Frank Martin II
Mr.Kelaher
U.S History
October 12, 2014
Slavery From Africa to America
Abraham Lincoln once said,"If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong." Slavery is a cruel part of history that the United States is not proud of at all. Kidnapping innocent Africans from Africa migrating them to the states and making them do inhuman work for more than likely the rest of there lives. Cruel beatings and treating human beings like animals is something that will never be forgotten in the eyes of every single African American today. Those 300 years of slavery truly changed the African person.
First of all, the first people to migrate to Africa in search of natural resources and other goods were the Europeans. European traders captured some
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Slavery was practiced throughout the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, and African-American slaves helped build the economic foundations of the new nation of the United States. Alexis de Tocqueville stated,"Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.... The subjection of individuals will increase amongst democratic nations, not only in the same proportion as their equality, but in the same proportion as their ignorance." The slaves where taken off the ships separated into groups of male and females and children. Mothers and children cried because the white man would separate them and sell them to different owners. Fredrick Douglas stated,"I have often sung to drown my sorrow, but seldom to express my happiness. Crying for joy, and singing for joy, were alike uncommon to me while in the jaws of slavery. The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion." This moment was a very tragic moment for many Africans. They would never see there mothers, brothers, sisters, or fathers ever again. There new lives on plantations would soon begin. He'll for the rest of there …show more content…
For slaves, life on the plantation was grueling sweaty work, depending on their size, plantations were built of a lot of buildings: the homes of the master's family which was the biggest and nicest house, overseer or the disciplinary guard, and slaves who lived in small run down slums together, as well asbarns, and workshops. Large plantations operated like self-sustaining villages, and thus, were often isolated from the outside
Many people were afraid of what would happen to society after the emancipation of the slaves and wondered if that emancipation was worth losing the lives of so many soldiers. Frederick Douglas gave what he believed to be a simple and obvious answer to the question of what should be done with the emancipated slaves once the war had ended in his article, “What Shall Be Done with the Slaves If Emancipated?” After emancipation, people were at a loss when it came to what to do with the black population, believing that “they would not work; they would become a burden upon the State, and a blot upon society” (Douglas 55). Douglas counters these fears by emphasizing the fact that black men will work for a living since work has been all they have known for their entire lives. Freed slaves were arguably the hardest working people of the time since they had no other choice than to do whatever work was thrown in front of their face, or else be severely punished. This is shown in this image as they work hard to do one of the most heart wrenching tasks possible: burying their fallen brothers. Douglas’ stance was clear- the freed black men and women were to be left alone to do what they felt they needed to do, without the interference of the white society. He argues that white people’s “doing with them [was] their great misfortune” and that “they have been undone by [their] doings” (Douglas 57). Douglas advocated that the answer to the question was obvious since the South needed black men to function. He states that the “black man as a freeman is a useful member of society. To drive him away, and thus deprive the South of his labor, would be… absurd and monstrous” (Douglas 59). This argument is shown through the picture- even though the men are free, they are still performing the hard work
After suffering the overwhelming ferociousness and inhumanity of being a slave for over two decades, a black man by the name of Fredrick Douglass fled from enslavement and began to make a concerted effort to advance himself as a human being. Combating many obstacles and resisting numerous temptations, Douglass worked assiduously to develop into a knowledgeable gentleman rather than the involuntary alternative of being an unenlightened slave. In doing so, Douglass successfully emerged as one of the Civil War era’s most prominent antislavery orators. From his first major public speech at the age of 23, Douglass became widely renowned as a premier spokesperson for Black slaves and the movement for the abolition of slavery. In one of Douglass’ most distinguished speeches, “The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro,” he uses the intermittent occasion of speaking on behalf of African Americans to a multitude of White Americans to outline arguments against slavery.
From before the country’s conception to the war that divided it and the fallout that abolished it, slavery has been heavily engrained in the American society. From poor white yeoman farmers, to Northern abolitionist, to Southern gentry, and apathetic northerners slavery transformed the way people viewed both their life and liberty. To truly understand the impact that slavery has had on American society one has to look no further than those who have experienced them firsthand. Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave and advocate for the abolitionist, is on such person. Douglass was a living contradiction to American society during his time. He was an African-American man, self-taught, knowledgeable, well-spoken, and a robust writer. Douglass displayed a level of skill that few of his people at the time could acquire. With his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave Written by Himself, Douglass captivated the people of his time with his firsthand accounts into the horror and brutality that is the institution of slavery.
For more than two hundred years, a certain group of people lived in misery; conditions so inhumane that the only simile that can compare to such, would be the image of a caged animal dying to live, yet whose live is perished by the awful chains that dragged him back into a dark world of torture and misfortune. Yes, I am referring to African Americans, whose beautiful heritage, one which is full of cultural beauty and extraordinary people, was stained by the privilege given to white men at one point in the history of the United States. Though slavery has been “abolished” for quite some years; or perhaps it is the ideal driven to us by our modern society and the lines that make up our constitution, there is a new kind of slavery. One which in
For the slaves, it definitely was not an easy life working upon the plantations what so ever, after you had finally made your long journey you would then be set into long and labour intense work unless of course you’re a female or a child. The men would work on things such as the large areas needing to be cropped harvested or anything along those lines, while the
On July 5th of 1852, the Ladies Antislavery Society of Rochester requested that emancipated slave, Fredrick Douglass, speak for their celebration of the United States’ national independence. Douglass accepted this request and presented a powerful speech that explained and argued his true beliefs and feelings concerning this event. He considered their decision to request him as a speaker on that day to be a mockery of his past and of the ongoing status of blacks as slaves in America at the time. Nevertheless, Douglass skillfully constructed his speech utilizing various methods that forced his audience to take him seriously and think twice about the issue of slavery in America. His passion about the subject, his ability to captivate his audience, and his persuasive skills combine to form a clearly effective speech that continues to be studied to this day. Douglass warmed up his audience by commending the moral and patriotic excellence of their forefathers. He then delivered the argument of his speech which cleverly criticized the hypocrisy of the institution of slavery and those who tolerated or supported it. Yet, to conclude his speech, Douglass asserts that there is still hope for the young nation so as not to leave the audience completely discouraged. The way in which Douglass constructed and delivered this speech had a lasting impact and left his audience with an effectively argued point to consider.
