The Allegory of the Cave Essay - 1955 Words

The Allegory of the Cave Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is the most comprehensive and far-reaching analogy in his book, The Republic. This blanket analogy covers many of the other images Plato uses as tools through out The Republic to show why justice is good. The Allegory of the Cave, however, is not the easiest image that Plato uses. First, one must understand this analogy and all of it’s hidden intricacies, then one will be able to apply it to the other images Plato uses such as the Divided Line, or Plato’s Forms. As Plato begins his story, he describes a dark cave. Contained inside of this cave are many people who are tied up into seats, unable to move. For their entire life, these people have been tied up without even being†¦show more content†¦At first he is hesitant, he does not understand what is happening. Their intentions are to bring him out of the cave. As they lead him past the fire and he sees the others casting shadows on the wall he is dumb founded. He cannot comprehend what is happening as they push him further, out of the cave. As he emerges from the cave the sun blinds him. Never before has he witnessed something so bright and intense. Eventually he grows accustomed to the light and begins to see things. He sees trees and birds. He sees houses and people. He is taken back by all there is outside of the cave. He sees a book and then notices it’s shadow. He finally understands that all of his life and all of his experiences were based on shadows, images of things real. No sooner does he understand this than the others try to push him back into the cave. He doesn’t want to go, however. He has seen a new and fuller world. The others finally push him back into the cave and as he tells the others of the world above they mock him. They make fun of him because all that he says is nonsense to them. Their reality still exists as shadows. He can no more explain to them about the true form of the book than they can convince him that the only true form is the shadow. He has now become completely insane to them and if given the chance they would kill him. Plato’s story describes for us both the process of education and it’s positives and negatives. This story paints aShow MoreRelatedThe Allegory Of The Cave1086 Words   |  5 PagesExplain the allegorical significance(s) of the cave in Plato’s Republic. How is the cave an allegory of Plato’s philosophy? How is the allegory of the cave an allegory for enlightenment or philosophical education? How and why are most human beings like prisoners in a cave? Who are the puppeteers? What does the world outside the cave represent? What does the sun represent? Etc. What is Plato’s Theory of the Forms? What is a Form? How does the allegory of the cave express Plato’s Theory of the Forms? HowRead MoreThe Allegory of the Cave907 Words   |  4 Pagesman follow the law, and how do implications of society affect our behavior. The most interesting topic from the Republic is from Book VII, the allegory of the cave. With the allegory of the cave Plato gives us the power to break the chains that bind us down and leads us to see the light. In the allegory of the cave Plato sets the scene with humans in a cave that have been chained since childhood so they are restricted from moving and looking around the room. These people only see the shadows castedRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1382 Words   |  6 Pageshis most intricate, yet his most important figure: the Allegory of the Cave. Socrates calls on the interlocutors to imagine a dimly lit cave in which a group of prisoners are chained behind a wall in such a way that they cannot move and are forced to stare at a wall all day. Thanks to a small fire, the prisoners are able to see the shadows of their imprisoners and images their imprisoners projected on the wall. Having always been in the cave, the prisoners believe the shadows are true; similarlyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1307 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Allegory of the Cave there are prisoners are chained up together in which they are all facing the back wall. There is a firing behind the prisoners and the onl y thing that they can see are the shadows of the people behind them. The fire casts shadows on the wall so this is the only thing that they see. Their entire lives have been based on these shadows on the wall. These prisoners have been chained up since birth, so what they see on the walls is all they know. In the Allegory of the Cave, theyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay975 Words   |  4 Pagesof philosophy in Brooklyn College, once said â€Å"The only thing we know for certain is that nothing is certain.† This is the main philosophy behind both Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, and the renowned sci-fi movie â€Å"The Matrix.