Recovering Democracy Archives Project

Abstract

In my Rhetoric of Black America course (COMM360), I recovered a speech from 1857 delivered by Frances Harper from the Library of Congress archives. I authenticated the speech by comparing different versions and noting any discrepancies or necessary corrections. I also wrote a contextual analysis of the speech, discussing Harper’s biography, educational background, the occasion of the speech, and its impact. After the course concluded, I collaborated with Dr. Shawn Parry-Giles, as part of an independent study (COMM489), to further revise my contextualization paper and prepare for publication on the Recovering Democracy Archives website. I conducted additional archival research about Frances Harper, U.S. social movements from1830 to 1890, and the development and evolution of moral suasion as a method of liberation.