Student Observations and Questions
Chapter 1 - Belinda X
Questions
1. What does it mean to be manumitted compared to emancipated? Which is souoght by abolitionists?
2. Why is Belinda Sutton referred to as “Belinda X” in her chapter?
3. How old was Belinda when she was taken from “home” and why is this significant ?
4.Describe the place Belinda calls “home” in 3 to 5 sentences.
5. How many petitions did Belinda have to write according to this text? Why and what impact might it have had on her?
Chapter 2 - Paul Jennings
Questions
1. How could the attempt at freedom of 77 enslaved people on The Pearl affect Paul Jennings’ experience of having been a slave himself and then living as a free man?
2. Which obstacle do you think was the hardest Paul Jennings had to overcome?
3. How might Paul Jennings have had an influence on how slave trade was banned in Washington and for the rest of the United States?
4. What sacrifices did Paul Jennings choose to make to help others connect with their families and loved ones?
5. With what’s going on in the world currently and in recent years, how do you think Paul Jennings would try to make a difference?
Chapter 3 - Sarah Mapps Douglass
Questions
1. How might Sarah Mapps Douglass’ activism been received if she was never affiliated with the Quaker Religious Society of Friends?
2. Despite being a Black woman in antebellum America, Douglass did have the privilege of her parents – and therefore herself – being born free from enslavement. While she and her family still faced intense discrimination, Sarah was able to use her privilege to advocate for women’s rights and the abolition of slavery. In what ways does Douglass’ privilege impact the efficacy of her work? Explain the reasons why this might be the case.
3. Quakerism was an integral part of Douglass’ upbringing and family. Despite this, she exposed the racism within “The Friends.” Was this action a risk to Douglass’ activism, or did it not have much effect? Why?
4. Why do you think Douglass specifically focused on supporting the education of Black women as part of her activism, as opposed to solely the education of women or solely the education of Black people?
5. In 1855, Douglass did choose to marry. Her husband, who was also Black, had several children from a previous marriage. How does the intersection of race and gender impact Douglass and her anti-slavery work?
Chapter 4 - Mary Ellen Pleasant
1. The MEP signature on the note was misread as WEP and the authorities sought a northern white man instead of the southern woman of color who actually contributed $30,000 to Brown’s antislavery activities, or what would
be worth nearly $900,000 in today’s dollars. Why was this kept secret?
2. As Veronica Chambers has noted in her obituary that appeared in the NYTimes Overlooked tribute, Mary Ellen “lived her life between the lines of legitimacy and infamy, servitude and self-invention.” What might this have been like emotionally as well as spiritually?
3. Pleasant was quite a different kind of woman and yet strangely effective and influential ... “Here was a colored woman who became one of the shrewdest business minds of the State. She anticipated the development in oil. She was the trusted confidante of many of the California pioneers such as Ralston, Mills and Booth, and for years was a power in San Francisco affairs
4. Throughout a life that was perhaps more than unconventional, she treasured a bitter hatred for slavery and a certain contempt for white people.” How do you think this affected her actions?
5. “I often wonder what I would have been with an education ... I have let books alone and studied men and women a good deal ... I have always noticed that when I have something to say, people listen. They never go to sleep on me.” What qualifies of Mary Ellen Pleasant contributed to the impact she had on people and the community?
6. “One of Mary Ellen’s strengths throughout her life was the ability to make the most of opportunities. A key to this approach was her capacity to multi-task. While working as a cook - theoretically both invisible and unimportant in the households of the affluent people she served - she would eavesdrop and learn information that proved critical in the successful investments of her inheritance that she made. In the census of 1890, she listed her profession as ‘capitalist.’” How did you react to the various strategies Mary Ellen Pleasant employed to gain influence and become so successful?
Chapter 5 - Henry Highland Garnet
Questions