Considering the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade and continued struggles over racial equality, could ‘the pen’ be mightier than ‘the sword’ (in positive and/or negative ways)?
Considering the research and arguments made by Rebecca Scott and Jean Hébrard in their book, Freedom Papers, and two primary sources from this unit on the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade in the nineteenth century and struggles against oppression into the twentieth century, what were the impacts of words (primarily written words, but perhaps also spoken words) compared to the effectiveness of physical violence to either enslave/oppress individuals or to free individuals or grant them rights?
Was violence always effective and for which purposes was it effective? Discuss one or two examples.
Were (written or spoken) words always effective and for which purposes were they effective? Discuss one or two examples. These examples may overlap with the examples of violence. Use quotations.
Be sure to mention the years, places, and (types of) persons involved in your examples.
Discuss at least one individual described in Freedom Papers.
Required sources:
• Scott, Rebecca and Jean Hébrard. Freedom Papers: An Atlantic Odyssey in the Age of Emancipation. Harvard University Press, 2014.
• Two primary sources: • “Women in Rebellion” (descriptions of Haitian women’s actions during the slave revolt of 1791)
• Toussaint L’Ouverture, “Letter to the Directory” (1797)