† Both works deal with escaping a false reality while unveiling a real one. In Plato’s â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, the escaped prisoner synonymous to the character Neo in â€Å"The Matrix†, exhibiting a shared theme behind both plots. Socrates suggest that with effort, all that isRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave905 Words   |  4 PagesIn the allegory of the cave Plato tries to show us two scenarios where the prisoners experience emotional and intellectual revelations throughout their lives. Plato’s theory was that the ones who truly understand knowledge should guide the ignorant people out of their unenlightened states of being and into true knowledge. The cave symbolizes the people who think that knowledge come from what they see and hear in the world. It also indicates people that make assumptions about life based on the substantialRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay2021 Words   |  9 Pagesrecognizable image of Plato’s Republic, the message of the allegory of the cave is present not only in Book VII, but throughout the entire dialogue. Plato-as-Socrates uses the allegory to express his views on philosophy’s role in his city of speech which is later shown more deeply with the five regimes in Book VIII. The cities in the five regimes underg o a degradation as philosophy moves further and further away from the ruler; which also mirrors the cave. Plato reveals his belief that the city and philosophyRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay1660 Words   |  7 Pages 3. Explain how the Allegory of the Cave represents Plato’s views about the nature of knowledge and the nature of reality. In the Allegory of the Cave there are chained prisoners in cave who can only stare at the cave wall in front of them. At the back there is a long entrance with a staircase the width of the cave and a fire burning in the distance. They see only shadows projected in front of them from a raised platform and hear an echo that they attribute to what they observe. They talk aboutRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1619 Words   |  7 PagesIn his allegory of the cave, Plato describes a scenario in which chained-up prisoners in a cave understand the reality of their world by observing the shadows on a cave wall. Unable to turn around, what seems to be reality are but cast shadows of puppets meant to deceive the prisoners. In the allegory, a prisoner is released from his chains and allowed to leave the cave. On his way out, he sees the fire, he sees the puppets, and then he sees the sun. Blinded by the sunlight, he could only stare downRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave Essay718 Words   |  3 PagesThesis Allegory of Cave First what is perception and ignorance? Let us define perception as one’s view of life through rationalization of the external world and ignorance as an assumption without proof and contemplation. In the â€Å"Allegory of The Cave†, Plato uses Socrates to explain different types of people, one who sees the physical realm accepting ideas as they form and one who lives in knowledge realm by questioning those ideas. People of the knowledge realm are obligated to helps those in the

Discuss the causes of high rates of population growth

After growing very slowly for most of human history, the worlds population more than doubled in the last half century, crossing the six billion mark in late 1999. Furthermore, world population is still increasing by about 78 million people a year, despite the trend worldwide towards smaller families. Total population size is likely to continue to grow for at least the next 40 years and by at least another 1.5 billion people. Almost all of this growth is occurring in the developing regions, while most industrialised countries are growing very slowly or not at all, and in some countries the population size is even declining. However, these developed countries make up just one fifth of the worlds population and consequently have little†¦show more content†¦In developing countries such as Malawi in South Africa, agriculture is still heavily relied on, especially at subsistence level. This means that women do not have their own careers and traditionally their role is to bear and raise children, so they do not postpone having children in order to concentrate on their career, thus increasing birth rates. The strong dependence on agriculture also means that a large labour force is required so people have more children in order to support themselves. This results in high birth rates of 56.3 per 1000, much higher than replacement levels, meaning that the rate of population increase is also high at 35.7 per 1000 per annum. Countries such as this, including Jordan and Pakistan, which have annual rates of increase at around 3% are likely to see their population size double by 2025. The need for so many children to work to support a family at subsistence level means that a large proportion of the population is at the age where they should be in education, with 74% of Malawis population being below the age of 29. Not only is there not enough facilities to support this amount of students, but many children are required to keep working to support their families, especially as bad weather and natural disasters such as cyclones and floods have devastated harvests, resulting in terrible food shortages. For these reasons, just 3.4% of the population has received secondary and higher education, meaning that there are veryShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Population Growth On The Steady State Of The Solow Growth Model1502 Words   |  7 Pages The effects of population growth on the steady-state of the Solow growth model INTRODUCTION As the creation of neo-classical economic growth model pioneer, Solow growth model creates a new breakthrough in terms of the theoretical model in the reality and plays an important role in study in long-run economic growth model. