son and Lytle were able to cover multiple opinions. This effective use of research leaves very few questions unanswered. However, it would be helpful to know how location affected the freedman’s point of view. Blacks were treated differently depending on location, workplace, and status. The authors failed to examine different locations as changing point of views. Since the authors establish that it is difficult to determine the point of view at all, it was not their responsibility to answer this question. However, it would be helpful to know this just because it is an unanswered question.Another minor malady of the paper, besides leaving one or two questions unanswered, is that the authors subconsciously have prejudices. While subtle and few, prejudices may color the authors’ view. Early in the article, Davidson and Lytle commented that, “…most histories suffer from a natural “top-rail” bias. They stated that those who are educated and wealthy are for the most part the writers of history. This seems to be correct if we examine the backgrounds of historians, especially those further into the past. Although the social and racial status of Davidson and Lytle is unknown here, it is statistically safe to assume that the authors can be considered “top rail”. They are almost confessing to be biased from the start. Furthermore, Davidson and Lytle made one prejudice comment. They wrote that, “By and large, those on the top rails of society produce the best and most voluminous records.” While it may be documented that those on the “top rail” produce the most voluminous records, the simple use of the word “best” is a red flag for a prejudice. This word entirely suggests an opinion. With opinions, come mental baggage and therefore prejudices. However, overall this was the only display of any prejudices. This attitude was not seen again at any othe...
