Yesterday, we took notes on a PowerPoint about slavery in the early United States. We learned how the invention of the cotton gin increased slavery by making production faster and worsening the need for slaves. I did not know that the Industrial Revolution also influence slavery. The clothing factories in the US and England needed cotton to manufacture their products. Slaves in the South either did "gang labor," doing the same job in groups, or "task labor," with single slaves assigned to each job. After this, we each answered questions written on a document by an opponent or defendent of slavery.
Today, we added to our notes with information about the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a series of abolitionists who helped slaves to the North and Canada so they could become free. I thought it was interesting that some slaves used this system to pass through towns in our area. To expand our knowledge on the Underground Railroad, we then read excerpts about the topic from textbooks. It was surprising how some textbooks tried to describe the system as unorganized or as meaningless, considering the number of slaves still in the South. I think the Underground Railroad was actually a brilliant way to help people to safety in secrecy.
As far as the goal I set for the next 30 days, it has been going well. I am enjoying writing in a journal every day because it helps me think about everything that has happened, even if I don't write very much.
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