us history reflection about my answer with my group

Topic: Life as a Slave According to Frederick Douglass

What was life like for slave children and women? What was Douglass's relationship with his mother?

Answer: 

Children born to a slave were taken from their mothers fairly quickly after birth and given to an older slave woman, one who couldn’t work the field, for her to raise them. Their mothers were either sold or sent to work in the fields again and could not see their children again. For Douglass, his early life was similar to this. Before he was a year old, he was taken from his mother and sent to a nearby plantation to live with an elderly woman, along with other children. He barely had a relationship with his mother, but she did come to see him 4 or 5 times during the night to meet with him. He talks of how she helped him get to sleep but then left him long before he woke up.

What was slave life like on the plantations?

Answer:  Life on a slave plantation consisted of having their monthly allowance of food, eight pounds of pork or its equivalent in fish, n one bushel of corn meal. They had been given yearly clothing and one pair of shoes. The children of slaves were given allowances from their mothers or old women that cared for them. Since kids are unable to work they didn’t have a lot of clothes or shoes. At times they even had to be naked until the next allowance day. They weren't given beds; a lot of them slept on the cold damp floor. They had little to no sleep since a lot of their free time was spent cooking, washing and or preparing the field for the next day's work. 

What is the significance of slave songs?

Answer: 

Slaves often coped with their vigorous lifestyles through songs. The hymns slaves sang were mostly about the type of life they had and the experiences they are thankful for regardless of the current situation they found themselves in. Their songs would be about the times they were grateful for and were even used as a way to boost their spirits. Some songs even became generational stories slaves would keep in their memory to never forget their own history and experiences. 

What role does literacy play for Douglass?

Answer: 

Although literacy was viewed negatively by other slaves and slave owners Douglas used literacy as a tool to feel empowered. He also made a livelihood out of writing from the knowledge he acquired over the years. acquired

What is the significance of Douglass interaction with Covey?

Answer: The significance of Douglass interaction w/ covey was the turning point of his career as a slave. It led him to wanting to be free and that interaction he had w covey gave him his sense of his own manhood.

(Optional): If time permits, share your final thoughts on the topic and/or any other topic from this week’s lesson.

Answer: 

Our final thoughts on this topic consisted of how brutal and unfair life was for those who were slaves. Douglass had stated in the beginning of his article of how he had seen his aunt be whipped till the cow skin (whip) was completely covered in blood. Imagine viewing that at a young age, that is something that would traumatize you.