View from the Bottom Rail

The View from the Bottom Rail The freeing of black slaves ranks as one of the major events in American history. It was a time of trials of triumphs for both the freed slaves and the white folks. In The View from the Bottom Rail, we are presented with accounts from both parties as freedom is granted across the southern states. As slavery was abolished, former slaves describe what it was like to be living a life of freedom. The focal point of this chapter is that freedom was coming to four million slaves. But how do we get an idea of how the slaves reacted to their newly granted freedom. Slaves were unable to keep written records of any kind, therefore we must rely on their oral accounts. The chapter opens with, “The pounding of guns came relatively quickly to Beaufort…it was only a matter of time before the thunder of freedom rolled across the rest of the South…(p. 171)” The idea of freedom for colored people took years to acquire. White folks were uncertain that people so different from themselves could be considered equals in any aspect of their lives. “The relationship between master and slave was inherently unequal. Slaves could be whipped for trifling offenses…they were bound to labor as ordered if they wanted their ration of food and clothing. (p.175)” After all the slaves depended on their masters for everything prior to gaining freedom. For some the thought of trying to survive in a world without their master was unbearable and for others it was easier. With their freedom they found it easy to speak of the injustice they experienced through years of hard labor. Some former slaves found it easy to take their accounts to the public to show how cruelly they were treated. “Abolitionists recognized the value of firsthand testimony against the slave system. They took down and published the stories of fugitive slaves who escaped to the North. (p. 178)” Some found it easier than others to speak out. After a while it became degrading to relive their past.