The Freedman's Story is an interesting piece of literature capturing the chaos of the reconstruction period. The reconstruction period was a new beginning for the U.S after the civil war, and its not surprising to hear of the wide spread violence that still persisted because of pre and current slave holders and Ku Klux Klan. The stories of such violence are vastly known, but what is not known are the stories written by groups of people such as "The Secret Special Committee." The bravery shown by those honest men portrayed in the Freedman's Story is something America was build upon, and its always the differentiating factor when trying to interpret a good or bad outcome to some phenomenon! My question looms though as to why these types of stories are not as common as the stories touching purely upon the negatives of phenomenons happening all around the world! In the case of this story alone that type of thinking does not apply, but this is but one story of success when facing great indignity, why are there not countless others? The number of negative stories originating from that time are very high, and we all know what was wrong at the time, but why isn't there just as many stories glorifying the other end of the stick? There are definitely many accounts of acts of government pushing for things such as equal right, but that is on a grand level compared to the daily battles fought and won during those times by people and groups of people who are just the average day individual! Why is the small story overlooked and the big story over glorified?

      Poetry is an amazing form of literature that I have been inspired by since childhood. Emily Dickinson's work provided in the Post-Bellum packet it is great example of renowned poetry, though I'm having a tough time understanding her literal meaning behind it. If I am not mistaken she died, for beauty, and was expanding on her experience of her spirits travels after death, and maybe even the physical remains of her body! She speaks of Death being so kind as to stop and pick her up, and take her for a ride! As well she speaks of visiting another whom died for truth, and having a deep chat in their graves until life consumed the nutrients of their bodies into the living things amongst the environment they were buried in. Some of her remains went toward the beauty of the environment, and as well into a gun forged from that environment that went on to live in the life of another! Am i correct on those last thoughts about her remains living on? Or is she speaking of a deeper meaning that i am not picking up?