Activity/Discussion Two: Harriet Jacobs

 

 

General Information

 

• Timing: This activity / discussion will be active from October 10 to November 2.
• Participation in the discussion is worth 30 points. You must complete Steps One and Two of this activity to prepare for the discussion.
• The discussion is posted in the Discussion Board / Course Compass
• The information in this activity/discussion as well as the information in Activity/Discussion One will be used for the exam essay question for this leaning module.

 

Step One:  Historical Context

Read or reread the online lecture “Slavery: The Central Cause of the Civil War.”  If you are unclear about the content of this lecture, be sure to contact Susan Oliver (soliver@cerritos.edu)

 

Step Two: Video Excerpts

Watch the three video excerpts on Harriet Jacobs; the titles are listed below. These are located in Talon Net. It is recommended that you watch this excerpt twice so that you get the full impact of the ideas presented.  You might want to read and/or copy the transcript of these video excerpts as well. Click here to access.

 

• Harriet Jacobs
• The Religious Revival
• Freedom for Harriet

 

To prepare for the online discussion, make notes that answer these questions:

 

1. How do the experiences of Harriet Jacobs illustrate the issue sexual exploitation of black women by white men in the South? Consider the actions of Dr. Norcom and Samuel Tredwell Sawyer.

 

2. Motherhood for female slaves was dramatically different than motherhood for white women. What challenges did Jacobs face as a mother of two children?  Would you consider her to be a good mother?  Cite specific examples.

 

3. Harriet Jacobs is the first slave woman to write her autobiography. In the preface of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs tells readers that her purpose is to convince people of “Free States what Slavery really is.”  In other words, she wanted to convince citizens in the northern states, most especially women, to demand an end to slavery.  How would you react to Jacobs’ experiences if you lived in a northern state in the 1850s?

 

Step Three: Participate in the online discussion.