Some of the freedmen and freedwomen had exaggerated ideas of liberty. To them it was a beautiful vision, a land of sunshine, rest and glorious promise. They flocked to Washington, and since their extravagant hopes were not realized, it was but natural that many of them should bitterly feel their disappointment. The colored people are wedded to associations, and when you destroy these you destroy half of the happiness of their lives. They make a home, and are so fond of it that they prefer it, squalid though it be, to the comparative ease and luxury of a shifting, roaming life. Well, the emancipated slaves, in coming North, left old associations behind them, and the love for the past was so strong that they could not find much beauty in the new life so suddenly opened to them. Thousands of the disappointed, huddled together in camps, fretted and pined like children for the "good old times." In visiting them in the interests of the Relief Society of which I was president, they would crowd around me with pitiful stories of distress. Often I heard them declare that they would rather go back to slavery in the South, and be with their old masters, than to enjoy the freedom of the North. I believe they were sincere in these declarations, because dependence had become a part of their second nature, and independence brought with it the cares and vexations of poverty. I was very much amused one day at the grave complaints of a good old, simple–minded woman, fresh from a life of servitude. She had never ventured beyond a plantation until coming North. The change was too radical for her, and she could not exactly understand it. She thought, as many others thought, that Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln were the government, and that the President and his wife had nothing to do but to supply the extravagant wants of every one that applied to them. The wants of this old woman, however, were not very extravagant. "Why, Missus Keckley," said she to me one day, "I is been here eight months, and Missus Lingom an't even give me one shife. Bliss God, childen, if I had ar know dat de Government, and Mister and Missus Government, was going to do dat ar way, I neber would 'ave comed here in God's wurld. My old missus us't gib me two shifes eber year." I could not restrain a laugh at the grave manner in which this good old woman entered her protest. Her idea of freedom was two or more old shifts every year. Northern readers may not fully recognize the pith of the joke. On the Southern plantation, the mistress, according to established custom, every year made a present of certain under–garments to her slaves, which articles were always anxiously looked forward to, and thankfully received. The old woman had been in the habit of receiving annually two shifts from her mistress, and she thought the wife of the President of the United States very mean for overlooking this established custom of the plantation. While some of the emancipated blacks pined for the old associations of slavery, and refused to help themselves, others went to work with commendable energy, and planned with remarkable forethought. They built themselves cabins, and each family cultivated for itself a small patch of ground. The colored people are fond of domestic life, and with them domestication means happy children, a fat pig, a dozen or more chickens, and a garden. Whoever visits the Freedmen's Village now in the vicinity of Washington will discover all of these evidences of prosperity and happiness. The schools are objects of much interest. Good teachers, white and colored, are employed, and whole brigades of bright–eyed dusky children are there taught the common branches of education. These children are studious, and the teachers inform me that their advancement is rapid. I number among my personal friends twelve colored girls employed as teachers in the schools at Washington. The Colored Mission Sabbath School, established through the influence of Gen. Brown at the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church, is always an object of great interest to the residents of the Capital, as well as to the hundreds of strangers visiting the city. In 1864 the receptions again commenced at the White House. For the first two years of Mr. Lincoln's administration, the President selected a lady to join in the promenade with him, which left Mrs. Lincoln free to choose an escort from among the distinguished gentlemen that always surrounded her on such occasions. This custom at last was discontinued by Mrs. Lincoln. "Lizabeth!"—I was sewing in her room, and she was seated in a comfortable arm–chair—"Lizabeth, I have been thinking over a little matter. As you are well aware, the President, at every reception, selects a lady to lead the promenade with him. Now it occurs to me that this custom is an absurd one. On such occasions our guests recognize the position of the President as first of all; consequently, he takes the lead in everything; well, now, if they recognize his position they should also recognize mine. I am his wife, and should lead with him. And yet he offers his arm to any other lady in the room, making her first with him and placing me second. The custom is an absurd one, and I mean to abolish it. The dignity that I owe to my position, as Mrs. President, demands that I should not hesitate any longer to act." Mrs. Lincoln kept her word. Ever after this, she either led the promenade with the President, or the President walked alone or with a gentleman. The change was much remarked, but the reason why it was made, I believe, was never generally known. In 1864 much doubt existed in regard to the re–election of Mr. Lincoln, and the