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Analysis

Compare & Contrast Activity – The Politics of Race in the Early Republic

  1. Thomas Jefferson’s Racism, 1788

Racism has been existed worldwide, since the very old time until now. Nobody can declare that racism completely disappears. Thomas Jefferson was just a person among racists. However, because he was then Secretary of State and then the U.S. President, his racism must be worldwide concerned in this innovative era. People have tried to fight for freedom and eliminate racism. Whether it works or not, a big question of this issue remains unchanged. So, the excerpt from Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia must be significantly figured out how extreme Thomas Jefferson’s racism was.   

In his “Notes on the State of Virginia”, Thomas Jefferson showed his racism very clearly. He said, “Whether the black of the negro in the reticular membrane between the skin and scarf-skin, or scarf-skin itself …” (Thomas Jefferson’s Racism, 1778), he meant the differences was naturally clear. He described the differences that was not only because of color, figure, and hair but also because of secrete kidneys that made the black strong and disagreeable smell. One of his specific beliefs was that he considered the black as domestic animals. However, he admitted that the black had a gift of music, and some of them could be good at art and science. In addition, they could work very hard. Despite his admittance, he kept thinking that the black had no feeling of love, especially black men who were eager for women without sentiment and sensation. The other of his specific beliefs about black interiority was that he did not think they were capable. That was why he strived to defend his beliefs by writing this note. He wrote, “… that the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind …” (Thomas Jefferson’s Racism, 1778). He talked about his experience that different species of the same genus must have different degrees of proficiency. He did not believe the black should be free because he thought if they were free, they could do nothing but would be eliminated out of reach of the mix.

Thomas Jefferson was not outside the society, especially in the eighteen century. What he thought was the same with that of people at that time. In this civilized and innovative time, most people cannot agree with him. However, nobody can be sure that racism is gone. The question if activists’ fight for elimination of racism is successful is still unclear. Nevertheless, today-people can see how extreme Thomas Jefferson’s racism was through this excerpt.   

2. Banneker’s letter to Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s racism made Banneker wrote this letter to him. This letter was a very clear description of how black people were treated. Banneker was a scientist, so his analysis was remarkable to study. This letter did not only show a horribly suffered situation, in which black people endured, but it also proved their level of thinking, in which black people had the same sensation and intelligence with white people.

In his letter, Banneker described how he felt for the great freedom though he knew it could rarely happen. He wrote, “I am fully sensible of the greatness of that freedom which I take with you on the present occasion; a liberty which Seemed to me scarcely allowable, when I reflected on that distinguished, and dignified station in which you Stand; and the almost general prejudice and prepossession which is so prevalent in the world against those of my complexion.” (Banneker to Thomas Jefferson, Aug. 19,1791). He showed the fact that black people were abused, disdained and brutal under hard working. He said that they were just a race of creatures, but they had the same Father with white people. He believed the Father without discrimination created humans and granted the same feelings and abilities to all people. He was smart to talk about the same Father – the God of people. He wrote, “… that however variable we may be in Society or religion, however diversified in Situation or colour, we are all of the Same Family, and Stand in the Same relation to him.”  (Banneker to Thomas Jefferson, Aug. 19,1791). His letter, in fact, clearly showed that they lived a life under cruel oppression in the early republic. He described states of depression, barbarism, tyranny, inhuman captivity, from which his people must die. He used these sufferings, that black people had been experienced for long, to invoke the ideals of American Revolution.

Banneker strongly refuted racism despite of Jefferson’ own reputation. His letter obviously reflected Thomas Jefferson’s racism. Readers can feel horrible to read Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia, but they must be miserable to read this letter. Jefferson’s notes showed the fact that how specific his beliefs about black inferiority was. Banneker’s letter showed the fact that how much suffered black people had to bear because of Thomas Jefferson’s beliefs. Both of the notes and the letter exposed the politics of race in the early republic.  

