Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively

1. "It is usually easier to write a paper that uses all of only one short source on a familiar topic than to write a paper that selects material from many long sources on a topic that one must learn as one reads and writes" (38) This is very true. Most students are just looking to get the work done usually, not to learn something new. I think many college students have this attitude.
   
2. "It is easier to use whatever one likes, or everything one finds, than to formally select, evaluate, and interpret material" (38) This is also true. We tend to pick topics we are familiar with because we will not have to spend time looking up new research information. We can simply use our prior knowledge about things we already know and just build off of that instead of taking the time to learning something new. This is also an attitude I think most college students have.
   
3. "If we want students to learn to build original arguments from texts, we must teach them the skills needed to create divergent interpretations." (43) Some students probably often experience this because teachers are stressing to build arguments from sources, yet some are never taught thoroughly how to interpret text and use sources successfully.
   

5 User Friendly Points from CR

1. "I know that starting early will help ensure writing a better paper" (165)
2. "Have a real conversation with an imagined reader" (180)
3. "Push yourself with questions that really get you thinking about your topic and that might help you see it in a fresh way." (180)
4. "That is, you can write a research essay this week that doesn't use the f irst person or isn't autobiographical and still provides your readers with a strong sense of your presence as an individual writer and thinker" (183)
5. "One thing that will make it easier to get started is to write three leads to your paper, instead of agonizing over one that must be perfect." (186)

In class assignment

A question that was checked off on my comment sheet was “Are we doing this for economic gain?” This question could be addressed throughout my essay. Since we have a reliance on goods being produced in factories, we might look past the conditions within factories. For example, we know that Nike sneakers are made in sweatshops, yet since there is such a high demand to buy them, we don’t even consider where they are coming from. Maybe no one is taking a stance against this because of our reliance on the economic benefits of selling these sneakers.
Another question that could be addressed in my essay is “what about factories today was seen in slavery mills?” I think it would be interesting to see what conditions are being seen today that have been seen during slavery. For example, the verbal, sexual, and physical abuse that occurred in slave mills and on slave ships also occurs in present day sweatshops. It is interesting to see this parallel.


What are the similarities between the conditions during slavery compared to those in present day factories? In addition, is the reason we aren’t taking action against these conditions is because of our economic reliance on the goods produced?

The Research Log: A Jay Leno Approach

Project: Essay on Bury the Chains-Working conditions during slavery vs. Working conditions in present day

Citation: Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. “Indonesian Workers in Nike Plants List Abuses.” The Washington Post. 13 Feb. 2001: E1.

Date: 2/20/08

What Strikes Me Most:

This article was very interesting to me as I read it. I had heard about the different claims being made against Nike because of working conditions, but I was unaware of the specific actions that have been taking place in the factories. In present day, it is hard to believe that verbal, physical, and sexual assault is still occurring within the work place. What is harder to believe is that the treatment of the workers is extremely similar to that of the slaves who were working on plantations and mills. Just like the Nike workers, slaves were being verbally and physically abused daily and many women encountered sexual assaults as well. It’s shocking to see the same awful behaviors continuing over such a widespread time frame. One would think that we could learn from history, but apparently we haven’t. I wonder if we are choosing not to learn because of our reliance on the products being produced in these industries as opposed to simply not recognizing inappropriate behaviors within different workforces. I’d be curious to see how many Nike factories are still engaging in these behaviors. In addition, I’d be curious to see if people recognize these problems within the workforce, but still don’t do anything because of economical reliance and benefits.

Source Notes:

3 types of abuse in the workforce

-physical

-verbal

-sexual

30% subjected to verbal abuse

8% received unwelcome sexual comments

3.3% physically abused

Summary Pages 324-354

On pages 324-354 of Bury the Chains, Hochschild starts off by talking about how the West India Committee was trying to offer self-regulation instead of abiding by some laws that Parliament was trying to pass. The public was waiting for “immediate abolition” (324) and felt that that was what needed to be done. Elizabeth Heyrick was apart of this public who wanted immediate abolition and published a pamphlet and setting out to organize another sugar boycott. Hochschild also talks about other women activists including Sophia Sturge and Lucy Townsend who were involved in the quest to abolish slavery. John Smith was a Protestant missionary to the slaves and helped organize a rebellion on the nearby plantations. Unfortunately, John Smith was later put on trial and killed. His death caused quite a stir among the public and once again, the empathy of Briton’s grew.

