Slavery in America
The history of America is significant. With the many elements that it is constituted of, they stand out as pivotal in charting the course of events that lead to today’s America. Some of these events include slavery and the consequent abolition movements, the westward expansion, and the civil war. These are some of the critical aspects that influenced the elements of America, ranging from the various economic to social structures, experiences, and general layout. These occurrences had an impactful influence on the whole of America. The paper aims to present an analysis of the state of slavery in its various elements in pre and post-civil war America. The intention is to provide enhanced comprehension of the state of affairs, the course of development, and the effect on the various members of the American society at the time. Slavery was and is still unjust, although it played a pivotal role in shaping America’s culture today.
The origin of slavery can be traced back to the British settlement in Virginia in 1619 when twenty African slaves were taken under custody by the freebooter The White Lion. In the 17th century, White North American settlers switched to black slaves as a better, more plentiful means of effort compared to contracted slaves; most of these Africans were disadvantaged Settlers[1]Even though it is difficult to provide precise estimates, some scholars have claimed that, during the 18th century alone, very many slaves, approximately seven million, were transported to the South, and this stripped African continent of thousands of the most energetic and most abominable adults and children. From the Chesapeake Bay colonies of Maryland and Virginia south to Georgia, enslaved Africans worked primarily on the southern coastal cotton, rice, and indigo plantations in the 17th and 18th centuries. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The history of America has very many aspects and elements that are all significant to its development. Slavery stands out as one of the most visible of occurrences in its history. In the pre-civil war era, the 18th and 17th centuries saw increased kidnappings of people from Africa. They were forced into slavery. American colonies exploited these people, and they were forced to work and labor in crop production, such as cotton and tobacco. Indentured servitude was imposed on these individuals. These arrangements had increasingly inhumane and exploitative systems. For example, the indentures often allowed the owner of the forced contract to sell the indentured servant’s labor to a third party, in addition to working without pay for them[2]. These are just some of the many aspects that were brought about by the American ideologies of the time. They facilitated other critical historical occurrences, such as the abolition movement, against slavery, and the civil war. A great debate on the issue of slavery caused a tear in the nation, and consequently, the civil war – which secures the freedom of numerous people who were shackled by slavery, an end to slavery.
Image 01: Slave family picking cotton in the fields near Savannah, 186-? Stereograph, Havens, Savannah.
The Northern–Southern differences in approach to the issue of slavery played a vital role in the course of events. In the South, Africans who had been enslaved worked plantations. The slave labor was critical to southern agricultural work. In the North, slavery had a relative lack of importance to the farming industry. At the turn of the late 18th century, most of the plantation in the South that was under tobacco had been ruined, and the region experienced a financial depression, which made the continuity of slavery in the country questionable. Consequently, England’s garment industry mechanization contributed to the tremendous need for the southern crop, cotton, whose development had been constrained with the difficulties of extracting the grains by hand from coarse fibers of cotton. However, in 1793 the cotton gin was developed by a teenage Yankee school teacher called Eli Whitney. The primary mechanized tool that mostly extracted the grains from cotton. His system was quickly replicated, and in several ages, the cotton plantation was rampant in the area, and therefore, more slaves were needed on these farms. This transition from growing tobacco on a large scale to the cultivation of cotton propelled the need for more slaves in the South.
Although America’s administration phased out black chattel trading in 1808, indigenous commerce expanded, plus the impoverished U.S. population grew almost three times more throughout the next fifty years. And with this kind of rise in population, the state’s populace shot to roughly four million by 1860, [3]. Enslaved citizens represented around a third of the southern residents in the antebellum South. Many served on vast ranches or small fields; there were less than fifty enslaved people held by several owners. One of the ways in which the slaveowners utilized to ensure that the slaves remain under their custody was ensuring that they are reliant on them entirely, and this was achieved by denying them an opportunity to learn how to read and write as well as limiting their movements and behaviors.
