Mark Twain – What Did Mark Twain Write About Slavery? Was He a Racist?
Mark Twain – What Did Mark Twain Write About Slavery? Was He a Racist?What did Mark Twain write about slavery? What was his view on slaves? How did Mark Twain’s background influence his perceptions on African Americans? Was Mark Twain a racist?Answer: Mark Twain – His Background Mark Twain grew up in Missouri, a slave state. His father was a judge, but he was also traded in slaves at times. His uncle, John Quarles, owned 20 slaves; so Mark Twain witnessed the practice of slavery first-hand whenever he spent summers at his uncle’s place. When he was still a young boy, Mark Twain witnessed the brutal murder of a slave in his home town of Hannibal by the slave’s owner, who killed the man with a thrown rock for “merely doing something awkward.” Mark Twain – Views on Slavery • In a 1853 letter, Mark Twain wrote: “I reckon I had better black my face, for in these Eastern states, n***s are considerably better than white people.” • In 1872, Mark Twainwrote to William Dean Howells about “Roughi