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the effects of population growth on the steady-state and growth rates of the Solow growth model. The structure of this essay isRead MoreSustainability Position Paper : Natural Resources And Technology1652 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelop economic growth. This essay will discuss natural resources and overpopulation and how they will affect the coming future. Natural Resources and Sustainability Natural resources are raw materials that occur naturally on Earth. These resources are not manmade, they are used and altered into a way that is beneficial for the survival of our planet. A few examples of natural resources are: air, coal, oil, minerals, water etc. Natural resources are being used for economic and social growth. However,Read MoreSocial Consequences Of China One Child Policy723 Words   |  3 Pagesimprovement, the policy has caused some serious social consequences. The New England Journal of Medicine s article The Effect of China s One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years discuss the social consequences of Chinas One child policy. The One child policy in china begin when Chinese governments viewed population containment as a benefit for living and economic improvement. They created a one child policy that limits the size of families, the policy also includes regulations regarding marriageRead MoreThe Solow Growth Model By Robert Solow1705 Words   |  7 PagesThe Solow growth model was created by Robert Solow and was introduced to show how factors of production and advances in technology effect the nation’s total output. The model is made up of two components being the production and investment functions. This essay will discuss the possible effects, aspects and traits that an increase in population will have on the steady-state of the Solow growth model. This analysis will be followed by the effects of population growth on the growth rates in the modelRead MoreThe Scope Of Population Ecology1637 Words   |  7 Pages1. Define the scope of population ecology. †¢ The scope of population ecology is the study of populations in relation to the environment, including environmental influences on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size. 2. Distinguish between population and density. †¢ Population is a group of individuals of the same species occupying a good given area, like the population of America. Population density is the number of individuals in some specified areaRead MoreEssay about irish economy1322 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Topic 1 Revision 1. Discuss one measure of the Irish Economy’s openness to the international economy. 2. Briefly outline the initial approach to economic policy pursued by the Cumann na nGeadheal government after independence in 1922? Employed a very conservative approach and continued on with the policies that had existed pre independence. Kept parity with sterling given that 97% of Irish Exports were to the U.K. Elevated the promotion of agriculture as the main policy priority. Low tax and lowRead MorePopulation Growth Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pages Population Growth Over time, human population has increased and unfortunately has caused a lot of problems to the economy as well as to the environment. Many of the issues that population growth has affected are climate changes, consumption and waste, family planning, poverty, food and hunger, and changes to the economy. According to data researched by the United Nations, â€Å"the world population will reach 8 billion to 10 billion by the year 2030† (Livi-Bacci: 1992:31-32 cited in Robbins, 2010:130)Read MoreThe Federal Reserve Is The Central Banking Institution Of The United States Of America1725 Words   |  7 Pagesworld. Created in 1907 following a severe economic crisis, the Federal Reserve uses a variety of tools to promote growth, reduce instability, and prevent crises in the American economy. In general, the Federal Reserve accomplishes these goals by using their influence to maximize national employment, control inflation and interest rates, and increase national GDP. Before we di scuss the Fed in any further depth, we will first review some of these basic economic concepts that are essential for understandingRead MoreUrbanization Of China s Urbanization1639 Words   |  7 Pagespeople. Urbanization has greatly impacted China in many ways. There is a huge demanding population for communities in these largely populated cities like Shanghai and Beijing, there will have to be urbanization. While urbanization in megacities is a positive solution because it brings development to the country, China should try to reduce the urbanization of megacities because it effects humans and the earth, it causes traffic congestion and it is a huge example of why we have air pollution. ThereforeRead MoreBio Frq1509 Words   |  7 Pagescritical to proteins in that it determines the amino acid sequence, and the primary structure of the peptide chain. Lastly, the ionic bond, it is a charged R group that determines whether the protein structure would be tertiary, or quaternary. (b) Discuss how the structure of a protein affects the function of TWO of the following. †¢ Muscle contraction †¢ Regulation of enzyme activity †¢ Cell signaling Enzymes bind to their substrates at a specific point called the active site. The regulation of enzyme

Capitalism The Cause Of Slavery In The American S Essay Example For Students

