Roots: Movie

From what we have seen in the last two classes of the movie, the slaves were in the farm and they were working on their daily jobs. The slaves were taught by other slaves to leave their culture from Africa and adopt the culture from the farm or the American one. In that farm the slaves were aloud to get married and have a relationship amongst each other. Also the slaves that ran away were called "runaway" slaves and there were special hunters that would rack them and find them. These hunters would absolutely anything to get the slave back to the farm, even cut a part of his/her body to threaten their life. If the slaves had children, the owner would wait until it grew enough and then sold it. The slave couldn't have an education while they were in the farm because if they knew how to read or write, they would sell them for a higher prize.

Slavery: Roots Reflection

The movie Roots is very harsh and presents real facts about slavery during the 1700's. From the parts that we watched, I learned many things about how the white people treated the slaves from when they were capturing them in their own villages to when they were in their owner's house working. I learned that when the white men transported the slaves, there were about 100 slaves or more in the ships. They were chained to wooden beds for months and they only went up to exercise. They were barely fed and the white men on board could rape the women and it was okay. In the slave auctions, the white people treated them like animals. They first saw the condition of the slaves and then offered money for them. They would force them to go with their owners and they were whipped and tortured to go. When the slaves went to their owners' houses, they were forced to work on whatever they needed them for and they had to learn to obey their masters. This movie, even though it is very cruel, it is very informative and lets people know how the slaves were treated during the 1700's in the United States.

Questions about Colonization

1. Did the Pilgrims uphold the values of Thanksgiving in their treatment toward the Indians? Why?

The Pilgrims actually wanted their land and for the Indians to adapt to their culture. The Pilgrims were Thankful for the land they receive, but mistreated the Indians very badly; they didn't show any respect for them or their values.They were very happy for themselves and not for the Indians.

2. What was new to you in the authors' descriptions of the first Thanksgiving? Why do you think these details are sometimes omitted from popular culture's take on Thanksgiving?

What I thought Thanksgiving was about, was that the Pilgrims came to the Indians' land and they got together in a dinner in which the Indians gave in their land and signed the treaty. The Indians didn't know that the Pilgrims were going to mistreat them. I didn't know that there was a lot of violence and that the Pilgrims showed no respect for the Indians. I thought the dinner was to make peace between both cultures. Also the treaty was signed before the dinner, which the Indians cooked, and it was a celebration for the Pilgrims because they earned new land.

3. Why does Keeler refer to Native Americans as a "very select group of survivors"? Is her characterization consistent with James's perception? Why?

Keeler refers to the Native Americans as a "very select group of survivors" because the Native Americans suffered from a lot violence and she says that they are one of the only ones that are still around.Her perception is not consistent with James's perception because James thinks that the Indians are now a part of the white man's world so he thinks that their culture is almost extinct.

4. Wamsutta James' speech inspired some Native Americans to boycott Thanksgiving and instead observe a National Day of Mourning. Keeler takes a slightly different approach. Which approach makes the most sense to you?

I think that Keeler's perspective is better because I think it is good to give thanks for everything you have. James' perspective is just to not celebrate it because it is bad, but Keeler's is to celebrate it in their own way.

5. Why does Keeler see present-day Thanksgiving celebrations as a tool for healing? What are ways this can happen? Does the Day of Mourning advance or hinder healing? Why?

I think that Keeler sees present-day Thanksgiving celebrations as a tool for healing because she doesn't want to remember the bad things that happened that day and just forget it was bad and make it as good thing. Some ways that this can happen is by families coming together, having dinner, being thankful for everything you have, and sharing with the people around you. I think that the Day of Mourning hinders the healing because it just says not to celebrate it and just be resentful about it.

6. In what ways are James's and Keeler's perspectives gifts to the nations in North and South America?

I think that their perspectives are gifts to the nations in North and South America because they have given the world different perspectives about a holiday in which people thought it was a time

to share and be thankful, but these two articles demonstrate that Thanksgiving was not a happy day for the Indian people.

7. Why is it important to look at events in History from more than one perspective?

It is important to look at events in History from more than one perspective because you might agree with one, but not the other and you have to know what other people think about the same topic. Also if someone thinks that the Pilgrims were bad people and an other person thinks they were good it means that they think differently and have different opinions.

8. What are the social and environmental costs of one group dominating another?

When one group dominates another, they fight since one group is trying to keep their way of life and the other is trying to take them away and create new ones. Also they fight for their land. If both groups want the land, they fight for it and the group that wins stays with it. These fights sometimes destroy