Material from Text connected to my essay

On page 365, Hochschild makes a comparison between ending slavery and ending present day issues like war, the gap between the rich and the poor, and the assaults on earth, air, and water. Once again Hochschild is making a comparison between slavery and a present day issue and it's working. He says "None of these problems will be solved overnight, or perhaps even in the fifty years it took to end British slavery. They will not be solved at all unless people see them as both outrageous and solvable" (365). He makes an excellent point about people not taking a stance to solve a problem unless they see a reasonable way to find a solution. For my topic drawing on the comparisons between slavery and present day sweatshops, I find it being a similar situation. If people thought of a feasible way to go about eliminating sweatshops and the goods produced in them without economically suffering, it could happen. But since there is such a reliance on the goods produced and people may not see this as such a burning issue in society, not as many people are going to stand up against it. I agree with Hochschild's point that unless people see issues as very important and likely to be solved, they aren't going to be as likely to stand up against it.

Chapter 21 Summary-BTC

In Chapter 21 of Bury the Chains, Hochschild opens the chapter with the duel that is occurring with William Witt and George Tierney in Putney Heath. James Stephen re-enters the chapter and is described as “one of the empire’s leading maritime lawyers” (301). Because of Stephen’s knowledge of the world of international commerce, he became and influential member in the abolition movement. Due to his maritime knowledge, Stephen played a role in organizing the Foreign Slave Trade Act which would cut off two-thirds of the British slave trade. Luckily, the low turnout rate at the debate at the House of Commons helped pass the act without any problems. The next stop for the act was the House of Lords and luckily, the support of the public was still against the slave trade and after gathering a petition with an adequate number of names, the bill passed. As growing support for the antislavery movement continued and flourished, a bill abolishing the slave trade passed in both houses of Parliament in 1807. Unfortunately, despite the abolition of the slave trade, the slaves in the Caribbean islands were still slaves.

Chapter 18 Summary

In Chapter 18 of Bury the Chains, Hochschild opens the chapter by bringing us to St. Domingue, the island that was a French colony that brought about some of the most notable slave rebellions. After Vesuvius erupted, the slaves started to rebel by running through the plantations and towns and lighting everything they could on fire, especially any sugar crops. All of a sudden, the number of white people being killed increased drastically and the world was in shock. Since St. Domingue was such a profitable colony because of its rich soil, abundant sugar crops, and coffee crops, the destruction of everything was a harsh reality for people to face. Despite the destruction in these colonies, France and Britain decided to go to war over them. Unfortunately, Britain lost more than they would gain from that war because of Toussaint L'Ouverture’s ability to raise a strong force of the slaves to fight against them. Many British men became ill while fighting and suffered from malaria and yellow fever. Unfortunately, the British were not succeeding in their efforts to win against France and decided to withdraw from the war.

Reviews of BTC

In The Boston Globe review from "Up From Slavery," Brookhiser did an excellent job of providing a summary as to what the book is about. Brookhiser was able to capture the main story lines within the book while offering his own critique. Brookhiser was able to mention the sequence of events on a more brief level, while incorporating the main figures that were influential to this movement. I liked that I could find out exactly what was going to happen in the book through his summary, but nothing extreme was given away.