Capitalism: The Cause Of Slavery In The American S Essay outhThe American South, had a socialsystem which was distinct in many ways. There was an economy relative to theregion, where class structure and a system of racial differences which causedthe South to become unique to the rest of the nation. Historians such as JamesHenretta have said that Capitalism was the cause of all evil within the AmericanSouth. American Capitalism defined by Max Weber is a greed for gain, andacquisition by force, whether directly in war or in the form of exploitationof subjects. This type of lifestyle within a growing nation could not workwith the gentry class which was moving into the region unless there was peopleto do the work on the farms for them. At first there were indentured servants,but this system of work only worked for a limited time as these servants wouldwork their time of servitude and then leave on their own. The American farmerin the south needed more control on their workers and needed to know that they( the workers ) werent going to just le aveand start up their own farm forthemselves. Thus the manipulation of slave labor became the answer for capitalism,and from the use of black slave labor, tension began to rise between the slavesbrought from Africa, and the land holders of the South. Tension betweenSlaves and land owners have been strong in the South for many years, and onemight say that the cause of it is the ways of which the Black slaves of plantationsand farms were treated. The founders of the Carolina colonies were not onlyinterested in the use of slaves in the solution of their labor problems oftoo much work not enough workers, but they had a very big material interest. The use of slave labor, was a coerced, cash-crop system of labor from whichslavery became an economic necessity because for a person who owned land theyneeded workers, and these workers were predominantly Negro slaves brought insold from Africa. To southern colonists, slavery was first an economic institutionsolely for the purpose of solving an economic problem, that problem workcost too much money so the colonists implemented forced labor for economicgain. So slavery provided the basis for a special Southern economic and sociallife which had continued on until the Civil war. The special economic lifewhich the people of the South lived upon was one of greed for expansion andgain. Capitalism at its best, and the Southern colonies were very good at it. Lewis C. Gray defined the southern plantation as a capitalistic type of agriculturalorganization in which a considerable number of unfree laborers were employedunder a unified direction and control in the production of a staple crop. The plantations were mostly one crop oriented, cotton or tobacco, and thislead to cash crops rather than supplying for the colonies themselves. The plantationgentry or Masters as they were called by the slaves, never thought of the bigpicture involving cash crops, only their own well being and how much moneythey were going to make whether physical force was used or not. Slavery andthe plantation system led to agricultural methods that depleted soils and theslavery system forced the South to exploit more slave labor as a means of betterproduction rather than the realization of worn-out lands. Such a labor systemin the South aggravated and caused very deep problems between the Master andhis slaves. Slavery established the basis of the planters position and power. .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f , .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .postImageUrl , .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f , .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f:hover , .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f:visited , .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f:active { border:0!important; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f:active , .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u28fed74ff2ad57b49730c9f785c9a59f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Homelessness EssayIt measured his affluence, marked his status, and supplied leisure for socialgraces and aristocratic duties.The road of power in the South lay throughthe plantation and the Master would see to it that his or her plantation bethe best. Great planters held enormous power in the southern colonies, theyspent much of their free time in leisure, educational pursuits, and participationin public life; George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both were within thisgroup of people. Most planters were also very active entrepreneurs, who wouldengage in quick profit type situations which would help them make more moneyon top of the plantation profits made for them by the ir slaves. Although theirmain means of money and profit was the forced labor unit of slavery on theplantations, these other quick scheme ideas forced planters into believingthat slave holding was more profitable. Therefore an increase in the amountof slaves doing work on plantations was evident due to its profitabilityfor planters and farmers and the control on labor. Controlling laborin the South, became an entity upon which no plantation could survive without. The Southern Master had many slaves who he expected to do enormous amountsof work all for the Masters gain. Consequently a capitalistic lifestyle hadabsorbed and encouraged slavery. The resultant fortunes for which Plantersand Farmers had flow into their pockets, was because of slavery and slave-holding. A small commercial bourgeoisie was created from slavery and the ideology ofcapitalism was the root of construction. Perhaps if it werent for capitalismand the expansion by British gentry slavery caused by capitalism would neverhave happened.Words/ Pages : 818 / 24

