Margaret Crittendon Douglass

Margaret Crittendon Douglass (an haife ta a shekara ta 1822; shekarar mutuwarta ba a sani ba) farar mace ce daga Kudancin Amurka wadda ta shafe wata ɗaya a gidan yari a 1854 saboda koyar da ’ya’yan baƙar fata ’yantattu karatu a Norfolk, Virginia. Ta ƙi ɗaukar lauya don kare ta, sai dai ta kare kanta a kotu sannan daga baya ta wallafa littafi game da abubuwan da ta fuskanta. Wannan shari’ar ta jawo hankalin jama’a kan tsauraran dokokin da ke hana baƙar fata koyon karatu a Kudancin Amurka kafin Yaƙin Basasa.Douglass, Margaret,  Educational Laws of Virginia: The Personal Narrative of  Mrs. Margaret Douglass, a Southern Woman Who Was Imprisoned for One Month in the Common Jail of Norfolk, John P. Jewett and Co., 1854Davison Lawson, John, American State Trials: A Collection of the Important and Interesting Criminal Trials which Have Taken Place in the United States, from the Beginning of Our Government to the Present Day : with Notes and Annotations, Volume 7, Thomas Law Book Company, 1914,

 Rayuwa ta farko 
An haifi Douglass a shekara ta 1822 a Washington, DC, amma ta koma Charleston, South Carolina, inda ta yi aure. Lokacin da take da shekaru goma sha huɗu, ta haifi 'yar, Hannah Rosa .  Ta kuma haifi ɗa, wanda ya mutu. Babu wani abu da aka sani game da mijinta. A shekara ta 1845, ita da 'yarta sun koma Norfolk, Virginia, inda ta kafa kanta a cikin wani gida mai kyau a cikin wani yanki mai zaman kansa kuma ta sami damar biyan kuɗi ta hanyar gudanar da kasuwancin kanta a matsayin mai sutura da mai yin riguna. Ta zaɓi kada ta shiga cikin ayyukan zamantakewa tare da maƙwabtanta fararen fata a cikin gidajen da ke kusa, waɗanda ta ji "ba daga cikin aji mafi kyau ba". Ta lura a cikin tarihinta cewa wannan ya sa ta zama mara kyau a unguwar. Ta bayyana rayuwarta a matsayin "mai cin hanci da rashawa da kuma ritaya", kuma cewa "yana da muhimmanci a gare ni in yi aiki ba tare da bata lokaci ba".Douglass, Margaret, The Personal Narrative of Mrs. Margaret Douglass, a Southern Woman Who Was Imprisoned for One Month in the Common Jail of Norfolk, John P. Jewett and Co., 1854 p.6-9

 Makarantar 
A shekara ta 1853 ta ziyarci kasuwanci zuwa shagon aski na wani baƙar fata mai suna Robinson. Ya kasance mutum ne mai tasiri a cikin al'ummar fiye da mutane 1500 masu launin fata waɗanda ke zaune a Norfolk a wannan lokacin. Yaransa maza biyu suna aiki sosai wajen nazarin karatun farko, don haka Douglass ya tambayi Robinson idan akwai makaranta a garin inda yara baƙi kyauta zasu iya koyon karatu. Robinson ya ce akwai makarantar Lahadi kawai a Ikilisiyar Kristi inda, ya ce, "ba su koyi abubuwa da yawa ba". Douglass ya koma gida ya tambayi 'yarta matashiya, Hannah Rosa, idan za ta so ta koyar da yara maza. Hannah Rosa ta ce za ta yi, kuma yaran sun fara karɓar darussan karatu kyauta a gidan Douglass, ta amfani da littattafan da suka karɓa a coci. A ƙarshe, Robinson ya dawo da 'ya'yansa maza zuwa shagon aski inda yake buƙatar taimakon su, kuma ya aika da' ya'yansa mata biyu a maimakon haka. A cikin tarihinta, Douglass ta bayyana cewa 'yan mata biyu suna da basira, masu hankali, sun sami ci gaba mai sauri, kuma sun kasance "maɓallin farin ciki a gare mu".

Wata daya bayan haka, Margaret da Hannah Rosa sun yanke shawarar bude karamin makaranta don yara baƙar fata kyauta a gidansu, kuma suna cajin dala uku ga kowane dalibi a kowane kwata. Robinson ya yada magana ga al'ummar baƙar fata kyauta, kuma makarantar ta cika da aikace-aikace. Shekaru 11 sun koyar da yara 25, wadanda Douglass ya bayyana a matsayin "masu halin kirki" da kuma "damuwa da a koya musu". Lokacin da daya daga cikin ɗalibanta mata ya yi rashin lafiya, Douglass ya ziyarci gidanta a kai a kai, kuma ya shirya kuma ya shiga cikin jana'izar yarinyar lokacin da ta mutu. Wannan, a cewar Douglass, wasu fararen fata a cikin al'umma ba su amince da shi ba.

