Case Study: Defending Freedom Argument against George Fitzhugh in Defense to Freedom

Case Study: Defending Freedom Argument against George Fitzhugh in Defense to Freedom

An Information Review

Born in 1806 November 4^th, George Fitzhugh was a lawyer in Virginia and has authored two books alongside numerous articles in support of slavery. In the antebellum period the Negro race was according to George an inferior race to the white race and as such should not have to live among them. He advocated for an outright outcast on the black race arguing that slavery would have the black community get secure economically and civilized, at least morally. According to George, the Negro needed protection both socially and economically.

George who was a practicing lawyer and a painter for decades became famous as well as infamous for justifying slavery especially in the Southern Plantation where he represented the plantation owners. His first publication, Sociology for the South (1854) seconded by Cannibals All! (1857) which became very popular. George Fitzhugh was one man in a coat of different colors as he differed largely from all his other contemporary colleagues because he argued that slavery was just good for slaves.

He felt that slaves could experience a liberal good life which he actually considered as a good life. He went on to state that the Negro slaves were the freest in the whole world. He also felt that women were not supposed to engage in hard labor and deserved to be protected from their husbands by slave owners. This meant the stronger male slaves would work on a rather limited schedule and further described their free time as “spent in perfect abandon”. George felt that the white man could not survive if he experienced as much freedom as the slave did. In his ideology this was one of the most thrilling experiences any human being could ever experience in their entire lives.

Proof that George Fitzhugh’s argument is wrong

Fredrick Douglass in his narrative gives numerous examples that seek to explain incorrectness in George’s argument. Douglass reckons that slaves were not allowed to celebrate any special events in their lives for instance seasons of the year, birthdays and days of the week. He actually states that they did not even know that the later existed. This means they had no idea about a calendar and only lived life with each new day. The white people were allowed to get a formal education and as such it was out of order to educate a slave. This was so because it was impossible to enslave an educated nigger as they would call him.

Slaves were also not allowed to develop relationships or even nurture any kind of effective relationship with kin. According to George Fitzhugh however, they were allowed ample time with their families. Children were separated very early from their mothers and there was no consideration at all of the health or welfare of the children. Douglass who was a slave himself states that they were not allowed to help even in difficult times such as illness and/or death. The lives of the slaves were filled with pain and so much unfair treatment. For instance, Douglass records that the slave holders would satisfy both their physical and emotional needs by raping the enslaved women.

Douglass is just but one person that explains the unfair treatment slaves were put through. His experience brings forth a rather uncomfortable experience for the slaves. They were frequently subjected to whipping and endless punishments. They usually bled profusely some even to death regardless of sex or age. George Fitzhugh in his publications however says that the slaves were treated rather fairly a statement that is otherwise flattering. He even argued that slaves were allowed to enjoy Sabbaths and other holidays. Douglass states that anytime the slaves requested for freedom, they would be deceived with alcohol. They would end up getting drunk and by the time they realize the holiday was over. This was the norm for the holidays. The slaves would be drunk all through the holiday after which they would have to return to the fields. This apparently was a ‘taste of freedom’ for the slaves and as such they were not to ask for any other form of freedom. Evidently, Jacob Stroyer in his book, My Life in the South describes the departure of slaves who had been sold south as sad and heart breaking. They were handcuffed and guarded like prisoners and were driven together in crowds like a herd of cattle. This is a clear definition of slavery and inhuman treatment. In Fitzhugh’s mind that was fair. The slaves had no room for complaints or rebellion as that was considered rude and uncouth. An example is when Demby was whipped hard by his master Mr. Gore and to avoid he ran and jumped into a creek. Mr. Gore would usually count to three for one to come out failure to which he would shoot to kill. Mr. Gore was later to explain to Colonel Lloyd that he took that action following Demby’s stubbornness. He even went ahead to say that such behavior would be precarious to him and those other slaves would follow suit.

It is clear that the slaves were treated like wild animals. Bamey and his son who were in charge of Colonel Llyods horses would be severely punished whenever Colonel felt like the horses were not well attended to. They would be whipped even when the horse could not move fast enough, hold his head high or not fed. Despite this inhuman treatment, slaves were encouraged to embrace Christianity and were put under discipleship by the white ministers. In the midst of this a progeny of white people had sex with the slaves without regard. Little or no attention at all was given to these people who were only recognized as inferior humans in all fronts of life. Throughout South murder of slaves was the order of the day. This level of discrepancy was ignored and black man was not considered “man”. Thomas Jefferson was of the opinion that all men were created equal and as such deserved a fair treatment. This meant that slavery could not be justified. Thomas Jefferson was right but his views were dismissed by the then Vice President of the Confederacy.

The cultivated societies in the South know too well that labor is painful. This can be overcome in many ways by defining and understanding the motives of civilization. There is a common belief that without it man can never amass wealth thereby having no security for the future. This means that there is no experience of comfort and elegance which basically are the main definitions of effective civilization. There can never be any right thing about this issue. Slavery is just that, slavery and no human being should be subjected to such a surmountable treatment all in the name of acquiring wealth and honor. Men who lived in a Christian culture supported so much cruelty and heartless deeds against fellow men. The importance of this essay is to truthfully challenge the claims and beliefs that slavery was a good form of life. Slaves endured too much abuse amidst a horrible living. Unbiblical and ungodly treatment is open to critics. Immorality cannot be excused neither is it exceptional to neither the masters nor the overseers. Therefore I do not defend any form of abuse. Racism which was viewed as a basic justification for the system is also condemned. A correct representation of the nature of slavery in the South should be disseminated. The truth about slavery must be brought forth to counter the enormous untruths that have been paraded in the pretense of truth.