamphlets he wrote, “why should not the African race be subject, and subject in that way to which it is best adapted?” (Burrell 4)

Said biblical arguments usually stemmed from the story of the Curse of Ham, in which Noah condemns his grandson and son of Ham, Canaan, along with Canaan’s descendants to be “servants” to Ham’s other brothers. English Bishop Thomas Newton heavily used the “Hamitic Hypothesis” (Burrell 4.1) in his publication, Dissertation on the Prophecies, in defense of slavery.

As with all other religions’ beliefs, Christianity’s beliefs are fluid. While slavery was once accepted by size-able amount of Christians, the abolitionist movement was also heavily influenced by Christianity.

(Parker Nyboer)

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/9/742/htm (4. The Bible and Slavery)

Supreme Court Vs. The 1st Amendment

During the video I was thinking about the corruption of the Supreme Court and how it can contradict the First Amendment. As we know, the First Amendment is made up of six clauses: Freedom from Religion, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Press, Freedom of Assembly, and Freedom to Protest. America was founded off of these values and prides itself as the most privileged and free country in the world. But with the decisions made by a committee of justices - how can everyone in America truly feel free? 

Over the past couple years, America has experienced many ups and downs. The Supreme Court has made life changing decisions that has affected many individuals and has upset many people. The Supreme Court is able to make changes to the law and overpower the President. Depending on the President at the time, the Supreme Court can be stacked making bias very common when it comes to legal decisions. Relating back to the First Amendment, there have been many cases and decisions that go against what the First Amendment stands for and that was the main thing that I was thinking about while we were watching. 

One example of the Supreme Court invalidating the First Amendment is the Does v. Mills Case. The Supreme Court was forcing a religious community in Maine to get the Covid-19 Vaccination even though it was against their beliefs. They strongly believed against the vaccine and were willing to fight the Supreme Court on it. A quote from The Network for Public Health Law stated in an article that. “The court reviewed the circumstances surrounding the law and its operation and found it to be neutral toward religion and generally applicable to all healthcare workers regardless of religious beliefs. Therefore, Maine only needed a rational basis for enacting the law, which the court found in the state’s interest in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The healthcare workers then sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court, which was denied.” (Kim) The Supreme Court rejected the population in Maine's request to not get the vaccine which is violating their First Amendment. The Supreme Court did not let them follow their religious beliefs which goes against their Freedom of Religion. This case contradicts the entire message sent by the United States and being a free country. I was wondering during the video how many times can the Supreme Court violate the First Amendment and still have the respect that it needs from the people that it needs to function. 

“Does V. Mills.” Network for Public Health Law, 12 Nov. 2021, www.networkforphl.org/resources/does-v-mills/#:~:text=Overview,get%20vaccinated%20against%20COVID%2D19.

Blog Post #1 - The Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court - the most powerful Judicial Branch on Earth. The nine elected justices have the power to decide what will happen to the people of the United States. The Supreme Court gets their power from the people and tries to safeguard liberty, keep the union, and uphold the law. The nine justices are trained in law and to deal with the people of the United States. The justices serve an average of sixteen years and once they are confirmed they are responsible to the law and the public. I always thought that the Supreme Court just did what the President wanted so it was interesting to learn that the Supreme Court has so much more power.

    The Supreme Court is able to strike down acts of Congress that they find unconstitutional and they are able to tell the President and States what they can't do. The Supreme Court deals with 100 new cases each week and only considers 100 per year. The Supreme Court has to pick and choose which cases that they want to pass. One thing that is unique to the United States is that even though not every petition passes, each petition gets looked over and recognized. The court has hearings that last 30 minutes where people can argue whether their petition should pass or not. After hearing the argument, the justices meet and decide if it passes or not. Each individual justice writes an opinion on the petition and the majority wins to see if it passes or not.

    Once the petition is passed by the Supreme Court, the decision is released to the public. The petitions passed impact millions of people and can change laws relating to labor, taxes, businesses, and much more. The power of the Supreme Court is earned and given by the American people. The Supreme Court is powerful, but it is powerful because of the people of the United States and that itself is a revelation.