reading response #3

pdf

School

Humboldt State University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

110

Subject

History

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by SuperFreedomStork31

The source I have chosen is about Rose Davis, the daughter of a White woman and an African American man, petitioning the court for her freedom in 1715. The author is not clearly specified. Although, it seems possible that this source was generated by an employee of the Anne Arundel County Court or some legal official during that time. The purpose of this source is to document a specific legal case involving a woman of mixed racial background who sought her freedom from enslavement in Maryland in 1715. The source provides insights into the beginning of the discriminatory legal system of that era. Rose Davis's case highlights the challenges faced by individuals attempting to secure their freedom from slavery. This source makes me feel terrible for the people who tried to fight for their freedom during that time. It amazes me that racism was held up so strongly by the law for so long. This document was slightly hard for me to understand because there is little context and I am not familiar with the language that was used during that time. This source has reinforced my preexisting thoughts on this time period. I formed the assumption that this period was a time of major racial injustices just based on what I have learned in highschool history classes. There most likely was a mixed response to this court case. On one hand, the population of white slave owners were probably optimistic about this case setting a precedent in their favor. On the other hand, the community of people who were also mixed race like Rose Davis probably were heartbroken and petrified to see the outcome of this case. This quote from our textbook clearly shows how this case was a part of a turning point in this era, “The permanent deprivation of freedom and the separate legal status of enslaved Africans facilitated the maintenance of strict racial barriers.”

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