It was interesting to find Brookhiser pointing out Hochschild’s obvious dislike of Christianity. This was something I noticed as well as I have been reading. Not only did Brookhiser point this out, but our classroom discussion in previous weeks pointed out the same flaw. Hochschild has made mention of Christianity in almost any place applicable thus far in the book. Whether Hochschild was intentionally trying to bash Christianity or trying to hide it behind his story line, his dislike of Christianity is apparent. In Hochchild’s book, he pays much more attention to details when describing certain main figures that were apart of the abolition movement. In these instances, he has been focusing on the Christianity of either Newton or Wilberforce. As I read, I am able to pick up on where Hochschild is incorporating the Christianity aspect. Going beyond offensive, it just seems so excessive when it comes to the descriptions of certain characters.

In The Nation, the review by Daniel Lazare included a well written summary of the events that occur in Bury the Chains. Lazare was able to give a summary while provoking questions at the same time in response to the summary. I do agree with the idea that this movement sparked a new type of politics. Lazare points out how Hochschild successfully makes a comparison between present day solidarity and the different movements going on during the time of slavery. I found this to be interesting because Hochschild is constantly comparing present day movements and/or issues to events occurring in the time period he focuses on in his book.

Lazare’s response to the modern changes in politics really made me reconsider my thoughts about the book thus far. He writes, “Yes, fliers, posters and such are now ubiquitous. But are individuals, or broad social forces, responsible for historical change? Are people like the twelve London activists whom Hochschild spotlights "causative," as the sociologists say, or are they bit actors who strut briefly upon the historical stage?"

After reading this, I realize that Hochschild does point out the twelve main men who started this movement. At the same time, these men would not have been successful had it not been for the support from others and society. So I am really now left wondering: did these individuals, or did society’s need for change in general provoke the start of the abolitionist movement? Were these twelve men as influential as Hochschild makes them out to be?

Chapter 15 Summary- BTC

In Chapter 15, the antislavery movement took flight all across Great Britain. This was a result of the efforts put forth by several key figures including Thomas Clarkson, Wilberforce, and the Quaker community. When the Industrial Revolution passed through Britain, post offices, newspapers, and new roads helped provide ways to spread information across the country. Granville Sharp started to help slaves take their m,asters to court to be prosecuted. The white lower class started to stand up for slaves, emphasizing their freedom. Naval impressment started to become an issue as well. Press gangs began seizing both sailors and innocent people in order to have them join their ships. As this naval impressment continued, Clarkson and Sharp were able to connect the press gang seizures to slavery. Both were equally unjust because of their foundation in capturing people and putting them to work.

Possible Essay Question

A question that I am interested in is how the conditions of the slave ships and plantations are similar to the conditions of present day sweatshops. The sugar plantations and sweatshop factories are both extremely unsafe places. A major danger includes working with heavy machinery or operating machinery without appropriate protection. Both the slaves and sweatshop workers include children and other workers who are either getting paid little to no money at all. Also surrounding this idea I find it interesting how people are aware of how horrible slavery is and how horrible sweatshops are, but since there is such a reliance on the goods they produced, no one person can make a difference alone. People seem to be recognizing that these problems exist, but nothing else is occurring beyond this point. Only a select few people are taking action against sweatshops and slavery, but unfortunately, the majority of people aren't doing anything.

Chapter 12&13 Summarys-BTC

On pages 167-174, Equiano starts to publish an anti-slavery book which helped the campaign across the world even more. After getting married, Equiano was so caught up in selling his books that his wife became second on his list of priorities. His book focused mainly on his own experiences with slavery which captivated his argument perfectly. Equiano’s book became a bestseller and really helps readers become familiar with the life of a slave and the impact of slavery on all aspects of society.

On pages 192-198, the sugar boycott began and was gaining popularity all over. The boycott was so influential that if people did use sugar, it was not slave-grown sugar. Sugar was the right product to boycott because of its widespread use in England. Clarkson also published the Abstract which just contained hundreds of descriptions of the conditions of slavery and what many slaves endured on their journeys within the Slave Trade that was read by many.

