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Frederick Douglass : Autobiographies : Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave / My Bondage and My Freedom / Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (Library of America)
Frederick Douglass Manufacturer: Library of America ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0940450798 |
Book Description
Frederick Douglass, born a slave, educated himself, escaped, and made himself one of the greatest leaders in American history. His brilliant anti-slavery speeches were so fiercely intelligent, and so startlingly eloquent, that many people didn't believe he had been a slave. To prove them wrong, Douglass decided to write his own story. His autobiographical narratives stunned the world, and have shocked, moved, and inspired readers ever since. Here, complete for the first time in one authoritative volume, are the three powerful and gripping stories, now recognized as classics of American writing. Fascinating firsthand accounts of slavery and abolitionism, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Reconstruction, and the emerging struggle for civil rights, they are above all the inspiring story of a self-made American: a slave who became adviser to the President, minister to Haiti, and the most influential black American of the nineteenth century.Customer Reviews:
One of my relatives.......2005-04-07
The Life of a Free Man.......2002-09-05
Frederick Douglass wrote three autobiographies which are given in this volume. The first, shortest, and best was written in 1845, seven years after Douglass had escaped from slavery. It tells in graphic and unforgettable terms the story of Douglass' life as a slave, the growth of the spirit of freedom in himself. and the early part of his life as a free man in New Bedford.
The second autobiography was written in 1855. It repeats much of the earlier story and describes Douglass's visit to Great Britain. A higlight of this volume is the Appendix in which Douglass gives the reader excerpts from several of his speeches, including his perhaps most famous speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July."
Douglass wrote his third autobiography in 1888 and edited it substantially in 1893. It describes Douglass's relationship with Abraham Lincoln and John Brown. I also enjoyed the section of the book in which Douglass describes his trip to England, Italy, and Egypt near the end of his life. It is highly intelligent, perceptive and reflective travel writing. There are also excerpts in this final autobiography from Douglass's speeches and letters.
The most striking incident in all three volumes is Douglass's story of how he stood up for himself and became in his own eyes a man of dignity and courage. Douglass had been sent for a year to live with a small farmer named Covey who had a reputation for breaking the sprit of strong-willed slaves. Covey whipped Douglass unmercifully for the first six months. Then, after a whipping which left Douglass scared and weak for several days (he ran back to his old master who ordered him back to Covey) Douglass fought back. Covey attempted to whip Douglass and Douglass resisted. The two men fought hand-to-hand for hours. Douglass could not assume the offensive in the fight (it was enough to resist at all) but more than held his ground and had the better of it. Covey at last walked off and never whipped Douglass again. This incident is strikingly told in each autobiography and marks the moment when Douglass showed he could stand up for himself and not have the spirit of a slave. It is inspiring and it grounded his actions for the rest of his life.
There is much in these books that transcends the resistance against American slavery, utterly important as that is. We have, as I have tried to explain, in this book the voice of personal freedom and self-determination which is something every person must learn and undestand for him or herself in deciding how to live. In addition,I get the impression that as Douglass aged he became increasingly committed to the life of the mind and the spirit. This is apparent from his writing and from his interest in travel, in European high culture, art, literature, and music. Douglass learned the meaning for freedom. He tried to devote himself to matters of the spirit in addition to his lifelong quest to improve the lot of the former slave. I think there is still a great deal to be learned here.
Douglass had much to say about the nature of American freedom and democracy. He loved and had faith in them, in spite of the horrible stain of slavery. Here is a wonderful observation from the third autobiography in which Douglass' describes his activities during the Presidential campaign of 1888.
"I left the discussion of the tariff to my young friend Morris, while I spoke for justice and humanity....I took it to be the vital and animating principle of the Republican party. I found the people more courageous than their party leaders. What the leaders were afraid to teach, the people were brave enough and glad enough to learn. I held that the soul of the nation was in this question, and that the gain of all the gold in the world would not compensate for the loss of the nation's soul. National honor is the soul of the nation, and when this is lost all is lost. ... As with an individual, so too with a nation, there is a time when it may properly be asked "What doth it profit to gain the whole world and therby lose one's soul?"
There is a spirit and a wisdom in Douglass that still has much to teach.
As a man of the Nineteenth Century, Douglass tells us little in his autobiographies of his personal life. Upon his escape from slavery, Douglass married a free, uneducated black woman. Upon her death, Douglass married a white woman, which (as we see briefly in the book) caused shock among American whites and blacks alike. We also see little of Douglass' relationship to his children. The reader who would like to learn more about Douglass' personal life needs to read a biography, such as William McFeeley's "Frederick Douglass" (1891)
Douglass' autobiographies are are precious work of American literature and a testimony to the free human spirit.
one of the founding American novels.......2000-05-30
Excellence in Achievement through the Human Spirit.......1997-09-17
I believe that Mr. Gates captures this strength, this conviction and the essence of Mr. Douglass' spirit and his commitment to make a better life for himself and others like him. His dynamic use of the language allows you to feel conviction and essence of Mr. Douglass' concern. It was like listening to Mr. Douglass speak to me through those pages.
I found this book very intriguing and educational. It has something for the world to learn from.
Thanks to Mr. Gates and others for bringing this great American (World) hero to the forefront. We need to know and share in the histor and spiriti of this great man. By the way I was named after Frederick Douglass. I strive to be like him as much as I can. I am still working on my oratory!