 Kamawa 
A safiyar ranar 9 ga Mayu, 1853, yayin da Hannah Rosa da yara suka taru a teburinsu, jami'an 'yan sanda biyu sun tsaya a gaban da ƙofar baya na gidanta. Sun sanar da Margaret da Hannah Rosa cewa koyar da yara baƙar fata kyauta ba bisa ka'ida ba ne a karkashin dokar Virginia, sannan suka dauki mata biyu da yara ashirin da biyar da suka firgita da ƙafa zuwa ofishin magajin gari. Wannan dokar 1849, kamar irin wannan a duk faɗin Kudu, shine sakamakon fararen fararen kudancin bayan Nat Turner's Rebellion a 1831.  A karkashin wannan dokar, 'taron ba bisa ka'ida ba ne' ga baƙar fata su taru tare don koyon karatu da rubutu, wanda za'a iya azabtar da shi ta hanyar bulala, kuma ga kowane fari ya ba su umarni, wanda za a iya azabtarwa da har zuwa dala 100 da watanni shida a kurkuku.

"Kana da babban iyali", in ji Magajin garin Stubbs lokacin da ita da yara 25 suka isa ofishinsa. Daga nan sai ya tambaye ta idan tana sane da dokar. Douglass ta amsa cewa ba ta san koyar da yara baƙar fata kyauta ba bisa ka'ida ba ne, amma idan ba bisa ka-idaita ba ce ta koya wa yara ya kamata ya zama ba bisa ka 'yan majami'a su yi hakan ba, tunda tana amfani da littattafai iri ɗaya. Magajin garin ya watsar da lamarin kuma ya tura kowa gida, bayan ya tabbatar da Douglass cewa babu wani abu da zai faru da yaran baƙar fata ko iyalansu.American State Trials, p. 50

A waje da kotun, Douglass ya lura cewa wani rukuni na baƙar fata masu kyauta, iyayen yara da abokansu, sun sadu da ita, suna jiran jin shawarar kuma suna ba da kuɗin duk wani hukunci ko beli da za ta iya samu. Ta tara yara a makaranta, ta mayar da su littattafansu da sandunan su, kuma ta yi ban kwana. "Yana da bakin ciki rabuwa", ta rubuta a cikin tarihinta.Douglass, p.20

Bayan 'yarta Hannah Rosa ta bar Norfolk zuwa New York a ranar 29 ga Yuni, an bar Douglass shi kadai, yana karɓar kyaututtuka masu yawa daga tsoffin ɗalibanta waɗanda suka tsaya don ganin ta.

Daga fitowar goyon baya da ta samu daga al'ummar baƙar fata. Douglass ya rubuta, "A ganina, waɗanda ke kiran Southern Negroes marasa godiya ne kawai waɗanda ba su taɓa yin wani abu don kiran wannan motsin zuciyar ba....Shin ina tambaya game da godiya da suke bin waɗanda za su ƙasƙantar da su? Menene godiya da yaron yake bin mahaifinsa, wanda zai sayar da shi a matsayin bawa?"Douglass, p. 14–20 

 Shari'a 
Kodayake ta yi tunanin cewa shari'ar ta kasance a bayanta, a ranar 13 ga Yuli, an ba ta takardun shari'a don Babban Juri na Babban Shari'a ga ita da 'yarta mai shekaru 17, wanda ya ce: "Kowane ɗayansu sun taru ba bisa ka'ida ba tare da masu nutsewa ba, don manufar umurni su karantawa da rubutu, sabanin aikin Babban Taron, a irin wannan yanayin da aka yi da bayar, kuma ya saba wa zaman lafiya da mutuncin Commonwealth na Virginia '.American State Trials, p.49

Da yake yana da karancin kudi da 'karamin soyayya ga lauyoyi', Douglass ta yanke shawarar kare kanta. Ba ta ambaci shari'ar da ke zuwa ga 'yarta ba, wacce har yanzu take a New York, har zuwa 1 ga Satumba, lokacin da ta umurce ta da ta zauna har sai an sake sanarwa. A ranar 11 ga watan Nuwamba, ta shiga kotun da ke cike da mutane kadai, tana sanye da rigar baƙar fata, fararen safofin hannu na yara da kuma goron straw. 'Kowane mutum da ke wurin ya zama kamar ya rikice, sai dai ni,' in ji ta.Douglass, p. 22

