Compare And Contrast The Point Of View Of Slavery

From 1750 until 1800 the colonial United States endured a period of enormous achievement along with a substantial amount of struggle. Before 1750, the new colony’s first struggle was between the colonists and England over who would have leadership within the New World. Once settled, the issues emerged from within the colonies themselves, particularly with the “belongings” they brought and imported. African American slaves were seen as property, and were not given any innate rights such as liberty or freedom when following their master to the New World. The revolution for the colonists from England began, with new freedoms received by the colonists; the slaves began to question their rights as humans. Innate rights such as liberty and freedom

The point of view of slavery is going to be substantially different than from the previous views discussed coming from the slaves themselves. On January 18, 1773, a letter was written to Robert Pleasants, a Quaker; from Patrick Henry, a Virginian who was discussing the enslavement of African Americans in the colonies and his position on the matter. Henry being a white man in the Revolutionary era held power, was educated, and was able to articulate on the matter of slavery. Since Henry is discussing slavery from the view of the Quaker’s belief systems, his point of view is from a non-Christian standpoint. This opposes the discussion that gives any relationship of white colonists and African American slaves through the unity of sharing and worshiping the same

Most white colonists during this time period were slave owners, but surprisingly, Henry was in support of abolishing slavery. Ironically it was not in Henry’s interesting to oppose slavery so much to lose his slaves he owned. “I am drawn along by the general Inconveniancy of living without them. I will not, I cannot justify it… ” This passage shows inconsistency in Henry’s personal feelings about slavery, saying just before this passage that he fully supports the Quaker’s movement to abolish slavery, but will not inconvenience himself in losing his slaves for the work he has them doing. He continues to say that there will be a better time later on that will be more opportune to abolish