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Chapter 3: A Geechee in the Halls of America
Chapter 3:
A Geechee in the Halls of America
10th of May, 1776
---
"Regardless of all the political background and debate, we all know that it was that damned child that started it all."
-Andrew Jackson, "An Address to those Unfortunate Southron States"
A Geechee in the Halls of America
10th of May, 1776
---
"Regardless of all the political background and debate, we all know that it was that damned child that started it all."
-Andrew Jackson, "An Address to those Unfortunate Southron States"
The Second Continental Congress was gathered in Philadelphia. The talk of independence, spurred by Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," was becoming increasingly common on the streets. However, the discussion of independence was still a fiery debate in the halls of Congress, with some colonies even threatening to walk out of the Congress at several points due to it. It was on one day, the tenth of May, where a guard entered State House and simply stated the following: "There is a young Negro boy by the entrance. He states he simply wants to talk to the... erm... juntlemun frum duh House."
At this imitation, a few of the Congressmen chuckled lightly. Benjamin Franklin, just recently entering his seventieth year of life, coughed before politely asking to speak to this "Negro boy." The guard nodded, and stepped aside as Franklin stood, sighed for a second, and lumbered slowly outside. Once he did, he sat on the steps of State House and looked at the young boy in front of him. He wore clean, new clothes and had the shining face of any optimistic child. He looked to be no older than fourteen, and he shook his curly-haired head in recognition.
Franklin smiled calmly. "What brings you here, young boy?" was the first question he asked. The boy nodded, before answering that he had come because of "My farruh, he duh say dat duh smaa't-est juntlemun come'yuh." Franklin, though definitely not fluent in Gullah, was generally able to follow what the boy said. "I'm glad to hear your father thinks us smart men," he responded, smiling, "what do you want to do here, if I may ask?"
"Ah! Come'yah duh tell'um warruh freedum meanin'."
"I see. Why do you think you know the meaning of freedom, if I may ask?"
"My farruh."
"Hm?"
"My farruh, he gimme freedum. He gone'way duh Pennsylvania duh w'uk duh git my fambly freedum. Gone'way 'fo' binnun bawn en he come back w'en he git 'nuf dolluh duh gimme freedum. He duh say he gwine back duh plantation w'en he git mo' dolluh 'fo' Maamy."
"Hm... I see," the older man responded, pondering for a second. He brightened suddenly, announcing kindly that "I'm sure the men of the Congress would not mind at all to hear your words, young man."
"T'engky, suh!"
To the bystanders in the Congress, they saw Benjamin Franklin hobble outside, only to return perhaps five minutes later being accompanied by a young black man, the latter offering the former support. As Franklin returned to his seat, he simply explained the encounter between himself and the black man as "The boy wishes to speak, and I suggest we let him." Some in the Congress asked for the dismissal of the intruder, but this was stopped when the stark, clear voice of Thomas Jefferson simply stated "I agree with Franklin."
The young boy stood timidly in front of the Congress, but began his speech anyways (written in English for convenience):
"I was born without knowing my father. All I knew was that he moved north to Pennsylvania to work; he had his freedom and he needed to buy me and my mother's freedom. That word was, in my age, one that was unknown. No man had ever spoken it to me, and the question built inside of me. One day, I asked my mother what freedom was. She looked down at me, smiled, and said that it was the better life. I didn't quite get what that meant then. As I grew up on the plantation, between long hours of picking cotton, I heard stories from the Bible - the one that stuck with me the most was the story of Moses.
Moses brought the Jews to freedom, didn't he? He went to the Egyptians and asked -- no, demanded -- that his people be free. I had heard the tale, sometimes told by another slave with mourning or longing. But still, I didn't quite know what freedom was. I couldn't understand such a difficult-to-grasp concept, especially with no taste of that mystifying word: freedom.
I worked and toiled in the fields waiting for that word, and it came in the form of a large Negro fellow walking into the plantation, walking into the Master's manor, a violent exchange of words, and a peaceful agreement; the money my father had earned would only count for me, despite it being the asking price the Master had placed for both of us. He shook my hand, and began the trek back to Pennsylvania.
Once we entered the City of Philadelphia, I realized what it meant to be free. I still had stuff I needed to do, but this was a mutual thing. I wasn't at whip's-end to do my tasks, I did them because they were my choice, and there was -- is -- a guarantee that the other person would do such a thing for me.
I would love to see the colonies become free. I may not know what a colony is exactly, but to my thinking, they are a lot like slaves: forced into action through threat, as opposed by choice.
If freedom is so great for me, it is so great for these colonies."
Such were the words of a simple boy, at least, these were the notes documented and compiled by the testimony of several Congressmen who attended the event. Nothing beyond this testimony remains of this boy; it is unknown who he was, and what happened to him. Some suggested he became a local politician, though the testimony which led to this is questionable. This speech, entitled the "Freedom Speech," had an immense impact on the history of the United States, and was absorbed quickly into the American Mythology. It has been said that "no moderate left the halls that day believing in the institution of slavery," though this is an exaggeration. Though the impact of these speech changed many Congressmen, it did not create a radically abolitionist Congress. This event, however, served as a kicking-off point for abolition in the post-Revolutionary social conscious, and it was this debate and discourse that forced the hand of one Andrew Jackson, decades down the line.