Ta kira maza uku na Ikilisiyar Kristi a matsayin shaidanta, biyu daga cikinsu kuma lauyoyi, wanda ya sanya hannu kan kiran da aka yi mata. Farin ciki a cikin kotun lokacin da waɗannan shaidu uku suka isa ya kasance 'mafi tsanani', ta lura. A cikin tarihinta, ta bayyana cewa waɗannan maza, waɗanda ta bayyana a matsayin wani ɓangare na 'aristocracy' na Norfolk, ko dai malamai ne a makarantar Lahadi ta coci, ko kuma suna da mata da 'ya'ya mata waɗanda suke, kuma sun ba wa 'ya'yan baƙar fata kyauta na al'umma littattafai iri ɗaya da take amfani da shi don koya musu karatu. Shaidu ko dai sun musanta koyarwa gaba ɗaya ko kuma sun ce kawai sun ba da koyarwar ɗabi'a da addini, amma ba su koya wa yara baƙi yadda za su karanta da rubutu ba.

A cikin jawabinsa na ƙarshe ga juri, Douglass ta bayyana kanta a matsayin mace ta Kudu, tsohuwar mai Bautar. Ta ce ba ta adawa da bautar ba, kuma tana adawa da tsangwama ta abolitionist ta arewa, kodayake ta yi imanin cewa 'ka'idodinsu sun dogara ne akan tushen addini'. Ta yi imani, ta ce, a cikin 'aikin kowane dan Kudu, a halin kirki da addini don ya umarci bayinsa, cewa za su iya sanin ayyukansu ga iyayengijinsu da Allahn su na kowa. Bari iyayengiji su fara aikinsu a gare su, domin har yanzu bayi ne da bayinmu, ko suna da alaƙa ko 'yanci, kuma ba za su iya zama wani abu ba a cikin al'ummarmu ba. Ta kuma ba da rashin kulawa da fararen jama' yanci da baƙi, inda akwai ƙalubalen, da dokoki, ba za su ba za su da yawa don su iya sarrafa su ba, ba.

'Lokacin da suke rashin lafiya, ko kuma a cikin bukata, wanene aikin ya ba da su don neman su kuma su gudanar da bukatunsu? Shin ya fadi a kan ku, maza? Oh a'a, ba a sa ran cewa maza za su dauki matsala don neman hutun baƙar fata don manufar sauƙaƙa baƙin ciki da zai iya samu a ciki. Me ya sa ka tsananta wa matanka masu alheri saboda yin abin da ka yi watsi da shi tun da daɗewa? Shin za mu bi da bayinmu da ƙarancin tausayi fiye da yadda muke yi da shanu a gona? "

Ta kuma gaya wa juri cewa ko da yake ba su da wani abu da za su ji daga 'gaskiya jini' baƙi, ta ji cewa waɗanda ke da 'farin jini a cikin jijiyoyin su' 'masu girman kai ne, masu cin amana, da kuma ramuwar gayya.' "Tambayar yadda wannan fararen jini ya kasance a ƙarƙashin waɗannan fata masu laushi, "kuma ta bar yanayi ta ba da labarin nuna waɗannan dabi'u. Ku zargi marubutan wannan mugunta, amma ba".

A rufewa, ta ba da shawarar cewa tana shirye ta je kurkuku idan ta kasance, amma dokar hana karatu da rubutu ta baƙar fata, in ji ta, 'ɗaya daga cikin dokokin da ba su da mutunci da rashin adalci waɗanda suka taɓa kunyata littafin doka na al'umma mai wayewa.'  

Lokacin da ta hutawa da shari'arta, alƙalin ya tambayi idan akwai wanda yake so ya yi magana a madadinta. Babu wanda ya zo gaba.

Douglass ta yi nasarar yin jayayya don sauke tuhumar da aka yi wa Hannah Rosa, tunda har yanzu tana ƙarama. A ƙarshen shari'ar, juriya ta yi shawarwari na kwana biyu, ta same ta da laifi, kuma ta ci tarar dala ɗaya. Daga nan sai ta tafi New York don dawo da 'yarta.

 Hukunce-hukunce da ɗaurin kurkuku 
A ranar 10 ga watan Janairun shekara ta 1854, an kira ta a gaban Alkalin Baker don kara yanke mata hukunci.

