Focus: In the last year of the Civil War, Lincoln publicly reflected in his second inaugural address that both sides “read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other.” Similarly, the case has been argued that the War Between the States did not start in 1861 at Fort Sumter but rather was a natural consequence of the compromises made in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Both slaveholders and abolitionists premised their arguments on competing constitutional rights. For slaveholders, the rights at stake were their alleged property rights in the slaves. For abolitionists, democratic rights related to representation were preeminent. Both North and South could cite the Constitution section by section. The so-called “fugitive slave” clause could be argued to be a pro-slavery clause of the Constitution, or the fact that it did not use the word slave could lead to an argument that it was an anti-slavery clause. Such examples abound. (adapted from Tindell, Florida Bar Journal)
Tonight we discuss that century of events during which a Constitution is written, the nation expands, and decisions are made that lead up to the Civil War
Gathering Prayer: Holy One who is known to us by many names and in many ways, wegive thanks for the blessings that we have in our lives. You know the thoughts of our hearts; hear our prayers. Be present now as we enter a time of thought and discussion.
Sentences on the Subject: It was in some ways harder to be a free man. Now—no mistake—the ideals of the American Revolution, the words of the Declaration, had triggered the fall of slavery in the northern states. Although unable to endure the hypocrisy of slavery, most northern white citizens could not bring themselves to be social equals. Accordingly, they did all they could to squelch opportunity for free American Africans. I felt for those newly freed. Few whites would make loans to buy homes. Those who did, mostly abolitionist Quakers, were tight in reviewing and granting them. It was hard to get jobs. It was hard just to live. We even found it hard to be dead—we were not allowed to own cemeteries in which to bury our deceased. This conflict, dealing with the hypocrisy of slavery while building a foundation of “All men are created equal,” was an ongoing contest throughout the country. It became the primary discord at the Constitutional Convention. Four Hundred Souls (p. 154).
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The 1793 Fugitive Slave Act was one of the first federal laws to provide universal protection for slave owners against loss of property in enslaved people. It codified anti-Blackness and white supremacy because it signaled that a white person’s claim to stolen property was inherently more important than a Black person’s right to freedom and liberty.
Four Hundred Souls (p. 165).
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In Wallace, Louisiana, at the far edge of the Whitney Plantation, between the wooden white fence demarcating ownership of the land and the red brick path leading you through it, is a plot of earth where the dark heads of fifty-five Black men sit on metal stakes, robust silver beams that push their necks toward the sky. Four Hundred Souls (p. 173).
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The desire for freedom spread across slave states, as some former slaves successfully reached the temporary promised land: free states. During this time the population of free Black Americans, particularly in the northern and western United States, was growing. However, most Black Americans remained enslaved, leading those who were experiencing freedom—and the white people who supported them—to increase their attention to arriving to the place where all were free. Freedom from slavery was certainly the initial goal for Black people. But as the movement to eradicate slavery grew, a new question arose: what would it mean to be Black in a post slavery America? Four Hundred Souls (p. 199).
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……the Supreme Court did none of these things. Instead, it held that no person of African descent, whether born free or slave, whether manumitted or held in chains, or whether a citizen of a state or not, was a federal citizen nor could they ever become one. In so doing, Taney not only inverted the states’ rights paradigm and nationalized the denial of citizenship to African descendants, stripping northern Black citizens of their federal citizenship rights, but he also denied states the ability to do anything about it……..The Dred Scott decision not only extended the protections of slavery nationally, but it stripped free Black citizens of free states of their federal citizenship status and rights. And it made whiteness, and white identity, the sine qua non of American national citizenship. Four Hundred Souls (p. 216).
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Black soldiers fought and died under the Union flag. In doing so, they didn’t just help win the war and abolish slavery, they also set the terms for the aftermath. Frederick Douglass recognized this: “Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters, U.S.; let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket,” declared Douglass in 1863, “and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship.” Service to the nation gave Black Americans a claim on freedom and citizenship. Four Hundred Souls (p. 231).
Below is some “food for thought”, a few probes that might kick start a conversation. Read over them and pick one (or more, or none) to discuss. Remember to hold space for others to share and share only what you feel comfortable sharing.
Probe 1. The 13th Amendment of the Constitution states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” What are some ways that the “EXCEPT” provision have been used to continue the subjugation of POC, particularly Black men?
Probe 2.. The author claims “(Dred Scott) made whiteness, and white identity, the sine qua non of American national citizenship.” The decision was set aside by the 14th amendment**, yet many of the benefits citizenship have been denied to POC through state laws and policies . What are some of the ways that the rights of citizenship are being denied?
Probe 3. Let’s consider the question “… as the movement to eradicate slavery grew, a new question arose: what would it mean to be Black in a post slavery America?” as ….”What does it mean to be Black in America today”. Try on different hats as you answer (How might the answer of a BLM differ from an ALM? Or how might a Republican differ from a Democrat? How might an Evangelical’s answer differ from a Progressive Christian? )
Probe 4. Like the1619 ProjectandCritical Race Theory,400 Soulsseeks to reframe ourcountry’s history by shifting a focus onto the role of slavery and Black Americans. Have these stories shifted your thinking on the time of being a New Nation and Its Expansion in US History ? How? What stories or examples can you share?
Commission: Hold on to what is good. Love deeply. Honor others. Stay excited aboutlife and your faith. Be joyful. Be patient. If you pray, have faith. Share with people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes. Be loving to those who hurt you. Bepresent; be in the moment. Be gentle, even with those with whom you disagree. Be humble. Be a friend of people who aren’t considered important. Do the right thing. If possible, live in peace with everyone. And remember, no matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey- you are welcome here.
** All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
My Thoughts and the Thoughts of Others 