Question

Looking at the Sources DIRECTIONS: Below, you are presented with five primary sources related to US History. Your task is to analyze each source by answering 3 questions: 1. Whose perspective is this source from? 2. What is the main idea of the source? 3. How does this source relate to the prompt? Then, you will use the sources to help you answer the prompt. Your response needs to have a solid thesis and argument, and you will use the sources to support your argument. Your final response should be at least two paragraphs. To complete the information, click in each field marked with [Type here], and type. The fields will expand and grow as you type. Source A: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl – Harriet Jacobs On one of these sale days, I saw a mother lead seven children to the auction-block. She knew that some of them would be taken from her; but they took all. The children were sold to a slave-trader, and their mother was bought by a man in her own town. Before night her children were all far away. She begged the trader to tell her where he intended to take them; this he refused to do. How could he, when he knew he would sell them, one by one, wherever he could command the highest price? I met that mother in the street, and her wild, haggard face lives to-day in my mind. She wrung her hands in anguish, and exclaimed, "Gone! All gone! Why don't God kill me?" I had no words wherewith to comfort her. Instances of this kind are of daily, yea, of hourly occurrence.

Answer 1

1. Whose perspective is this source from?

Harriet Jacobs, a witness to the traumatic separation of a mother and her children during a slave auction.

2. What is the main idea of the source?

Depicts the heart-wrenching experience of a mother losing her children to the slave trade, emphasizing the emotional pain and powerlessness felt in such circumstances.

3. How does this source relate to the prompt?

Highlights the emotional toll and cruelty of slavery, specifically the separation of families, aligning with discussions on the impact of slavery on familial bonds and individuals.

Source A:

Whose perspective is this source from?

Harriet Jacobs, a witness to the traumatic separation of a mother and her children during a slave auction.

What is the main idea of the source?

Depicts the heart-wrenching experience of a mother losing her children to the slave trade, emphasizing the emotional pain and powerlessness felt in such circumstances.

How does this source relate to the prompt?

Highlights the emotional toll and cruelty of slavery, specifically the separation of families, aligning with discussions on the impact of slavery on familial bonds and individuals.

Thesis: Harriet Jacobs' poignant account of the separation of a mother and her children in "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" underscores the emotional devastation inflicted by slavery.

This source illuminates the inhumane practice of forcibly tearing families apart, emphasizing the profound emotional anguish experienced by those affected. Such narratives reveal the overlooked human suffering caused by the institution of slavery, augmenting the understanding of its enduring impact on generations.

Argument: Jacobs' vivid depiction of the mother's anguish and despair serves as a poignant reminder of the brutal reality faced by enslaved individuals and their families. The systematic separation depicted in Source A typifies the emotional trauma endured, illustrating the cruelty inherent in the institution of slavery.

By highlighting this emotional aspect, the source contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the historical trauma inflicted upon enslaved communities, urging recognition of the profound, lasting impact on descendants today.