Freedom From Above or Below: Past and Present

This week in class we explored Abraham Lincoln and freedom from above and below. As "Freedom from above and below" is very broad, it is important to define this specific term. Freedom from below references the slaves, while freedom from above references the people of the upper class.  In order to gain an understanding and later answer the essential question of " Who gave freedom to enslaved Americans? Did freedom come from above or below? To what extent were Abraham Lincoln's actions influenced by the actions of enslaved Americans?" At the beginning of the first class of exploring these questions, we had a class discussion on the social pyramid of America prior to the civil war. The majority of the society was slaves, while the remaining were people of a higher class. Although small, the upper class was extremely powerful. Before answering these important questions, we analyzed a handful of Lincoln documents and these documents allowed for a deeper look into Lincoln's views, goals, and position on freeing slaves. Some of these documents included  the "Emancipation Proclamation",  and the "Gettysburg Address" and the " 2nd Inaugural Address". Documents known as X and Y were also used to answer our essential questions. Aside from these documents, we viewed and analyzed some photos as well. Lastly,  By drawing and circling different aspects of the photos, we were able to accurately distinguish if they were freedom from above or freedom from below.  

Slaves Gathering in Mississippi: Freedom from Below

Looking at the instances when freedom was from below, it is clear in the photo "Slaves from the plantation of Confederate president Jefferson Davis arrive at Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi" that freedom was coming from people that were not high of power. In this photo, the slaves are rebelling and almost having a sort of "slave meeting". The slaves in this photo have up and left their plantation and resorted to this location in Mississippi. These slaves are taking action because they want to make a change and a difference by overpowering by numbers. Ultimately, they are searching for freedom, which is why this photo is an example of freedom from below. Aside from this document, there were also many other instances when freedom was coming from below, the slaves. Shown in a letter from General Ambrose E. Burnside to the secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. This document solely discusses how much of a nuisance the slaves were in their search for freedom. The General says, " They seemed to be wild with excitement and delight— they are now a source of very great anxiety to us; the city is being overrun with fugitives from surrounding towns and plantations." The slaves realized that they greatly outnumbered the upper class, they decided to escape and fight for their freedom. These two documents are great representations of freedom from below. The slaves were persistent in their fight for freedom and Document X and Y accurately depict this.

Lincoln Granting Freedom to a Slave

With freedom from below there also came freedom from above, essentially the upper class of society. Specifically, Abraham Lincoln served a large part in the avocation of slavery and his ideas were greatly depicted in a handful of documents. “The Emancipation Proclamation”, written on January 1st, 1863 is a perfect example of freedom from above, as Abraham Lincoln was the leader behind this document and he was a powerful man, a man of the upper class. In this document, he says, "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” This quote shows Lincoln's views on slavery, and that he believes that slaves should have the right to freedom. Aside from the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg address of November 19th, 1963, also serves as an example of freedom from above. In the Gettysburg address, Lincoln says, "...that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." In Lincoln’s opinion, freeing slaves would allow for a new birth for the country, a birth that no one has experienced before. He also mentions the fact that slaves are not only just workers, but brave people. He says, “ The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. . One must never forget their struggle. In class we also studied a photo which included both Abraham Lincoln and a slave. Shown in the image to the left, Abraham Lincoln is shown giving freedom to a slave as well as maybe his family (situated behind the slave). Lincoln is helping the slave up and in the end granting the slave freedom. It seems in the photo that the slave is a kissing Lincoln’s hand, a simple gesture to say “thank you”.

Today, there have been many issues regarding people's freedom and rights as a human being. Last weekend, Bruce Jenner, appeared on 20/20. This is a popular segment on ABC news with Diane Sawyer. In this gripping interview, Bruce Jenner revealed that he is changing his gender from male to female. Of course, this brought a lot of controversy from many groups of people, as there are people that do not agree with his decision. Bruce Jenner's interview brought to light the transgender community and sex change. Personally, I believe that Bruce Jenner should be able to be who he is and be happy, which everyone should have to choice of. Everyone, including Bruce Jenner, should have the freedom to be who they are and be respected by everyone. In particular, Bruce Jenner's sex change is an example from Freedom from above because he is a wealthy individual who has been in the spotlight for many years. I had the chance to watch the interview and I thought that it was very inspiring and opened my eyes to gender change. It allowed me to better understand people who are transgender.  Below, I have provided the actual Interview that Bruce Jenner gave  a few nights ago.
 

Citations:
1. "Freedom to the Slaves": http://www.edline.net/files/_DMF3y_/abfc09536fdb31443745a49013852ec4/Freedom_to_the_Slaves.jpg
2. Engraving, “Slaves from the plantation of Confederate President Jefferson Davis arrive at Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi,” 1863
3. (Bruce Jenner Interview) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaqLG3myKUk
4. Reprinted in Berlin, Ira, Barbara Fields, Steven Miller, Joseph P. Reidy, and Leslie S. Rowland, eds. Free At Last: A Documentary History of Slavery, Freedom and the Civil War. New York: New Press, 1992, pp. 34–35.
5.  The Emancipation Proclamation: http://www.edline.net/pages/Reading_HS/Classes/1415_10212101/Unit_6_-_The_Civil_War/Activity_4_-_Freedom_From_Abov
(Lincoln Documents)
6. The Gettysburg Address: http://www.edline.net/pages/Reading_HS/Classes/1415_10212101/Unit_6_-_The_Civil_War/Activity_4_-_Freedom_From_Abov
(Lincoln Documents)