Three Supports for Postsecondary Education

in the United States:

Appropriate Institution Fees, Reinforcement of Students’ Success, and An Engagement of Institutions and Workforces

Most people raise a question if postsecondary education or higher education in the United States is better than that in many other countries. The answer is that it can be. It is because people can see that the U.S colleges and universities receive many international students each year. It may be true and perfect for international students. It is still defective for the U.S. students. Therefore, postsecondary education in the United States still needs more supports or assistances to be perfect for the U.S students. Accordingly, three supports for postsecondary education in the United States should be listed: appropriate institution fees, reinforcement of students’ success, and an engagement of institutions and workforces.  

The first support for postsecondary education is appropriate institution fees. It should be greatly considered to help students continue postsecondary education. Colleges’ fee is much cheaper than universities’ fee; therefore, ungraduated students must be afraid of higher payment when transferring from a college to a university. For example, tuition in Northern Virginia Community College is around one hundred eighty-five dollars per credit (“Tuition & Fees”), while tuition in George Mason University is around five hundred fifty-eight dollars per credit (“Ungraduated Tuition Rates”). The higher payment of tuition causes people lower education. According to the article titled “Challenges for Higher Education,” researchers explore several difficulties of tuition that “the costs of attending four‐year colleges and universities in the United States have steadily increased over four decades leading to high levels of student debt and many obstacles for low‐income students.” Additionally, Because of difficult financial, students have to work part-time while taking full-time course (“Higher Education.”). This is one reason that students cannot spend time enough for their study; therefore, they cannot advance their study. Nevertheless, a source of the Department of Education informs, “Supporting students’ basic needs has many benefits for colleges and universities, including boosting academic performance, promoting retention and degree completion, reducing the barriers that returning adults face, and creating bridges between the institution and community organization.” (“Applications for New Awards”). The Department of Education may think that this is a big help from Federal Government; this can lessen students’ concern of financial. However, this is also a big worry for students after graduation because they must pay for their student loan debt with its interest. Therefore, it must be that appropriate institution fees is the one of three supports for postsecondary education.   

The second support for postsecondary education is reinforcement of students’ success. There are three approaches to reinforce students’ success. The first approach is to help them create an ability to communicate with their peers and instructors. Most of students find hard to communicate with their peers and instructors, so they cannot get help from them to advance their study. In an article titled “Through a More Discerning Lens”, the authors write, “To better understand student expectations and experiences in large lecture-based college courses, we developed a comprehensive survey to measure student perspectives regarding teaching, learning and engagement over the course of one semester.” (Branca and Slusser). They means that students should have an ability to communicate with their peers and instructors to have their clearer instructions so that students can reinforce their success. The second approach is to require students to engage in transformative learning. In their article, Janssens and her peers write, “… Sustainable development requires engagement of university students in transformative learning.” (Janssens et al.). Thus, the second approach can help to reinforce students’ success. The third approach is to provide fair perspectives among institutions. Morona argues in her article that there exists a discrimination between selective institutions and open-access schools. She writes, “Students at selective institutions have higher chances of graduating. Those campuses also reportedly spend about three times more per student on instructional and academic support compared with open-access schools …” (Morona). It shows that the third approach can be applied to reinforces students’ success. Consequently, the three above approaches are the second support for postsecondary education.

The third support for postsecondary education is to create an engagement of institutions and workforces. In the article titled “Workforce Development,” the authors give a perspective on postsecondary education, “As such, they require targeted initiatives that prioritize training, support, and job placement services. Strengthened connections with higher education will help to ensure that this group of individuals receives the necessary training to qualify for the workforce.” (Wilkerson et al.). In fact, some colleges are engaging with workforces to support students to earn higher education. For example, Northern Virginia Community College has Workforce Department to help people continue their education. This Workforce Department also offers free-tuition for 60-old-year people (“Nova Workforce”). Most people who try to continue education find easy to engage with that workforce programming. Financial Aid is available for them; however, it only covers some certain programs (“Workforce Financial Assistance”). Thus, it is more effective to support postsecondary education if many other institutions can do the same way to engage in workforces as Northern Virginia Community College does. It is because the third support for postsecondary education is to create an engagement of institutions and workforces.  

