H, by law, is a free man, as slavery was abolished 5 years before he was put in jail. H is still in a way a slave, as white men and women still make laws, and still make it difficult for black people to lead a normal life. H was convicted for looking a a white woman wrong, and put in jail for ten years. In the chapter the deputy tries to sell him for "20 dollars a month" (160). They sell H off to a mining company for 19 dollars a month. H is not getting paid, and is forced to work, with the consequence of maybe being killed or lashed if he does not mine enough coal. H is being forced into labor, to make money for the companies, and is sold off to them, which is slavery. H pleads he is a free man, and the deputy tells him "No such thing as a free [slur]" 160. The men don't call it slavery, and justify it because H and the others are criminals, even though H was wrongly convicted.

Friendship through trauma

H and the other convicts are forced to risk their lives at no gain other than that if they do not do their forced work, they may be killed. Everyday, the men are sent down into the mines, with a high probability of dieing. In the chapter, a white man named Thomas is put in jail, and sent off to the mines. At first Thomas says to the deputy he doesn't deserve to be with the black people. When he asks the deputy to move him, the deputy refuses. Thomas goes down into the mines for the first day, and becomes very scared. He is unable to work, as he is sobbing on the floor. H was able to mine enough coal for both men, so that Thomas wasn't whipped or beaten. Thomas thanked H. The next day H couldn't feel his arms, so Thomas and a couple other men helped H get to his quota. Thomas says "thank you for helping me the other day" to H (164). H and Thomas became friendly with each other, and the other men in the mines became friends. They shared trauma and struggle, and connected through that to become friends.

Lincoln is Assasinated:

Abraham Lincoln is killed in Washington Dc while watching a play. His assassinator was John Wilkes Booth.

13th Amendment Passed:

This officially outlaws slavery completley in the US. Southern states, however, still make laws to keep slavery intact.

14th Amendment Passed:

Grants citizenship to African Americans. Allows equal protection of the laws. This is loosely followed if at all in southern states.

15th Amendment Passed:

Gives African American men the right to vote. Voting test that are almost impossible are made by southern states to limit their ability to vote.

First Transcontenetial Railroad made:

The connection of all railroads in the east to railroads in the west. Makes travel through the country much more efficent.

Financial panic of 1873:

Stock Market crashes as a result of the collapse of freedmans bank.

Jim Crow Implemented in Southern States:

Laws were made to limit the freedoms that were given to African Americans by the government. Laws made it basically impossible for African Americans to live freely.

The Great Chicago Fire:

Massive fire that spread 3 miles across Chicago. It killed 30 people, and burnt down a substantial amount of Chicago.

Ulysses Grant becomes president:

Elected president in 1868, worked to remove slavery and any of its impact

Popularization of Dynamite:

Dynamite is created, is 5 times as powerful as black powder used previously.

Jim Crow laws heavily effected H in his chapter. H was put in jail with no trial, and wasn't told what he was arrested for. H was sold off to mining companies to mine for them forcefully. H was not paid, and had to meet a quota or else he was punished. H was most likely aressted, because he was big, and they saw him as an asset to put in the mines. The creation of Dynamite also effects H, as it was used heavily in the mines. This made the job very dangerous, as H said he had seen many die from the explosions, and other dangers in the mines.

https://www.identecsolutions.com/news/mining-in-the-united-states-1875-to-present#:~:text=Dynamite%2C%20an%20explosive%20five%20times,drills%20further%20enhanced%20mining%20efficiency.

https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/gilded/timeline.pdf

https://www.census.gov/history/www/through_the_decades/fast_facts/1870_fast_facts.html

In H's Chapter, we can see similar experiences effect him. Although it is completely outlawed, H still feels the effects of slavery, as he is put into forced labor by the prison guards. He is sold off and forced to work in the mines. He sleeps in a cell everyday, under horrid conditions. We can see how Esi's events and trauma correlate with H.