White House was besieged by all grades of politicians. Mrs. Lincoln was often blamed for having a certain class of men around her. "I have an object in view, Lizabeth," she said to me in reference to this matter. "In a political canvass it is policy to cultivate every element of strength. These men have influence, and we require influence to re–elect Mr. Lincoln. I will be clever to them until after the election, and then, if we remain at the White House, I will drop every one of them, and let them know very plainly that I only made tools of them. They are an unprincipled set, and I don't mind a little double–dealing with them." "Does Mr. Lincoln know what your purpose is?" I asked. "God! no; he would never sanction such a proceeding, so I keep him in the dark, and will tell him of it when all is over. He is too honest to take the proper care of his own interests, so I feel it to be my duty to electioneer for him." Mr. Lincoln, as every one knows, was far from handsome. He was not admired for his graceful figure and finely moulded face, but for the nobility of his soul and the greatness of his heart. His wife was different. He was wholly unselfish in every respect, and I believe that he loved the mother of his children very tenderly. He asked nothing but affection from her, but did not always receive it. When in one of her wayward impulsive moods, she was apt to say and do things that wounded him deeply. If he had not loved her, she would have been powerless to cloud his thoughtful face, or gild it with a ray of sunshine as she pleased. We are indifferent to those we do not love, and certainly the President was not indifferent to his wife. She often wounded him in unguarded moments, but calm reflection never failed to bring regret. Mrs. Lincoln was extremely anxious that her husband should be re–elected President of the United States. In endeavoring to make a display becoming her exalted position, she had to incur many expenses. Mr. Lincoln's salary was inadequate to meet them, and she was forced to run in debt, hoping that good fortune would favor her, and enable her to extricate herself from an embarrassing situation. She bought the most expensive goods on credit, and in the summer of 1864 enormous unpaid bills stared her in the face. "What do you think about the election, Lizabeth?" she said to me one morning. "I think that Mr. Lincoln will remain in the White House four years longer," I replied, looking up from my work. "What makes you think so? Somehow I have learned to fear that he will be defeated." "Because he has been tried, and has proved faithful to the best interests of the country. The people of the North recognize in him an honest man, and they are willing to confide in him, at least until the war has been brought to a close. The Southern people made his election a pretext for rebellion, and now to replace him by some one else, after years of sanguinary war, would look too much like a surrender of the North. So, Mr. Lincoln is certain to be re–elected. He represents a principle, and to maintain this principle the loyal people of the loyal States will vote for him, even if he had no merits to commend him." "Your view is a plausible one, Lizabeth, and your confidence gives me new hope. If he should be defeated, I do not know what would become of us all. To me, to him, there is more at stake in this election than he dreams of." "What can you mean, Mrs. Lincoln? I do not comprehend." "Simply this. I have contracted large debts, of which he knows nothing, and which he will be unable to pay if he is defeated." "What are your debts, Mrs. Lincoln?" "They consist chiefly of store bills. I owe altogether about twenty–seven thousand dollars; the principal portion at Stewart's, in New York. You understand, Lizabeth, that Mr. Lincoln has but little idea of the expense of a woman's wardrobe. He glances at my rich dresses, and is happy in the belief that the few hundred dollars that I obtain from him supply all my wants. I must dress in costly materials. The people scrutinize every article that I wear with critical curiosity. The very fact of having grown up in the West, subjects me to more searching observation. To keep up appearances, I must have money—more than Mr. Lincoln can spare for me. He is too honest to make a penny outside of his salary; consequently I had, and still have, no alternative but to run in debt." "And Mr. Lincoln does not even suspect how much you owe?" "God, no!"—this was a favorite expression of hers—"and I would not have him suspect. If he knew that his wife was involved to the extent that she is, the knowledge would drive him mad. He is so sincere and straightforward himself, that he is shocked by the duplicity of others. He does not know a thing about any debts and I value his happiness, not to speak of my own, too much to allow him to know anything. This is what troubles me so much. If he is re–elected, I can keep him in ignorance of my affairs; but if he is defeated, then the bills will be sent in, and he will know all;" and something like a hysterical sob escaped her. Mrs. Lincoln sometimes feared that the politicians would get hold of the particulars of her debts, and use them in the Presidential campaign against her husband; and when this thought occurred to her, she was almost crazy with anxiety and fear. When in one of these excited moods, she would fiercely exclaim— "The Republican politicians must pay my debts. Hundreds of them are getting immensely rich off the patronage of my husband, and it is but fair that they should help me out of my embarrassment. I will make a demand of them, and when I tell them the facts they cannot refuse to advance whatever money I require."
