Analysis Of The Root Of The Problem By Orlando Patterson

Orlando Patterson, the author of “The Root of the Problem”, claims that the political manipulation and social orders created in the late 1700s rooted the concept of America running solely on only African slaves, leading to have both slavery and liberty coexist in America, and later inducted into our history. All of which, has created a power struggle that still lasts today in our society..

Soon after Jamestown was founded, 20 Africans were sold to settlers that were moving themselves toward the frontier. They did not know how to survive in the vast unknown of the wilderness, but still focused on turning a profit. This event snowballed into the usage of African slaves throughout the colonies. At the time, slavery was comprised of both black

There was a cultural shift around the same time that attributed toward the way Americans viewed slavery. Before the end of the 17th century, there was a generalization that all black people living in the colonies were slaves. This assumption lead to the perpetuation of the idea that blacks belong as slaves. In southern states like Virginia, a type of ‘white society’ was being crafted. This meant that settlements like this did not want any part of a free slaves or free blacks to intermingle with whites. The component that solidified the perception amongst Americans that blacks belonged being slaves was the manipulation done by elite white settlers. They felt that if the white indentured servants and African slaves were to unify, an insurrection could occur. This fear led to the promotion of racism and white supremacy. A type of bond was created between all whites; settlers and servants, leaving blacks on their own. Over time this lead to more and more exclusion of black rights and liberties up until the point where they were completely excluded from political/social