Spaces and exchanges in English-Speaking society

Plan anglais : « Spaces and exchanges in English-Speaking societies »

The notion I’m going to deal with is « spaces and exchanges ». To begin with, I’ld like to give a definition of the notion : an exchange is an act of giving and receiving something else in return. It can also be seen as a continuous movement or circulation. There are different kinds of exchanges : media, people, trade...

To illustrate the notion, I have chosen to talk about slavery in the USA. We way wonder to what extent Africans Americans can break free from their past. I use 3 documents, Slavery prior to the american civil war, the roots of racial discrimination in the US and the speech « I have a dream » of Martin Luther Ling to talk about the enslaved past of the Africans Americans, then to ask about slavery dismantled and last of all to request if they are free at last.

I. An Enslaved past (document 5 : Slavery prior to the American Civil War) A. The Slavery in America

- 1619 : development and grew exponentially (17th century)

- 1776 : African American → 20% of population

- Regional differences : North, not the first destination. South, majority.

population are slaves and Virgina : 40%).

B. Differencesinsocialsstatus

Carolina : 60% of the

- productions of sugar (Brazil, West Indies), rice, indigo → very profitable business (South)

- small plantations (Virgina). Stricter rules than large plantation

- large plantations : more than 50 slaves (Carolina)

- urban slaves → skilled « workers »

II. Slavery dismantled ? (document 6 : The roots of racial discrimination in the United States) A. Adividedcountry

- The slave trade prohibition (international) : 1808. But : it continued in the USA. - Blacks : moved from poverty into the middle class + gaining political power.

- Thirteenth Amendment : outlawed slavery of U.S (1865)

B. Slavery under a new name ?

- « slave states » and « free states » → division : the Union and the Confederacy → start Civil War - In the South → segregation (Ku Klux Klan) and exploiting blacks

- 1896 : « separate but equal ». Strengthening of the exploitation in the South

- Whites and blacks separated : not share taxis, restrooms...

III. Free at last ? (Martin Luther King : I have a dream) A. In all fields...

- Paul Robeson : popular black singer

- Jackie Robinson

- Rosa Parks (boycoot...)

B. ...and with a peaceful activist : Martin Luther King

- grow up with segregation

- « I have a dream » : Emancipation Proclamation, echoes official documents (Constitution),

quotes Lincoln. Summarizes

...