Alkalin ya lura cewa wasu mutane a Norfolk sun yi adawa da dokar, kuma sun tsawata mata saboda 'yancin da kuka yi magana game da launin fata gabaɗaya'. 'Wadannan ra'ayoyin na ɗauka a bayyane suke,' in ji shi. Jami'an Cocin, in ji shi, an ba su izinin koyar da yara saboda koyarwar addini ta zama dole ga baƙar fata. Koyon karatun baƙar fata, duk da haka, yana da haɗari. Ya bayyana dokar a matsayin "mataki na kare kai a kan masu tayar da kayar baya na Arewa wadanda suka rufe wasikar da takardun adawa da bautar da za a rarraba tsakanin 'yan Afirka na Kudu don sa su yanke makogwaro, kuma wadanda suka "yadu da takalma na aljihu tare da zane-zane na adawa da bayi don yin aiki a kan ji da jahilci na baƙi, wadanda in ba haka ba za su kasance masu farin ciki da jin da jin daɗi". Ya kuma gargadi ta da yin magana kai tsaye da gaskiya a cikin kare kanta maimakon hayar lauya, wanda zai ba ta damar gabatar da shari'arta a cikin 'hasken da ya fi dacewa'. 'Yar adawa da ƙarfin zuciya da budewa', ya ce, 'wani lamari ne da ba za a yi la'akari da shi ba' kuma 'wani abu ne da ya fi dacewa a wannan yanayin'.

'Saboda wadannan dalilai,' ya ci gaba, 'a matsayin misali ga duk wasu a cikin irin shari'o'in da aka shirya don yin laifi, kuma a tabbatar da manufofi da adalci na dokokinmu, wanda ya kamata a koya wa kowane mutum girmamawa, hukuncin Kotun shine, ban da tarar da kudin da ya dace, cewa za a ɗaure ku na tsawon wata daya a kurkuku na wannan birni'.

Douglass ta cika hukuncin ta. Ba tare da inda za ta zauna ba lokacin da aka sake ta, mai kula da gidan yarin da matarsa sun sanya ta kwana biyu kafin ta koma tare da 'yarta zuwa Philadelphia.

 Bayanan kafofin watsa labarai 
Shari'ar ta sami tallafin kafofin watsa labarai a lokacin, don da kuma adawa da Douglass da dokar hana karatu da rubutu. A karkashin taken "Lawyer nata," wani edita a cikin Petersburg Daily Express ya rubuta game da yadda kotun ta 'cike da mutanen da ke damuwa don shaida wasan kwaikwayo na littafin' na wata mace da ke kare kanta kuma ta kwatanta iyawarta na yin magana da sanannun mata kamar Lucy Stone .  Duk da kin amincewa da abolitionism, abolitionists sun yaba mata a matsayin jarumi. William Lloyd Garrison, a cikin jaridar abolitionist, The Liberator, ya lura cewa wata mace Quaker a Norfolk ta gabatar da wa'azi a madadin Douglass yayin da Douglass ke cikin kurkuku kuma ta ce, "Mata babbar matsala ce ga maƙwabtanmu na Norfolk", in ji shi. "Idan suna son zaman lafiya, dole ne su kori dukkan matan Kirista... daga birnin. "Her Own Lawyer, Petersburg Daily Express, 1853, cited in Douglass Garrison, William LLoyd, The Liberator, November, 1853, cited in Religion and the Antebellum Debate Over Slavery, John McKivigan, Mitchell Snay  University of Georgia Press, p. 187

Editan jaridar Virginia The Argus ya rubuta cewa kodayake al'ummar Norfolk ba su da niyyar sanya farar mace a kurkuku, 'akwai fushi mai adalci ga mutumin da zai raina a gaban dokokinmu, kuma ya yi ƙarfin hali da ɗaurin 'mahimmancin bil'adama'.

'Bari ta tafi saboda haka tare da burin daya kawai, cewa ba za a sake shiga cikinmu ba. Bari ta nemi abokan aikinta a Arewa, kuma tare da su su shiga, amma bari mu duba irin wannan mummunan ra'ayi kamar yadda ya fadi daga bakinta a watan Nuwamba da ya gabata, jin daɗi bai cancanci mazaunin Jiha ba, kuma a cikin tawaye kai tsaye a kan Tsarin Mulki namu, "in ji shi.

A cikin littafin addini Covenanter: Devoted to the Principles of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, (Volume 9, 1853) David Smith ya yi kira ga Babban Taron Presbyteriyan da ya yi roƙo tare da gwamnatin Amurka don "tsaro wa dukkan 'yan ƙasa haƙƙin koyar da' yan adam su karanta harshen ƙasarsu... " Ya lura cewa gwamnatin Amurka ta yi roƙai lokacin da aka ɗaure mata Presbyterians a ƙasashen waje don ba da Littafi Mai-Tsarki, amma ba za su shiga tsakani a cikin shari'ar Douglas ba.

