Name: Jonathan S.Class Period: 5th Period

Word Sentence Correct Dictionary Definition

Lenient Other drivers were more lenient. Agreeably tolerant.

Trifle Slaves were whipped for the most trifling accidents.

Something of little importance or value.

Coffle The slave coffle was used in many parts of the south

A group of animals or people tied together.

Monotonous But to those who made the sound, it was the dull monotonous sound of the living deaths in which they were held captive.

Sounded or spoken in an unvarying tone.

Confine It was like a country unto itself, and within its confines, large or small, life was generally the same for the slave.

To enclose within bounds.

Julius Lester wrote this book to explain to us how the slaves were treated and how they were used for the slave owner’s purpose. The intended audience was for young adults who want to learn more about how the slaves lived or how slavery came to be.

Julius Lester uses compare and contrast as well as description. It affects the way you read this book because if it didn’t have description you wouldn’t know where or how the slaves lived or where they lived. If it didn’t have compare and contrast, some major parts would be taken out of the book.

Some slaves were marched in coffles, others were shipped by steamboat. Each slave was expected to pick at least two hundred pounds of cotton a day. If they didn’t meet the requirements or picked more than two hundred, they were whipped. The houses the slaves were held in were not suitable for human living.

Subject Author’s Feelings

Text Evidence

Being related to slaves

Feels proud to be a descendent of slaves and is proud to have written a book about it.

I never knew them, but I am proud to be one of their descendants. I hope that I may be worthy of them, their strength, and their courage.

Paragraphs Main Idea

Beginning-Page # 13 Talks about where he got the information for the book.

Middle-Page # 80 Talks about how the slaves were into religion and how they liked it.

End-Page # 144 Talks about how slaves were now free, but still needed jobs.

Details Page # Comments

They whipped a man for crying because he watched someone get killed.

33 If omitted, you would not know what they did to slaves who cried.

Slaves were sold to the highest bidders, not the nicest one.

45 If omitted, you would not know to who the slaves were sold to or how the slave owners were.

Talks about how the houses looked like.

61 If omitted, you would not know where the slaves lived and how they lived.

What the Book Says Conclusions Drawn

Situation: Major Ellison bought a slave child.

Character Actions: The little boy didn’t want to go, but went. He considered running away, but didn’t because he wouldn’t know which way to go.

Even kids didn’t want to be enslaved or bought and would try to run away if the chance presented itself.

Situation: A slave owner got hold of a man and his family and took them as slaves.

Character Actions: He felt sad because he watched as the owner killed his mother and left her in the snow to die.

The slave owners were cruel and unfair to slaves. They didn’t let them rest and mistreated them like they were animals.

Title: To Be A Slave

1. Gives Interviews

2.Where slaves slept

3.How they lived

4.Descriptive

5.How they were mistreated

Title: Aow-How slavery Really Ended In America

1.How some slaves escaped to a fort

2.How slavery really ended

3.How it all led up to the Emancipation Proclamation

4.Short story

5.How an officer helped slaves

Both:

1.Talk about slaves

2.Both have famous people

3.Have true stories

4.Both are famous history

5.Thought slavery was wrong

Facts Page # Comments

Slaves were mistreated 55 Included this information because it is important to the storyline

Slaves were separated from family

48 Included this so you could know how the slave acted when they were separated

Slaves were cuffed with coffles

53 Included this information so you can know how the slaves were held together

Slaves picked cotton 68 Included this information so you can know what the slave’s job was

They killed themselves so they wouldn’t have to be slaves

24 Included this so you can know how bad they didn’t want to be held as slaves

Opinions Page # Comments

Slave owners tried to be gentle with kids

49 Included so you could know how some owners gained the trust of slaves

Slaves didn’t defend themselves

29 Included so you can know how some slaves defended themselves

Slave catching was easy 19 Included so you could know how hard it was to catch them

Slaves were not treated that badly

32 Included this to show how some slaves were brainwashed to believe that it wasn’t that bad

All slaves were marched on coffles

58 Included so you can know different ways slaves were marched

Pg.37- The slave’s owners would make them steal from other slave owners. I didn’t like how they made them do this. They made the steal the cattle from other slave owners. I feel that this is cruel to the slaves because if caught, they might be shot. If they did get shot, the slave owner would not care and would leave them there to die.

Pg.46- They would sell slaves like they were animals. The sellers would only feed the slaves long enough for them to last until they were bought. Sometimes they weren’t fed and the owners would put grease on their mouths so it would look like they were fed. They would make the slaves look real good so that they would sell. The owners would sell them to the nicest bidder, but instead the highest bidder.

Pg.104- Slaves used to have parties on Saturday nights. Since they didn’t have to get up early on Sundays, Saturdays were a perfect day. The owners didn’t mind, but often sent lookouts to stop these parties. The slaves used signal words to tell other slaves when the party was going to be. They put on the nicest clothes they had and danced all night.