American History Stories: 200 Elementary Stories of American History

American History Stories: 200 Elementary Stories of American History ​by Mara L. Pratt

This stories from the history of America were written over a century ago. It is quickly obvious with sentiments that differ from modern views. It starts with Columbus shown as the one person who thought the world was round, while others thought it was flat.

The Civil War was discussed with a balanced, yet modern approach. While the Confederate officers were treated with respect, they were lamented for supporting the "evil" cause of slavery. The book also made clear there were many people at the time that would have preferred not to have a war, and just let the south separate. The southerners were seen as being loyal primarily to their state, while the northerners were loyal first to their country. Even with those loyalties it was only through some subterfuge that some states were able to overcome popular opinion and secede.

Even with the anti-slavery slant, the black slaves, were seen as somewhat inferior. Though those was in part due to the prohibitions on education. Slave holders were not uniform. Some were kind and treated slaves as part of the household. (The author compared these slaves to household servants of the day.) Others were absolutely cruel. The different military leaders were also different in their view. Some might free slaves, while others might flog them for attempting to escape. The book also tells the story of a leader who did not believe the cruelty in Uncle Tom's Cabin, until he saw how things were in New Orleans. 

It is interesting to read the history as seen by people who more closely lived it.

Frederick Douglass: The Story of an American Slave

Frederick Douglass: The Story of an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Slavery was bad. Frederick Douglass's narrative makes that clear. There are different degrees of the condition. Some masters were fairly benevolent, while others were downright evil. It seemed those that professed the most religion were also the harshest. (This seems to make sense. If racial slavery and religion were to go together, they would require some twists in logic that would make the slaves sub-human, thus appropriate to punish as animal property.)

Douglass also provides explanation for stories of "well-treated slaves". If they dared criticize the master, they would be subject to a beating or even death. There were cases of "undercover" people that would listen to the criticism. It was best to always say the best things possible. (For some reason, I don't ever remember reading this book in the south.)

The life in New Bedford, Massachusetts was an interesting contrast to the south. He found it to be much more civilized, egalitarian and industrious. (Alas, things have changed since then, with New Bedford being rundown and impoverished.) He also found many people that had his preferred last name, thus leading him to adopt the last name Douglass. 

His experiences appeared to be somewhat unique. He seems rather prone to fighting. He also claims to have helped "defeat" a cruel master (and live to tell about it.) He focussed on literacy after hearing a master criticize his wife for teaching a slave to read. This gave him insight and a focus. 

The stories of kind people turning to cruelty once becoming slave masters is a cautionary tale. An institution that treats others as worse can cause even the best to behave poorly. While slavery was one of the most extreme examples of this cruelty, there are plenty of other opportunities to let a position of power go to your head. We don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past.