Hard work and a positive attitude prevail.......1997-03-09
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Native People of Wisconsin / Teacher's Guide and Student Materials (New Badger History)
Kori Oberle , and Bobbie Malone Manufacturer: Wisconsin Historical Society Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Spiral-bound Similar Items:
ASIN: 0870203495 |
Book Description
The companion teacher’s guide to Native People of Wisconsin offers a variety of activities that help students gain skills in expository reading and writing as well as reinforce the content of the student text. All the activities are interactive and link to the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for the Social Studies. The accompanying CD-ROM includes video clips from the Wisconsin Studies instructional television programs, including the entire "New Dawn of Tradition: A Wisconsin Powwow" video, narrated by Patty Loew.Customer Reviews:
The stories of the twelve Native Nations in Wisconsin.......2004-03-04
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Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal
Patty Loew Manufacturer: Wisconsin Historical Society ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0870203320 |
Book Description
From origin stories to contemporary struggles over treaty rights and sovereignty issues, Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal explores Wisconsin’s rich Native tradition. Each chapter is a compact tribal history of one of the state’s Indian nations—Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Oneida, Menominee, Mohican and Brothertown, and Ho-Chunk—and the book relies on the historical perspectives of Native people. Author Patty Loew focuses on oral tradition—stories, songs, the recorded words of Indian treaty negotiators, and interviews—as well as other untapped Native sources, such as tribal newspapers, to present a distinctly different view of history.Customer Reviews:
Refreshing look at Native American history!.......2001-11-21
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The Antiquities of Wisconsin
Increase Allen Lapham Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items: ASIN: 0299170403 |
Book Description
First published in 1855 and long out of print, The Antiquities of Wisconsin remains invaluable as a detailed record of Wisconsin's rich archaeological heritage of mounds and mound groups, many of which were later destroyed by farming and urban growth. Lapham was among the first scientists to produce evidence that the earthworks had been built by the ancestors of modern Native Americans, not some mythical "lost race," as was believed by many white authorities of the time. Modern researchers still use Lapham's maps and descriptions to locate vestiges of sites that once existed, or to help reconstruct Wisconsin's ancient cultural landscape. This edition includes an introduction by Wisconsin state archaeologist Robert A. Birmingham.Customer Reviews:
The heritage of Native American mounds and mound groups.......2001-05-17
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Wisconsin Indian Literature: Anthology of Native Voices
Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items: ASIN: 0299220648 |
Book Description
Literature of the Indian Nations of Wisconsin is a unique anthology that presents the oral traditions, legends, speeches, myths, histories, literature, and historically significant documents of the current twelve independent bands and Indian Nations of Wisconsin. Kathleen Tigerman sought input from tribe elders and educators to provide an accurate chronological portrait of each nation, including the Siouan Ho-Chunk; the Algonquian Menominee, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi; and three groups originally from what is now New York State: the Iroquoian Oneida, the Stockbridge-Munsee band of the Mohican Nations, and the Brothertown Nation.
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The Oneida of Wisconsin (The Library of Native Americans)
Gillian Houghton Manufacturer: PowerKids Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Library Binding ASIN: 0823964329 |
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The Lanape of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, And Ontario (The Library of Native Americans)
Anne Dalton Manufacturer: PowerKids Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Library Binding ASIN: 1404228721 |
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Oneida Lives: Long-Lost Voices of the Wisconsin Oneidas (The Iroquoians and Their World)
Manufacturer: Bison Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0803280432 |
Book Description
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Indian Mounds of Wisconsin
Robert A. Birmingham , and Leslie E. Eisenberg Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0299168743 |
Book Description
More mounds were built by ancient Native American societies in Wisconsin than in any other region of North America--between 15,000 and 20,000 mounds, at least 4,000 of which remain today. Most impressive are the effigy mounds, huge earthworks sculpted into the shapes of birds, animals, and other forms, not found anywhere else in the world in such concentrations. This book, written for general readers but incorporating the most recent research, offers a comprehensive overview of these intriguing earthworks and answers the questions, Who built the mounds? When and why were they built? The archaeological record indicates that most ancient societies in the upper Midwest built mounds of various kinds sometime between about 800 B.C. and A.D. 1200; the effigy mounds were probably built between A.D. 800 and A.D. 1200. Using evidence drawn from archaeology, ethnography, ethnohistory, the traditions and beliefs of present-day Native Americans in the Midwest, and recent research and theories of other archaeologists, Birmingham and Eisenberg present an important new interpretation of the effigy mound groups as "cosmological maps" that model ancient belief systems and social relations. It is likely that the distant ancestors of several present-day Native American groups were among the mound-building societies, in part because these groups' current clan structures and beliefs are similar to the symbolism represented in the effigy mounds. Indian Mounds of Wisconsin includes a travel guide to sites that can be visited by the public, including many in state, county, and local parks. "No book with this broad coverage of Wisconsin's mounds-or even mounds of the Midwest-has been published for some 150 years. This up-to-date survey will be useful for general readers and students but also will benefit professional archaeologists and scholars in related fields."-Robert L. Hall, Field Museum and University of Illinois at ChicagoCustomer Reviews:
Forgotten Civilizations Brought Back To Life.......2005-11-05
Informative and interesting .......2005-03-22
Enhanced with a travel guide to mound sites.......2001-03-19
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Buried Indians: Digging Up the Past in a Midwestern Town (Wisconsin Land and Life)
Laurie Hovell McMillin Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items: ASIN: 0299216845 |
Book Description
In Buried Indians, Laurie Hovell McMillin presents the struggle of her hometown, Trempealeau, Wisconsin, to determine whether platform mounds atop Trempealeau Mountain constitute authentic Indian mounds. This dispute, as McMillin subtly demonstrates, reveals much about the attitude and interaction-past and present-between the white and Indian inhabitants of this Midwestern town.Customer Reviews:
A sensitive & balanced accounting that examines opposing views between Euro-American culture & Native American culture.......2006-04-08
A sensitive & balanced accounting that examines opposing views between Euro-American culture & Native American culture.......2006-04-08
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A Nation of Statesmen: The Political Culture of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans, 1815-1972
James Warren Oberly Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0806136758 |
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