Shari'ar, Smith ya ce, "ta fallasa kasar ga raina da kuma busa kowace ƙasa mai wayewa a duniya".Covenanter, Devoted to the Principles of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Volume 9, 1853

 Tarihi da gado 
A shekara ta 1854, Douglass ta wallafa tarihin rayuwarta game da taron, Dokokin Ilimi na Virginia: Labarin Mutum na Mrs. Margaret Douglass, mace ta Kudu, wacce aka ɗaure ta wata daya a cikin gidan yarin Norfolk, a karkashin Dokokin Virginia, don Laifin Koyar da Yara Masu Launi kyauta don Karanta. A ciki, ta bayyana shari'ar da kuma abubuwan da suka haifar da ita, kuma ta haɗa da jawabin da ta yi a kare kanta. Kamar yadda ta yi a cikin jawabin kotun, ta soki dokokin baƙar fata da dokokin majalisa da kuma rashin kula da fararen fata game da halin da baƙar fata ke ciki, amma ta bayyana kanta a matsayin mai goyon bayan kudancin bautar, kuma mai tsattsauran ra'ayi:

"Na kasance mai bautar kaina, kuma, idan yanayi ya sa ya zama dole ko kuma ya yiwu, zan iya zama haka kuma".

Da yake nuna cewa yawancin yara baƙar fata da na launin fata da ta koyar da su 'ya'yan fararen maza ne waɗanda suka taimaka wajen gurfanar da ita, ta ɗora wasu zargi ga yanayin baƙar fata a kan fararen maza na Kudancin da suka yi wa mata bautar baƙar fata. Wannan, ta yi imanin, shine tushen dokar hana karatu da rubutu. "Yaya muhimmancin waɗannan Sultans na Kudancin cewa ya kamata a kiyaye abubuwan da suke da shi a cikin jahilci da ƙasƙanci", in ji ta. Tana magana ne game da takaici na fararen mata da suka san mazajensu 'tawny mistresses' da kuma rashin ikon mata baƙar fata, wadanda ke da "iyaye, 'yan'uwa maza,' yan'uwa mata, mai son watakila, dukansu suna shan wahala ta hanyar da ita, kuma a cikin zukatan su suna fito da tushen fushi wanda aka ƙaddara su girma cikin bishiyoyi waɗanda rassan su za su rufe duk ƙasar nan da nan ko daga baya". Ta ƙare tarihinta tana kiran fararen "yan uwanta na Kudu" don magance wannan yanayin:

"Na san 'yan'uwata na Kudu sosai don su yi imani cewa ba za su huta ba a ƙarƙashin tasirin wannan la'ana mai la'ana. Na gaya musu a bayyane game da mugunta. Magani yana hannunsu".Douglass

Ba a san komai game da rayuwar Margaret Douglass ba bayan shari'arta.

A watan Yunin 1865 mambobin al'ummar baƙar fata masu 'yanci na Norfolk, Virginia sun roki gwamnatin tarayya da ta soke dokar hana karatu da rubutu da dokokin majalisa waɗanda har yanzu suna nan a cikin al'ummarsu. An soke dokar a 1867.

Takardun da wallafe-wallafen game da shari'ar Douglass da tarihinta na gaba sun taimaka wajen haskaka zamanin da ta rayu a ciki ga malaman tarihin Amurka, dangantakar launin fata, tarihin mata, addini da doka. Wani masanin shari'a ya rubuta cewa tare da shari'ar Margaret Douglass: "Lokacin zamani na Dokar Anglo-Amurka ya zo da wuri, kuma babban ɗan wasan kwaikwayo ya kasance, yadda ya kamata, mace ce. Maganar juriyarta, ta dace, ta yi amfani da kwatancin mata na iyali, wanda duk yara suka cancanci daidaito na magani. Misali ne, kuma ra'ayi, wanda zai mamaye maganganun shari'a na Amurka. "Joshua Rhodes Balme Hamilton, "American States, Churches and Slavery" Adams and Company, 1864Christopher Lasch, Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn Women and the Common Life: Love, Marriage, and Feminism, W.W. Norton and Co, 1997The Life of the Law: The People and Cases that Have Shaped Our Society,  By Alfred H. Knight.  Oxford University Press, 1998

 Bayanan da aka ambata 

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