Let me live by Angelo Herndon. Answer the questions.

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Let Me Live
1 Possibilities and Problems of using an autobiography as an historical document
Over the years, there has been an evident increase in the use of autobiographical materials for historical studies in general. Any historian who has conducted a historical research appreciates how valuable these pieces of literature can be in the understanding and reconstruction of events of the past. The increased possibilities of using an autobiographical material as a historical document are usually attributed to a number of factors, including; the high literacy levels in the modern world. The inquisitive minds of the modern historians push them to utilize these autobiographical materials for better understanding of the past events. In addition, due to technological advancements, there has been an increase in the availability of these past autobiographies, especially through internet. With this, historians have increased the use of autobiographical materials as a source of historical information. In our case here, the need to understand the politics of the 1930s pushed the historians to utilize the book, Let Me Live, an autobiography of Angelo Herndon, as a source of historical information.
As much as there is an increase in the use of autobiographic materials as historical documents, there are a number of problems that historians face in the process. Not all the available autobiographic materials are usually reliable. Older autographic materials usually lose their originality due to editions and revisions hence the dilution of the exact sequence of events. This results to inaccurate conclusions and poor understanding of the past events. For instance, the book, Let Me Live, written Angelo Herndon in 1937 has been revised severally, potentially affecting the originality of the entire context. In addition, it is also important to know that other autographic materials may be exaggerated by the original authors themselves, thereby feeding wrong information to the readers. With this, we should be extra vigilant while using autobiographical materials as historical documents.
2 Role of religion in Angelo Herndon’s thinking and experiences
Religion, in a number of cases has been the driving force behind the passionate fight for freedom and equality. The Black American history is full with examples of people of faith, who stood their ground in a defiant manner, challenging the status quo and the traditional values thereby advocating for revolutionary social and political change. Among these people is Angelo Herndon, a black labor organizer and a communist. Angelo Herndon was born to a poverty-stricken Christian family, with her parents being prayerful people and his uncle, Uncle Jeremiah, a preacher (Herndon 11). In his autobiography, Herndon recalls his Uncle’s first sermon and how it excited the entire congregation, him inclusive. He records that the feeling of worshipping together with the entirely black congregation gave him a great sense of belonging, which he held on to till his adult life. The prayers by his uncle, the preacher, gave hope for a better future and also encouraged unity among the people. At the age of 9, Angelo Herndon ...