Towards the end of the year and coming into the summer I am reminded of how important it is to not only read a good book but to discuss, learn and grow from it. Each summer we offer our children a penny for every page that they read, this is a huge motivation to put down the controllers and pick up a book. In the past this was a necessity to getting through the summer, however as our homeschooling goes on and the kids begin to take their education into their own hands and realize the importance of it, they have become eager readers. I rarely ever see them without a book and instead of begging for game time they beg for library time. I am so proud of their efforts and desires.
As their educational mentor I have spent many hours listening to them tell me all about their books; funny parts, scary parts and annoying parts. I also have been reading my own books and sharing them with the children. And together we have read many books and discussed them over the dinner table. So why was I getting that gnawing feeling that it was time to change things up and unite our minds on a one on one level? The kids LOVE one on one time or even Boy time Girl time. I knew that it was time to connect individually with my children in a literary sense.
Matthew and I just finished reading and discussing Amos Fortune by Elizabeth Yates. It was a great experience and allowed us both the opportunity to mentor one another. As part of our discussion we both agreed to write a paper about the book. Since Matthew is doing a unit of poetry right now he decided to write a poem.
A Fortune-ate Man
By Matthew Mecham
A tribal
chieftain, princely in stature,
White men
came, and executed capture.
Thrown into
pits, and left to rot,
Till’ the
white men came and got.
On the
block sold as a slave,
Worried
that he would be worked to the grave.
Sold to a man,
known as a Quaker,
Learned by
the Bible, introduced to his maker.
He would be
sold once more, now to a tanner,
Who taught
him the trade in an excellent manner.
Being paid
as a tanner, he worked until he,
Had enough
money to set himself free.
Now he was
free, at age 65,
Now he
finally felt really alive.
He felt
that his life, had begun anew,
His life
was filled with fortune and virtue
Based
on the book: Amos Fortune
By:
Elizabeth Yates
And I wrote an essay....
Free From Bondage
A
Book Review Written By Christy Mecham
Amos Fortune
Author: Elizabeth Yates
“Ah, but until they are given their
freedom they count no more than cattle”, these are the words of one of the
owners of Amos the king of the African Atmunshi tribe. Taken from his tribe along with many other
tribal members to live a life of American slavery, Amos would soon gain the
name he would long live by; Amos Fortune.
How could a man stolen by wealth driven men come by a nickname that’s
meaning implies chance or luck? Amos’s
pursuits were never selfish and his sympathy was never for himself, he was born
a King of his African tribe and died as a free reputable citizen of Jaffrey,
New Hampshire.
“Friend, will thee take 30 and do
no bidding on this man?” are the words of the Quaker man that came about a
young Amos on the auction block. This
would be a fortunate turn of events for an African slave on his way to a life
of hard work and for most on that auction block a life of abuse, fear and
heartache. Amos began his life of
slavery in a good Christian home where he learned to read from the bible and
was always treated kindly and promised his freedom. A freedom that would not come because of the
untimely death of Mr. Copeland, the owner he loved so dearly. Tears filled the eyes of Mrs. Copeland and
her lovely daughter as Amos was once again sold into slavery, “But there were
debts to be paid and Amos had comforted them with his assurance of a right
outcome for them all.”
Mr. Fortunatus was the name that
all of Amos’s friends had given him on the account that he was always being
treated well. Amos was sold to Mr.
Ichabod Richardson a Tanner from Woburn, a good man with a philosophy on owning
slaves that would once again bring fortune to an African slave. “Teach them a trade throughout the week, make
Christians of them on Sunday, pay them less than a white man but enough, and
give them their freedom before they are too old to enjoy it.” This is exactly how it worked out for Amos Fortune;
he learned to be a tanner by trade and soon bought his own freedom from Mr.
Richardson and set out to begin his life at the age of sixty five.
Throughout Amos’s time as a slave
he was always driven by the hopes that he would find his sister and one day buy
her out of slavery and set her free.
This hope of Amos’s never came to fruition, however his desire to find a
loved one to set free remained steadfast in him. Amos paid for and set free four African
women, two of which died shortly after they were set free to which Amos said,
“He was happy in the confidence that they had gone forward as free women.” The third women and her daughter became his
family. Together they built a homestead
in Jaffrey, New Hampshire where he became known as the best Tanner for miles to
come. He became a well-known and
important citizen of their community; making head way for other blacks to
come. His role in the community was one
of respect, concern and love for all of those that inhabited the area, black
and white alike.
Living a full life and feeling the
Lords hand in all he did at the age of ninety one he knelt down in prayer, “You
can come any time now, for I am ready.”
He left his family a beautiful homestead and a bright future. To the community he departed his fortune
among the church and school in hopes for equal treatment among Gods
children. “Sacred to the memory of Amos
Fortune who was born free in Africa a slave in America he purchased liberty
professed Christianity lived reputably and died hopefully”. Born into a life that by all means has
provided me fortune beyond my dreams I pray that I will be able to see myself
as Amos Fortune, a slave, saw his; full of potential, compassion and with the
ability to free others from bondage.
Wow! Great poem and great essay! I enjoy seeing what you guys are reading and the insights to how you just plain do it.
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