What follows is the assignment that was mailed out to students when they were notified of their selection to Honors US History 9. It is expected that this be completed by September 7th, 2010.
Click here to download this assignment in .pdf form
Welcome to Honors US History 9! I look forward to getting to know you all next school year. In the meantime, before we meet . . .
In order to help prepare for the class, and as your first assignment, please read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs (pseudonym Linda Brent) and/or the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass. Jacobs and Douglass wrote their stories with the hope that others would come to better understand the specific and grim realities of slavery. While you read, pay special attention to what the writer(s) had to say about family, power, education, religion, and rebellion. Also, please think about the way in which the writer coped with slavery, reacted to places, historical events, and who they feel slavery hurt. None of these are simple issues. Jacobs and Douglass each have distinct backgrounds, experiences and opinions and sometimes different thoughts. What I would like you to do is to summarize the ideas you feel that Jacobs and/or Douglass most want people to take with them from their writing. Please type your summary (12 point font, 1.5 spacing) or write it out in ink by September 7 th, 2010. Be as precise in your writing as possible and use specific examples and ideas to support your views.
Both of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass are available in several editions and forms and can be easily located in libraries and bookstores. The Classic Slave Narratives edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a nice edition and includes both the story of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass. However, both slave narratives are also available in full text online at the following addresses.
“Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” by Harriet Jacobs
“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” by Frederick Douglass
This page last updated August 31, 2010