Bethany



Name: Hannah Goodrige Birthday: March 14, 1840 Hometown: The countryside of Kansas Gender: Female Political views: Thinks that Slavery should be abolished Hobbies: Taking walks in the country. Likes: 1. writing 2. dabating with Sarah 3. spending time alown Dislikes: 1. cooking 2. cleaning 3. sowing Favorite book: The Last of the Mohicans

Journal entries: Journal One: Today is May 24 1856. After the events that happened I do not know if it is worth going on. Sarah is acting like nothing ever happened and that the two of us always lived with our aunt and uncle in the countryside of the new state of Kansas instead of in the town we lived in sense mom died in 1844. She is b buried there, and is now joined by dad, John, and the twins. I had only been here in once before in my life and that was before the death of mom. I know neither my aunt nor uncles names and haven’t said anything to them, and they say nothing to me. Sarah, on the other hand, is always trying to talk to me, wanting me to “forgive and forget” and to get on with my life. But how can I forgive the people who destroyed my life? How can I forget what I have lost? And how can I live on, in this country? This country was built on “all men are created equal,” but holds votes to see whether certain people will be 3/5 of a person in the new state of Kansas. A new where a father and his three sons are murdered because they believe that “all men are created equal” and their murderers think otherwise so kill them so they can’t vote on what they believe is true. They now call us “bleeding Kansas” but I believe that the entire country is bleeding. It is bleeding the rights of people, all but themselves, onto the streets where they flow in to the river and are never seen again so all that is left is the rights of whites and sorrow for everyone else. Also a ray of hope that all who tries to get it for the sorrowful are killed in a place now called Kansas. Then left there to rot in there own blood, and the blood of their enemies that they brought down with them. All men might be created equal but as soon as some one sees their skin then they are raised or lowered and are never equal. There has been talk of civil war for many years, and I believe that it will happen.h I hope that when it does it will end with two Americas instead of one that is filled with two contradicting people. Why should we try to compromise? Kansas is what happens when we compromise. There is no use in compromising if all it leads to is death and sorrow to the people who are unlucky enough to stay alive. It was not always lead to Kansas you might think, but you would be wrong. All compromises lead up to Kansas. The Compromise of 1850 for example was made to help out in the west, to try to balance the control of slave and free states; but all it did was make each side give and take a little. In the end both sides wanted more then the other would give. Journal Two: It is May 26, 1856. Why do I have to live in this time? Times were the fate of this country would be questioned. Today I started to think about slavery. Why do we have slavery? We did not just find some people and make them work with no pay. The South makes a lot of money making and selling cotton and other products, would the South not make enough money to survive if southerners had to pay their workers? Would the North be affected if the South could not make enough money? Does America need slavery to survive? If so, is it right to put down people so the rest can survive? Before I saw nothing right with slavery, but could everything I know be able to survive without it. How would things change if every one’s skin color changed? Would people who d to be black try to get revenge, or will they show compassion? Or will the people who used to be white remain on top? I know that it is right to fight against slavery but is it logical? Should we always rely on logic? I shall have to answer these questions later, Sarah is calling.

It’s later and I have thought about some of the questions. No mater what it will do to this country slavery is wrong and should be abolished. America will have to live with paying its workers. If we can’t make the money we need then we will help each other out no mater the color of the persons skin. Everyone can learn how to read and write, everyone of any color or gender. This is the only way all men can be not only created equal but also be equal. Journal Three: It is the first of June. It terns out my Aunt and Uncle are not to bad. They know I like to read so they gave me some old newspaper clippings. Some of them are really old, some are from 1800! I am going to read them then write about what they are about. Later… Wow they are pretty interesting. Their all about slaves who tried to lead rebellions. The one from 1800 talk about Gabriel Prosser. He tried to free himself and 1,000 others by killing almost all the whites in Richmond. He did not go far because of a thunderstorm and because three others found out his plot. Because of this him and 36 others were executed. Another person was Denmark Vesey who after purchasing his freedom tried to get an army of slaves to kill the white owners. Then there was a forced confession and he got arrested. In 1822 he was hanged with others. After that South Carolina would not let free blacks enter the state. The last one is about Nat Turner. He was a slave that thought he was the one to free himself and other slaves. Out of the three I read about he was the only one that had a chance to do something. His supporters and him killed 60 slave owners including Nat’s. In the end most of the people in the rebellion were killed and 100 others for no reason. Nat himself hid for three mouths until he was executed. Why are slaves or former slaves the only ones rebelling slavery? Where are the people of the North who are against slavery? Also why is everyone who is standing for what is right killed? Why did they killed another 100 slaves? Where they trying to send a warning or are they so blood thirsty that they will give any reason to kill a slave?