The film “Slavery by another name" is a one and a half hour documentary produced by Catherine Allan and directed by Sam Pollard, and it was first showcased by Sundance Film Festival in 2012. The film is based on Douglas Blackmonbook Slavery by Another Name, and the plot of the film revolves around the history and life of African Americans after Emancipation Proclamation; which was effected by President Abraham Lincoln in 1865, for the purpose of ending slavery of African Americans in the U.S. The film reveals very brutal stories of how slavery of African Americans persisted in through forced labor and cruelty; especially in the American south which continued until the beginning of World War II. The film brings to light one of my upbringing
Only if we face the compounding moral debt can America be free. Until we face the reality of what happened together, we will always be bound by the lies that have been told. That is resistance to slavery, resistance to torture, and resistance to wrongdoing. Families were torn apart, women were raped, and children were tortured. In an article by Atlanta Blackst, they list some of the ways African American slaves were tortured, and it’s horrifying.
...ry inhuman and corrupt time of American history, although, slavery did play a very large role in establishing our country’s economy. Yes, it was a very terrible time for the slaves and they were treated very inhumanly. Yes, the fact that the slaves were being beaten, raped, and tortured was very immoral, but without them the United States wouldn’t be what it is today. Slavery may have “ended” though President Abraham Lincolns’ signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but we all know that isn’t true. African-Americans may have been considered free, but were still looked down upon as if they were not good enough simply because of the pigment of their skin. Even today living in the 21st century we still have to deal with issues of racism. When all is said and done, slavery was definitely one of the most important pieces of shaping the American culture today.
Slavery was one of the main reasons why America was divided because the north allowed African Americans to be “free” and have equal rights compared to the south, who were born into slavery. It started to become threating to the south since the power would be unbalance when Missouri was issued to be a free state in 1819 but then wasn’t passed by congress. Year later the Missouri compromise was in placed because it would eventually led to evenly balance the power between the free and slave state which would made Missouri a slave state and Maine(part of Massachusetts) into a free state; also, slavery would be excluded above the latitude of 36, 30. When slavery started to become problematic, the idea became an issue for the northern churches and
Douglass gave many important details on how slaves were treated in the early United States. He gives in depth insight on the brutality of how a master treated slaves, “for a slave with knowledge.” Douglass explains in his autobiography how he was unaware of his position as a slave when he was a child but learned quickly from experience around the plantation he was reared. He wrote about how he didn’t know much about his mother, masters thought it was ideal to remove the mother from the child as soon as a year of the child being born in order to remove any attachment from each other in order for them to serve as better slaves. He also illustrates how he and other slaves living conditions with a monthly allowance of eight pounds of pork or its equivalent in fish as well as one bushel of corn meal. For the adults where given basically one outfit that would serve its purpose for one year, if not they would go without for the rest of the year. As for the children they were given only two coarse lien shirts and if not they would be naked for all that year as well. Douglas described that he and the other slaves all had something in common the hard dirt floor on which they al...
Those who wore the chains of slavery spent their lives tied down to their master, and even when the chains were broken, they were never truly free of their fate. Many African- Americans were born into slavery throughout the 17th and 18th century, and these children were property of their masters before their parents could claim them. After all slaves were not considered human beings, they were simply property, cheap labor, and at times merchandise. It was said in “Give Me Liberty” that American slaves were better off than slaves in other countries since they were more expensive and valuable in the Unites States than other countries such as the West Indies and Brazil (322). Slavery
Citizens in poverty and on the edge of society without the protection of rule of law are vulnerable to slavery and its generational effects. The end goal of modern day slavery is the same as it was many years ago, to make a profit. “People do not enslave people to be mean to them. They do it to make a profit.”2 Globalization has left many on the fringes of society and has also created markets that exploits these second-class citizens. Modern day slavery is often hidden in plain sight, but it has had a detrimental impact on current human rights and the number of its victims has been difficult to account for.
Since the 17th century, slavery helped build the United States by strengthening the economy, but also ruined many African American’s lives. Slavery especially effected the South and their economy, politics and laws, and the culture. Many whites did not see an unethical problem with the slave trade, especially if they treated their slaves well, but that is wrong. African Americans tried extremely hard to hold onto their culture and their lives before slavery. African Americans, free or not, suffered immensely because of the prejudice put upon them merely because of the color of their skin.
The word “slavery” brings back horrific memories of human beings. Bought and sold as property, and dehumanized with the risk and implementation of violence, at times nearly inhumane. The majority of people in the United States assumes and assures that slavery was eliminated during the nineteenth century with the Emancipation Proclamation. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth; rather, slavery and the global slave trade continue to thrive till this day. In fact, it is likely that more individuals are becoming victims of human trafficking across borders against their will compared to the vast number of slaves that we know in earlier times. Slavery is no longer about legal ownership asserted, but instead legal ownership avoided, the thought provoking idea that with old slavery, slaves were maintained, compared to modern day slavery in which slaves are nearly disposable, under the same institutionalized systems in which violence and economic control over the disadvantaged is the common way of life. Modern day slavery is insidious to the public but still detrimental if not more than old American slavery.