Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
(1830)
Karen Fombona
Chapter 11
1
Karen Fombona
This document is about David Walker, a free African American, who wrote an appeal to
other people of color to work for the emancipation of all slaves. He mainly directs this to all
colored people, slaveholders, and Christians. The purpose of this document is to work for the
emancipation of all slaves and also to Walker lambasted slaveholders, whites, and Christians for
accepting slavery and discriminating against the people of African descent. Throughout the
document, David Walker talks about how the whites have wretched and degraded the coloured
people. He also says that he expected all the coloured men, woman and children to resist the
cruelties and murders inflicted to them by the white slaveholders. Overall this document seems
to be an inspiration to all slaves to fight for the freedom and not take anymore of the cruelties by
the white slaveholders, basically for them to defend themselves and not take anymore of the
mistreatment.
The author, David Walker, was a free African American born in North Carolina in 1785
by a free mother and a slave father. He was an activist who urged African American slaves to
fight for the freedom and equality. David Walker was the owner of a secondhand clothing store
in Boston, but in Boston he still witnessed the mistreatment and discrimination against coloured
people. Walker became involved with the Massachusetts General Colored Association, an
organization opposed to slavery and racism. In 1829, David Walker wrote an appeal in four
articles, Together with a Preamble, To the Coloured Citizens of the World, but in Particular and
Very Expressly, to those of the United States of America Written in Boston, State of
Massachusetts, September 28, 1829. He used references within the Bible and the Declaration of
2
Karen Fombona
During the 1830s discrimination was seen even in free states. Many slaves began to fight
back. For example with Nat Turner and his slave rebellion that broke out in Virginia on August
21, 1831. Just like David Walker, Nat Turner wanted the slaves to be free and fight for the
equality.
This information is important to history because we get the perspective from a free
African American who is affected by slavery. Even though he is free he still seems to be affected
by the discrimination amongst his people. Which shows us how even free African Americans
wanted the rest of their people to be free as well, for some people it wasnt just about being free