Needless to say, the Freedom Speech was incredibly integral to the future of the United States in multiple key ways - be it politically, demographically, etc.
---
A/N: Perhaps hinted a bit too much in terms of the future of this United States, but that doesn't matter quite yet. It was an... interesting experience attempting (and totally, completely butchering) the Gullah language. Glad I finally got this one out!
At this imitation, a few of the Congressmen chuckled lightly. Benjamin Franklin, just recently entering his seventieth year of life, coughed before politely asking to speak to this "Negro boy." The guard nodded, and stepped aside as Franklin stood, sighed for a second, and lumbered slowly outside. Once he did, he sat on the steps of State House and looked at the young boy in front of him. He wore clean, new clothes and had the shining face of any optimistic child. He looked to be no older than fourteen, and he shook his curly-haired head in recognition.
Franklin smiled calmly. "What brings you here, young boy?" was the first question he asked. The boy nodded, before answering that he had come because of "My farruh, he duh say dat duh smaa't-est juntlemun come'yuh." Franklin, though definitely not fluent in Gullah, was generally able to follow what the boy said. "I'm glad to hear your father thinks us smart men," he responded, smiling, "what do you want to do here, if I may ask?"
"Ah! Come'yah duh tell'um warruh freedum meanin'."
"I see. Why do you think you know the meaning of freedom, if I may ask?"
"My farruh."
"Hm?"
"My farruh, he gimme freedum. He gone'way duh Pennsylvania duh w'uk duh git my fambly freedum. Gone'way 'fo' binnun bawn en he come back w'en he git 'nuf dolluh duh gimme freedum. He duh say he gwine back duh plantation w'en he git mo' dolluh 'fo' Maamy."
"Hm... I see," the older man responded, pondering for a second. He brightened suddenly, announcing kindly that "I'm sure the men of the Congress would not mind at all to hear your words, young man."
"T'engky, suh!"
To the bystanders in the Congress, they saw Benjamin Franklin hobble outside, only to return perhaps five minutes later being accompanied by a young black man, the latter offering the former support. As Franklin returned to his seat, he simply explained the encounter between himself and the black man as "The boy wishes to speak, and I suggest we let him." Some in the Congress asked for the dismissal of the intruder, but this was stopped when the stark, clear voice of Thomas Jefferson simply stated "I agree with Franklin."
The young boy stood timidly in front of the Congress, but began his speech anyways (written in English for convenience):
"I was born without knowing my father. All I knew was that he moved north to Pennsylvania to work; he had his freedom and he needed to buy me and my mother's freedom. That word was, in my age, one that was unknown. No man had ever spoken it to me, and the question built inside of me. One day, I asked my mother what freedom was. She looked down at me, smiled, and said that it was the better life. I didn't quite get what that meant then. As I grew up on the plantation, between long hours of picking cotton, I heard stories from the Bible - the one that stuck with me the most was the story of Moses.
Moses brought the Jews to freedom, didn't he? He went to the Egyptians and asked -- no, demanded -- that his people be free. I had heard the tale, sometimes told by another slave with mourning or longing. But still, I didn't quite know what freedom was. I couldn't understand such a difficult-to-grasp concept, especially with no taste of that mystifying word: freedom.
I worked and toiled in the fields waiting for that word, and it came in the form of a large Negro fellow walking into the plantation, walking into the Master's manor, a violent exchange of words, and a peaceful agreement; the money my father had earned would only count for me, despite it being the asking price the Master had placed for both of us. He shook my hand, and began the trek back to Pennsylvania.
Once we entered the City of Philadelphia, I realized what it meant to be free. I still had stuff I needed to do, but this was a mutual thing. I wasn't at whip's-end to do my tasks, I did them because they were my choice, and there was -- is -- a guarantee that the other person would do such a thing for me.
I would love to see the colonies become free. I may not know what a colony is exactly, but to my thinking, they are a lot like slaves: forced into action through threat, as opposed by choice.
If freedom is so great for me, it is so great for these colonies."
Such were the words of a simple boy, at least, these were the notes documented and compiled by the testimony of several Congressmen who attended the event. Nothing beyond this testimony remains of this boy; it is unknown who he was, and what happened to him. Some suggested he became a local politician, though the testimony which led to this is questionable. This speech, entitled the "Freedom Speech," had an immense impact on the history of the United States, and was absorbed quickly into the American Mythology. It has been said that "no moderate left the halls that day believing in the institution of slavery," though this is an exaggeration. Though the impact of these speech changed many Congressmen, it did not create a radically abolitionist Congress. This event, however, served as a kicking-off point for abolition in the post-Revolutionary social conscious, and it was this debate and discourse that forced the hand of one Andrew Jackson, decades down the line.
Needless to say, the Freedom Speech was incredibly integral to the future of the United States in multiple key ways - be it politically, demographically, etc.
---
A/N: Perhaps hinted a bit too much in terms of the future of this United States, but that doesn't matter quite yet. It was an... interesting experience attempting (and totally, completely butchering) the Gullah language. Glad I finally got this one out!
- Oliveia
- Word Count: 1.1k