Most rulers used personal freedoms from oppressed women, compensated compliant actions from gifts, and harshly punished rebellious oppressed citizens. A rigid hierarchy of slaves (from wealthy houseworkers and professional artisans to low-level hands) assisted in holding them segregated and presented with few chances to mobilize opposite to their owners. There was no formal precedent for partnerships between enslaved men and women, but many married and raised large homes, and this act was only allowed by slaveowners who had no intention of auctioning or expellin[4]. The uprising that terrified white slaveholders most was that orchestrated in Southampton County, Virginia, by Nat Turner in 1831. There were a total of seventy-five blacks in Turner’s party who assassinated around Sixty white people in two days, but with the help of armed military units and some local Americans, they were defeated. As much as Turner’s revolt aimed at stopping slavery, the advocates of the acts saw the move as a sign that the blacks were weak and needed an organization like slavery to manage them. Concerns of future uprisings caused made many states in the South to implement and adopt several slave codes to restrict the schooling, expression, plus gatherings of enslaved citizens.
Slavery was rarely prevalent in the North, but many merchants in the area grew wealthy in slave trading and southern plantation production. The northern states abolished slavery between 1774 and 1804, although the allegedly “peculiar practice” of servitude persisted utterly central to Southern America. The northerners started linking their oppression by the British to African slave oppression – they began to seek the abolition of slavery. Various arguments ranging from the aspects of the conflict with religious morality to the free-labor approach that argued on the inefficiency and repressiveness of slaveholding stood out[5]. These arguments were vital in the overall success of the abolition movement. On September 22, 1862, a preliminary emancipation proclamation was issued by Lincoln – it set the slaves free, which was a critical victory. The 13th amendment was the official strike to abolish slavery. It was adopted on December 18 of 1865, which read,” Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for the crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”[6]
These pre-civil war times had tremendous negative impacts on enslaved individuals. These ranged from undermined family values and relationships. Children were separated from their parents, and similarly, spouses were often separated at auctions for slaves. Another significant loss that was caused by the slaving of Africans in this period was the loss of vital cultural elements. The intergenerational passing of cultural values, ancestor wisdom and knowledge was interrupted irreparably. Further effects were poor health. The forced slavery pushed these innocent people excessively beyond humane limits, with many losing their lives and dignity[7]. Black slaves played and held a significant role, though generally unrewarded and unwilling, in setting up and laying down the economic foundation of America. They also influenced culture to some extent – they influenced music, folklore, food, and dancing, among others.
The post-civil war America was expected to be better. On the contrary, although it facilitated the freedom of these slaves, the reconstruction; a turbulent time that followed the civil war, presented new challenges for the former slaves – different states came together during this period to try and solve the various elements facing them such as social, economic, and political aspects among others. For the issue of slavery, the progress was different; for example, there was the development of black codes, which were restrictive legislature that targeted former slaves and African-Americans in general – a negative development. Slavery and its collapse have influenced political attitudes regionally with differences persisting[8]. Politically, the developments gradually improved with the development of the Republican Party and the passing of the reconstruction act of 1867 – blacks achieved electoral wins into state legislatures and even national congress – a positive development.
In conclusion, slavery was a fundamental determinant factor in today’s societal landscape. Across the board, improvements have been made that reflect the diversity of the nation and promote inclusivity. Many dimensions exist for the concept of slavery. For example, forced labor was one. Beyond this prominent aspect, other, more critical values emerge as presented by American slavery history. Political freedom is another dimension that proved to be vital and exceedingly significant as it was crucial in facilitating the essential elements of liberty.
Bibliography
“13Th Amendment to The U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery”. 2020. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/13th-amendment.
Acharya, Avidit, Mathew Blackwell, and Maya Sen. 2020. The Political Legacy Of American Slavery. Ebook. http://The Political Legacy of American Slavery.
Davis, David Brion. 2006. Inhuman Bondage. New York: Oxford University Press.
“Reconstruction.” 2020. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Reconstruction-United-States-history.
“Slavery in America.” 2020. History.Com. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery.
[1]. “Slavery in America.” 2020. History.Com. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery.
[2]. “Slavery in America.” 2020. History.Com. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery.
[3]and most of the residents lived in regions that had cotton plantations. “Slavery in America.” History.Com.
[4]g the slaves. “Slavery in America.” History.Com.
[5]. “Slavery in America.” History.Com.
[6]. “13Th Amendment to The U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery”. 2020. National Archives
[7]. Davis, David Brion. 2006. Inhuman Bondage. New York: Oxford University Press.
[8]. Acharya, Avidit, Mathew Blackwell, and Maya Sen. The Political Legacy of American Slavery.