The Civil War

(JARRAF)I am Karen. I was born on April 10th, 1967. My grandfather Martin was born in USA on June 24th, 1831. He was 30 years old when the American Civil War took place. He has died a long time ago. But he has passed on the history of the Civil War to his children. So, now I am going to show you some parts of my grandfather's journal about The American Civil War.

Gran's Journal (1893): I leave this part of my journal for my children to understand what it was like to be in The Civil War. Yes, you guessed right. I was present during the Civil War. I was a slave from when I was 14 years old. My master was polite. He always helped me in my works. Taught me how to study. White people like him was hard to find those days. But political condition was not good those days. Relations between Northern United States and Southern United States was tense. It was getting worse everyday. A war was obvious. My master was also worried about the fact. He told me "Let's just wait and see, I don't like what's going on." 

Hostilities began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked an US military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Lincoln responded by calling for armies from different states. Thus, it caused secession from four slave states. Lincoln's Emancipation proclamation made ending slavery in the South a war goal. The war started when all the Southern States declared secession. The war was a true Industrial war. Railroads, telegraphs, steamships and mass-produced weapons were used extensively. The southern states won the war after 4 long years. In all these days, I never went out of the house. I was dead scared of the war that was going on. When it ended, I was relieved. I heard of massive amount of deaths. I was sad to hear it. But the winning of the South caused Slavery to be abolished. I was reluctant to leave my master. But Freedom won Loyalty. My master gave me money so I could live with my family.

(DANIEL)After a short time,I used the money to start a new beginning of life all over again. I started doing plantation, which helped alot giving me a job, food to eat and I really relied on cash crops as a source of income.I produced all sorts of crops such as cotton,rubber,sugar cane,tobbaco,figgs,rice,kobak,sisal and indigo.The longer a crops harvest period, the more  efficient plantations are.Good , more taste I guess.!!  Plantation crops also differ in that they need processing immediately after harvesting. Sugar, tea sisal and palm oil are most suited to plantations, coconuts, rubber and cotton to a lesser extent. I included a drawn picture of a fruit because when I started my life over, the money that my master gave me really help me with agriculture.Everthing was going great, too much work but you know what, what can be better then having freedom in the world.I had to owe It to my master because instead of treating me as a slave , he gave money to have better life and I really appreciate him giving me freedon and money.I will never forget what he has done and the drawing of the fruit shows the sign of him helping me, a better life.A good agriclture.Without my master I dont know what would happen to me.I might become an actual slave or worse I might have died.

I am wrote all this stuff because I want people to know that some white people were not against slavery.Some people wanted to end it slavery and some people didn't  want to end slavery like KKK( klu klucks clan).

BY- Jarraf Amin and Daniel Afzal

My Home, My Family

I am Carter. I was born in 1841, at the heart of Kenya. My parents took me to USA when I was only 2 years old. They thought that going to USA was an opportunity. They didn't know that USA was not the best place for an African during that time. Living far away, they didn't get any news of what was happening there. When they arrived in USA with me, They saw everyone was giving them dirty looks. No taxi would stop for us. We have to walk all the way to the nearest hotel. When they looked for a hotel, none will play attention to them. They weren't allowed to enter the hotels, the guards will stop them. And that's when we met Mr. Mason.

"We want to go in!" Mom said

"Too bad! you are not allowed."said one of the guards.

"But why not? We have the money to stay here for at least four days." Dad said.

"I told you, Black people are not allowed in the hotel. my master's orders. Now leave, or you will be forced. You have no right in this country." Told the guard. 

Just then, a person in pin-striped suit and sun-glass came out of a posh car in front of the hotel. He walked straight towards us. And then he spoke in a sleek tone, "And what if I say that these family over here are my loyal servants? Then will they be allowed to go in?

"Yes sir, of course. But why would you let them go inside? They are ............black."stammered the guard.

"Why? Is there any restrictions that I can't take in my servants?"inquired the guy.

"Of course not, sir! Feel free, Please come in."said the guard opening the door.

My mom and dad was impressed. They never saw that guy before and he helped them enter the hotel. Without him they would have never got in.But they weren't getting the fact, why he addressed to them as his loyal servants.Just then they saw the guy sitting in a table. He gestured to us to sit down with him. He ordered a very expensive kind of coffee that we could have never ordered. Then he said,"Hey there! I am Mason. Mason Martin. You two seem like you are new here."

"Yes. We definitely are."said dad.

"I can see. Now listen. Conditions are nowadays a little different here in USA. You Africans have declared war against us. Everyone is hostile to black people. You must flee from here. Or you will be captured and sold as slaves."

"What!!Leave???????I used all the money I saved in my lifetime and now I leave. I won't have a penny left after I stay two days in this hotel."

"Now,Calm down. There is one more way. You can stay in my mansion and help with my household works. You will get enough food and shelter for both of you including your son there. What do you think?"

My dad was at a loss of word. He knew he had no other choices. If he didn't go with Mr. Mason, Police will come to inspect what happened. And the guards will surely describe them as the center of the problem. Then as Mr. Mason said, They have to stay as slaves. They were trapped in this damn country. He could hear mom sobbing softly. He took the decision. "Yes, I will go with you."

"Then that's it. Let's get out of here."said Mr. Mason.

Then we went into his house. It was the most beautiful house I have ever seen. It has chandeliers hanging all over the ceilings. The ceiling seemed like going on for ever. There was a stair to go to another part of the house. Every bit of wood was made of Mahogany and was polished almost everyday. We noticed that there was a lot of other people like us. Hurrying through the mansion. Fetching water, cleaning shelves, arranging books etc. So that's how our life started in USA. The conditions of the country was getting worse everyday. Lincoln was gathering a huge army for an assault.

The war started before we even knew. During the 1861, a surprise attack on the US force triggered up the northern parts of the kingdom. Lincoln gathered his forces for a massive attack. The war started then. It was a very important war in civil history. Slavery was abolished after the end of the war. But I stayed with Mr. Mason. I regarded him as a family member. He would always be nice to me. He will tell me stories of different kinds. I liked him a lot. But he died when he was 74. He didn't have any relatives. So he divided the money among the people who used to do the household works. I got 13% of his property. And that was a hell lot of a money. I bought my own house, farms, cattle. I married a girl named Maria. That's how I was treated. I never felt like I was working, when I was in the Mason's. It was like home.

by- Jarraf Amin