US History students, having read excerpts from both Frederick Douglass and George Fitzhugh's "Sociology for the South", use those two lenses to interpret a Currier & Ives chromolithograph, “A Cotton Plantation on the Mississippi. The Harvest, 1884” by William Aiken Walker. The activity begins with SEE THINK WONDER, where students observe (SEE) elements in the painting, then read excerpts from the authors, then interpret through those respective perspectives (THINK). Finally, students pose questions about the image (WONDER).

1. Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass
“Sociology for the South”
by George Fitzhugh

2. How would Douglass view this?
How would Fitzhugh?

6. Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass
“Sociology for the South”
by George Fitzhugh
“The negro slaves of the South
are the happiest, and, in some
sense, the freest people in the
world.The children and the
aged and infirm work not at
all, and yet have all the
comforts and necessaries of
life provided for them.They
enjoy liberty, because they are
oppressed neither by care nor
labor.The women do little
hard work, and are protected
from the despotism of their
husbands by their masters.”

7. Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass
“Sociology for the South”
by George Fitzhugh
“Slaves sing most when they
are most unhappy.The
songs of the slave represent
the sorrows of his heart; and
he is relieved by them, only
as an aching heart is
relieved by its tears.”

8. “A Cotton Plantation on the
Mississippi.The Harvest, 1884”
By William AikenWalker (Currier & Ives)