History on Slavery Context
The subject of slavery attracted the attention of historians, polemicists, editors, artists, as well as the popular writers, thus instigated the documentation and investigation of issues that surrounded slavery. In this case, the experiences revealed in the documents would provoke conflict and contempt because the proslavery southerners believed that slavery was the foundation of the growth of the economic institutions. By extension, the southern white would not be happy with the experiences documented in the narrative because the supremacy of the proslavery southerners accentuates their belief that the slaves were biologically inferior. The proslavery argument reveals in the narratives revive the interpretation of slavery as a benign position for the blacks to thrive in rather than freedom.
According to the sources, the slave resistance takes the foundation of activism instigated by the victims who escape and survive the predicaments of slavery. William Wells Brown escapes becoming a popular antislavery lecturer to influence the resistance of slavery. Harriet Jacobs becomes an active abolitionist to increase the effort of slave resistance. Overall, the publication of the suffering and the experiences in the hands of their masters extrapolated the slave resistance. The whites used violence, intimidation, and assault to control the behavior of the slaves. The master oppressed the slaves by limiting the time of social interaction that would otherwise breed rebellion.
Similarly, the white maters prohibited religion in the farms to control the slave’s behavior because the belief in Christianity inspires individual freedom and basic human dignity. Most importantly, the behavior of the slaves was controlled by the strict schedule that emphasized on timekeeping, discipline, obedience, and the consequences of failing to adhere to the instruction administered in the fields. The whites instilled fear in the slaves through intimidation, violence, and manipulation to control their behavior.