George Fitzhugh

Reading George Fitzhugh I became very confused. Since he went back and forth between different issues, I found it hard to not like him, but at the same time I didn't like him. His first points that he makes were to me the most confusing. He believes that slavery should be for black and whites, but overall is for slavery. In the same page he says he is against racism. To me racism isn't all about back or white but about people and their treatment from other people and society. So when George says he isn't racist but is for slavery, it makes no sense to me.

Throughout the rest of the passage he goes on to contradict himself about many different issues. He makes a comment that he doesn't like or agree with the Declaration of Independence or the Virgina Bill of Rights, which are about equal rights. But then he wants women to be educated and believes "for it is the mother who first affects opinions". This goes against his hatred of the Declaration and equal rights. So while I like him for wanted women to be educated, I don't agree with him about others right whether they are slaves or not.

Also through the passage he brags about the south. He believes that the south is better than anywhere else, like it is a separate country from the rest of the states. He even compares the south to Europe. So although you start to hate George, he will then go and say something that you can't help agree with him on. He just seems like one of those people that even if you wanted to you can't hate.

For our first assignment we had to read about John Smith. I thought I knew a good amount about him but I was completely wrong. All though elementary school and through the Disney movie Pocahontas you are given this image of John Smith, that he is a good guy and wanted to help people and not take over the Native American’s land or try to change their traditions or ways of life in any sense. But when I read this I got a totally opposite vision of John Smith.

In the first reading I feel like he is preaching of his ways and ideas. Making it sound like he believes that there is only one way to live. It seems that he believes that wealth is the key to everything, along with land. He keeps preaching like he is trying to get people to come over from England, talking about all the good land and great fishing. In the end this passage makes me believe that John Smith went over there to change everything,to become a leader or king of the land, to take over the land and change it to his ways not even thinking about the people that already live there and there traditions.