Status Updates:

September 1850: North and South compromised again. I would be surprised if it will help at all.

December 1852: Finished reading Uncle Toms Cabin today.

July 1854: Because of the Kansas-Nebraska Act people are swarming in, trying to lean the fate of this area to their views.

May 1856: Butler's nephew attacks Sumner. He is still recovering, might be for some time.

May 23 1956: Living with y aunt and uncle. Bleeding Kansas means that the compromising is over.

March 1857: Scott v. Sanford went to the Supreme Court. In the end they decided that slaves could be brought to a free state. I still this that Dred Scott did the right thing.

1858: Minnesota is now a new free state.

1859: Another state for the North, Oregon is free.

October 1859: Harpers Ferry is attacked by John Brown.

November 1860: Abraham Lincoln is now the president. How he did it I don't no, there is even rumors that he was not even on the ballot some places down South.

February 18 1961: Sara got married today to Steven Wealer. I have known him for two years and I know he will be a good husband for Sarah but there is more then rumors of civil war braking out and I know that if it does Steven will go to war.

March 2 1861: Sarah wants me to move in with her and Steven. When I ask why she says something about “helping around the house” even though I am terrible at both housework and cooking. I am going though, she will need emotional support when war brakes out, I also could help on the small farm they have and even run it during the war so she will have money for food. Oh I almost forgot, Sarah is pregnant.

April 1861: War has begun.

May 14 1861: I glad that I came to live with Sarah, she is sad all the time and is thankful to me for helping her out.

Christmas 1861: This morning Sarah had her baby. She name her Clara. We both made a silent agreement not to celebrate Christmas this year.

February 18 1962: It is Sarah and Steven’s anniversary today. Sarah never left her room.

April 1862: War has been going for a year, will it ever end?

July 4 1862: Today is the day we celebrate the birth of this country, but are we close to its death?

September 8 1862: Sarah spends days just sitting in her room looking at pictures Steven has sent us. Clara is fine.

Christmas 1862: Clara is one today. We had a nice dinner to celebrate her birthday. Still can't celebrate Christmas it self.

January 24 1863: I don't know how much longer I can live in this house. Sarah thinks I should go. "You are almost 23, you need to live your own life. You need to find a husband." She told me the other day. The only thing that keeps me in this house is that I know nether Sarah of Clara will last long if I leave. I will stay until Steven is back, but will he ever be back?

February 18 1863: Sarah is trying to look strong, as though I will leave if she looks fine. She did not cry but you can see the sadness in her eyes.

April 1863: Will war ever end.

July 1863: We just found out about the Battle of Gettysburg.

July 1863: Sarah is dead.

August 3 1863: I could not explain how Sarah died at the time so I will do so now. I found her in the river. Under a small rock I found a letter. She talked about how she know that Steven died in the Battle of Gettysburg and that she could not live without him. Then she thanked me for being there for her. "I would not have lived to see the day that my only child came into this world." Was one quote that I remember. In her will she left everything to me, all but one thing. There was another letter there on a box. The letter and the box were for Clara to be given to her on her 16th birthday. "The age that you were when you lost everything." She put in the letter. The last thing she put was "Do not spend your life crying because I am dead, for the end of my life is the start of yours, don't spend years wishing things are different. Sell the house, and anything you don't need. Then You and Clara can move to Philadelphia, I know that is where you want to live."

August 25 1863: I did not do anything until I knew where Steven was if he was alive. I learned that he was shot in the leg and it got infected and that was how he died, on the same day Sarah killed herself. Then I did as Sarah instructed me and went to Philadelphia.

Photo Album:











Bibliography:

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Sylvester, Melvin. "The African American: A Journey from Slavery to Freedom." C. W. Post Campus. N.p., n.d. Web. Mar 2010. .

Worksheet, Westward Expansion Primary Sources, March 2010.