Success of Reconstruction Essay Example For Students

Success of Reconstruction Essay Reconstruction was the time period following the Civil War, which lasted from 1865 to 1877, in which the United States began to rebuild. The term can also refer to the process the federal government used to readmit the defeated Confederate states to the Union. While all aspects of Reconstruction were not successful, the main goal of the time period was carried out, making Reconstruction over all successful. During this time, the Confederate states were readmitted to the Union, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments were ratified, and African Americans were freed from slavery and able to start new lives. One of the first goals of Reconstruction was to readmit the Confederate states into the Union, and during the debate in Congress over how to readmit the states, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were ratified. We will write a custom essay on Success of Reconstruction specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The United States had three different presidents between 1865 and 1877, who all had different opinions as to how the actions of readmitting the states should be carried out. President Lincoln devised the Ten Percent Plan in an effort to get the Confederate states to rejoin the Union. In Lincolns plan, all Confederates, other than high-ranking officials, would be pardoned if they would swear allegiance to the Union and promise to obey its laws. Once ten percent of the people on the 1860 voting lists took the oath of allegiance, the state would be free to form a state government, and would be readmitted to the Union. Many of the Republicans in Congress were angered by this plan, because they believed that it was too lenient. After President Lincoln was assassinated, Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency with a new plan, which became known as Presidential Reconstruction. In Johnsons plan, all of the Confederate states would be readmitted to the union if each state would declare its secession illegal, swear allegiance to the Union, and ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery. To the Radical Republicans, Johnsons plan seemed no better than Lincolns because it failed to address the needs of former slaves in three prominent areas: land, voting rights, and protection under the law. Confederates states, however, readily committed to the conditions put forth in the Presidential Reconstruction plan, and were readmitted to the Union. A few years later, the Reconstruction Act of 1867 was passed, which did not recognize the governments formed under Lincoln and Johnsons plans. Through the Reconstruction Act, Tennessee was the only former Confederate State recognized as having been readmitted to the Union because it had ratified the Fourteenth Amendment. In order for the rest of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union through the Reconstruction Act, each state had to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, also. The Republicans introduced the Fifteenth Amendment after the election of 1868 because they feared that Pro-Confederate Southern whites might try to place limits on black suffrage. In order to prevent this, the Fifteenth Amendment states that no one can be kept from voting because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Through the different plans that were proposed by the three different Presidents in office during the Reconstruction period, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were passed, which were great successes of the Reconstruction period. Reconstruction was also successful in helping to improve the lives of former slaves. After the Civil War, African Americans were allowed to make everyday decisions and take control of their lives. While in bondage, slaves were not allowed to travel without permission, attend school, marry legally, or live and work as they chose. .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 , .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .postImageUrl , .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 , .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390:hover , .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390:visited , .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390:active { border:0!important; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390:active , .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390 .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf1ae95d0267eea3cb83a7786ce741390:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Alexander The Great Essay When slaves were first freed, they faced the decision of whether to stay where they were or not. The majority of African Americans took advantage of their freedom, but their reasons for moving were not simply because they were testing their freedom. Many former slaves were eager to leave the plantations because they associated them with the oppression of the slave system. Former slaves also decided to travel because of their desire to track down family members. Many African American families had been split apart because of slavery spouses lived on different plantations, and children were separated from their parents. The Freedmans Bureau worked t o reunite families, and African Americans printed .