Background and Author Introduction
This passage is an excerpt from the memoirs of Elizabeth Keckley, a formerly enslaved woman who became a successful seamstress and confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of President Abraham Lincoln. Written during the tumultuous period of the American Civil War and its aftermath, Keckley's narrative offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the lives of freed African Americans and the Lincoln family. Her work is significant as it bridges the personal and political, revealing the struggles of newly freed slaves adjusting to liberty and the complex dynamics within the White House during a critical era in American history.
Detailed Interpretation and Significance
The excerpt explores the complex emotions and challenges faced by freedmen and freedwomen after emancipation. Many had idealistic hopes of freedom as a land of opportunity and happiness, yet the harsh realities of poverty and loss of community ties led to profound disappointment. This highlights the psychological and social difficulties of transitioning from slavery to freedom, emphasizing how deeply rooted dependence and attachment to past associations affected their ability to embrace independence.
The story of the old woman expecting "shifts" (simple undergarments) from Mrs. Lincoln humorously yet poignantly illustrates the cultural gap and differing expectations of freedom between the North and South. It underscores how freedom was not merely a political status but a complex social and economic reality that required adjustment and new ways of thinking.
Furthermore, the narrative about Mrs. Lincoln’s efforts to assert her dignity at White House receptions and her political maneuvering during the 1864 election reveals the personal and political pressures faced by the First Lady. It shows her determination and strategic thinking, albeit mixed with personal anxieties and financial struggles, offering a humanizing portrait of a historically controversial figure.
Lessons and Insights for Students
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Understanding Freedom and Responsibility
The passage teaches that freedom is not just about the absence of chains but involves responsibility, hard work, and sometimes hardship. Students can learn that independence requires courage to face new challenges and the willingness to build a new life, even when it is difficult. -
The Importance of Community and Belonging
The freed people’s attachment to their old associations shows how vital community and a sense of belonging are to human happiness. This can inspire students to value their own communities and support networks, recognizing that social ties deeply affect well-being. -
Empathy and Historical Perspective
By reading about the freedmen’s struggles and Mrs. Lincoln’s personal challenges, students develop empathy for people from different backgrounds and times. Understanding history through personal stories helps students appreciate the complexity of social change and human emotions. -
Courage and Adaptability
The story highlights the courage of those who worked hard to build new homes and educate their children despite adversity. Students can be encouraged to face their own difficulties with determination and to adapt positively to change. -
Critical Thinking about Leadership and Influence
Mrs. Lincoln’s political strategies and social maneuvers provide a case study in leadership, influence, and ethics. Students can discuss the balance between personal ambition and public duty, and how leaders navigate complex social and political environments.
Applying These Lessons in Daily Life
- In Learning: Students should embrace challenges as opportunities to grow, just as the freedmen learned new skills and built schools. They can cultivate curiosity and resilience in their studies.
- In Social Life: Valuing friendships and community support helps build a strong foundation for happiness and success. Students can practice kindness and cooperation.
- In Personal Growth: Developing empathy by understanding others’ experiences fosters compassion and better communication.
- In Facing Change: Being adaptable and open-minded, as some freed people were, helps students manage transitions in life, such as moving to a new school or making new friends.
- In Leadership: Students can learn to be thoughtful leaders by balancing ambition with integrity, and by considering the impact of their actions on others.
Cultivating Positive Values from the Story
- Perseverance: The freed people who worked hard to build homes and educate their children demonstrate the power of perseverance.
- Self-Respect: Mrs. Lincoln’s insistence on leading the promenade symbolizes standing up for one’s dignity.
- Community Spirit: The importance of schools and churches in Freedmen’s Village shows how communities thrive through shared effort.
- Honesty and Reflection: Recognizing mistakes and feeling regret, as Mrs. Lincoln did, is part of personal growth.
- Hope and Optimism: Despite hardships, the story carries a message of hope for a better future through education and unity.
By studying this passage, students gain historical knowledge and valuable life skills that encourage them to become thoughtful, resilient, and compassionate individuals.