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[Detail] The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore.
Creative Writing
The resources represented in the Special Presentation, "A Sampler of Collection Themes," provide an opportunity to research a political or social event and to write either a personal journal or short story describing how it might have felt to experience one of these events. Topics might include the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act, conflicts in Kansas and the territories, John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry, or the secession of the South from the perspective of an abolitionist, a slaveholder, or a runaway slave. The following questions may provide a starting point for developing your narrative.
- What was your life like before the event occurred?
- How did you respond to the event?
- How did your family and neighbors respond?
- Do you think that the event altered your life?
- If so, do you think that the impact was beneficial or harmful? Why?