Despite many researchers’ arguments over higher education to find out if it is well developed or sustainable, postsecondary education in the United States still needs more supports. Because postsecondary education is imperfect for the U.S. students, this writing is meant to show what it needs to be perfect. Firstly, it needs appropriate institution fees. Secondly, it needs reinforcement of students’ success. Thirdly, it needs an engagement of institutions and workforces. Accordingly, when the three above applications are worked out, postsecondary education in the United States must be perfect for the U.S. students.

Works Cited:

  • “Higher Education.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/WKFTHM421872933/OVIC?u=viva2_nvcc&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=cdefb4ca.
  • Janssens, Lise, et al. “Do European Quality Assurance Frameworks Support Integration of Transformative Learning for Sustainable Development in Higher Education?” International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 23, no. 8, Nov. 2022, pp. 148–73. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.eznvcc.vccs.edu/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2021-0273.

Phillis Wheatley’s works

In the face of inhumane circumstances of being a slave, an African American woman, Phillis Wheatley became a poet, whose contribution to American literature has been remarkable since the pre-nineteenth century. With her wisdom and talent, she composed beautiful poems that could show people the facts and reality in a society in pre-nineteenth century. Because her works significantly reflected a miserable enslaved condition and her profound understanding of the national events, they have been valuable contribution to American literature.

A poem titled “To His Excellency General Washington” has had its value in American literature because of Wheatley’s clear description of the victory of Columbia. She wrote, “Columbia’s scenes of glorious toils I write.” In this poem, she showed that she was very proud of the victory, and she praised Washington for the victory:

Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side, Thy ev’ry action let the goddess guide. A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine. With gold unfading, Washington! be thine. (Wheatley 62)

This poem showed how wise she was to realize the historic event of Washington’ victory even though she was a slave. This effectively drew George Washington’s attention. He sent her a letter, in which he told her that he would publish her poem and honorably invite her to meet him whenever she had an opportunity. Washington wrote, “I would have published the poem, had I not been apprehensive that, while I only meant to give the world this new instance of your genius, I might have incurred the imputation of vanity. This, and nothing else, determined me not to give it place in the public prints. If you should ever come to Cambridge, or near headquarters, I shall be happy to see a person so favoured by the muses, and to whom Nature has been so liberal and beneficent in her dispensations.” Washington’s letter proved how much her poem was remarkable to contribute to American literature.   

Additionally, her contribution to American literature was also shown in the poem titled “On Being Brought from Africa to American.” There were two views in this poem. One view was her gratitude toward the United State, where she could develop her wisdom and where she had the supporters to publish her works. Another view was her painfulness; it was because she witnessed how White people thought about her Black people. Phillis Wheatley wrote,

’Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, “Their colour is a diabolic die.” Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin’d and join th’ angelic train. (Wheatley 59)

Her gratitude and misery showing in her poem has had a great influence on Americans’ feeling throughout centuries, so this poem has considerably contributed to American literature.

In addition, the incredibility of her works was spoken up in the podcast titled “Phillis Reimaged,” which showed how they have been greatly evaluated in American literature. The conversation about “The Age of Phillis” pointed out the fact that Phillis Wheatley was grateful to her mistress, who taught her to write and read. It was because her mistress wanted her to be able to read the Bible scripture and become a Christian. Although Phillis’ relationship with the Wheatley’s was very complicated, especially with her mistress, she was still supported to publish her works. Because her works have effectively influenced people in the United State, especially African Americans, they have been greatly received by American literature.  Despite her enslavement, or dying young and impoverish, her poetry and contribution to the American literature are immense. Her poems are like beautiful paintings, in which people can observe an American life in the pre-nineteenth century. Her poem to praise Washington’s victory has been historically everlasting. A great lesson from her works is that even though she lived a life filled with the White’s scorn, she still expressed her gratitude toward this country and her mistress. That was her beautiful nature.  Because her works have remarkably displayed the facts and reality and significantly contributed to American literature, they have helped to prove her wisdom and talent in the face of inhumane circumstances.