Chapter 11 Summary-BTC

In Chapter 11, King George III had finally become sane again and the plans to push anti-slavery bills were able to continue. When proslavery traders mentioned taking their business overseas, the need for this movement to become international grew even more. Clarkson was an influential member at the hearings as he showed his sample case of all of the African trading goods he collected. Clarkson gained help form James Phillips after creating a diagram to show how tightly packed the slave ships were and how unsafe the conditions were. After having this diagram published in newspapers and magazines, more people from around the world turned their attention to the issue of slavery. The picture spoke louder than words in some instances and really exposed people to the unfair life of the slaves. James Stephen also reappears as he takes a stance against slavery after trying to prosecute a white man who beat two slave children. James Arnold was also able to contribute to these meetings before the Council by giving a testimony grounded in all of the experiences he had had with slavery. In 1789, Wilberforce finally made his speech against slavery, but unfortunately once again, the bill was sent to the Commons and then was postponed. Clarkson set out to find more and new witnesses that could help him prepare for the next hearing.

Comments: Using pictures of what the slave ships looked like and how cramped they were was a really good strategy to use to persuade others to join their cause. Images can speak louder than words sometimes and in a picture as detailed and horrifying as the one presented, no words are necessary to get a message across to others. This definitely proved to be an effective strategy and like the book mentioned, it was not like others could show pictures of slaves being happy on slave ships.This technique really helped their cause gain more support and raise awareness around the world about the conditions of the slave vessels.

Chapter 9 Summary- BTC

In Chapter 9, William Wilberforce became an influential speaker at the House of Commons speaking on behalf of the anti-slavery movement. As more support was needed, pamphlets and books were translated into many different languages and sent all across the world. Hand-delivered letters were also given out in London in order to serve as a “fundraiser” to gain support. A significant supporter of this movement was John Newton. Newton had sent out an apology letter confessing all of his experiences and knowledge with the cruelties of slavery which was quite useful for evidence to support this cause. Testimonies given by Falconbridge were extremely detailed and helped those unaware of the cruelties of slavery to get a grasp of what the conditions were really like. Another significant moment occurred when Sir William Dolben helped pass a bill limiting the number of slaves that could be placed on a ship and required a death list of both slaves and crew members. Just as the movement was becoming overwhelming, all bills sent to Parliament were put on hold because of King George’s illness.

Comment: While reading this chapter, I was shocked for two reasons. The first reason was because Newton re-entered the story in general. The second reason was because of Newton’s change of heart and his apology letter. I could not believe he finally came to terms with the horrors he witnessed and that he was willing to give accounts of his experiences for evidence. It was interesting to see Newton in such a new and positive light after having such negative feelings towards him from the previous chapters.

Chapter 8 Summary-BTC

In Chapter 8, Clarkson was able to gain the support from the Quakers in order to go about his plans to abolish slavery. While writing letters to gain support from others in England, the Quakers followed strict rules for writing letters which was not an issue once Granville Sharp took it upon himself to personally sign all of them. As more support came from the Quakers, a serious question needed to be addressed, “Were they going to agitate only for abolition of the slave trade, or for the emancipation of all slaves?” (110) The decision was to abolish the slave trade which would eventually cause owners to treat slaves better or provide them with a better chance of gaining freedom. Clarkson decided to gain firsthand experience of what occurred on slave ship by going onboard. Before going onboard, Clarkson was able to find out the ways captains of slave ships would persuade men to become sailors on board and how they would be treated once on the ship. He was also able to meet two doctors, Falconbridge and Arnold, who were both willing to give firsthand accounts of their experiences on board by keeping journals. Clarkson becoming a well known figure all throughout London, many of the slave traders and seamen did not like him and even tried to kill him. Luckily, he was able to escape and continue to gain support all throughout England.

Comment: I found it really interesting to see the tactics that slave ship captains and owners would use to persuade sailors to come onboard. Alcohol and innocent men who were unfamiliar with the trade seemed to be the most effective methods mentioned. I liked how Clarkson inquired as to how more sailors become recruited even after so many horror stories have been told by other sailors. It was logical to realize that if sailors were being tortured and others were hearing about it, that no one would want to go onboard. Through false "advertising" and the effects of alcohol, it was easy to see how so many men had a warped perception of what they were getting into.