Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Stereotypes of blacks in media
Essays on anti slavery
Stereotypes of blacks in media
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Stereotypes of blacks in media
The image of American slave traders popularized and ingrained upon the national consciousness is based predominantly upon the character of Mr. Haley in Uncle Tom's Cabin. It is one of brash and opportunistic men of dubious background, character and principles, inherently racist and brutish in nature, motivated solely by profit. Ironically this largely echoed the view depicted publicly in the pro-slavery oratory and writings, which typically minimized the importance of the trade and portrayed the traders as social outcasts from the genteel antebellum culture of the South, thus reinforcing this fictitious version of history. Close scrutiny by many prominent historians has unquestionably shown this image is not historically accurate however. Far from being social outcasts with no community ties, many traders were in fact prominent citizens holding important positions in government and business. The most enterprising and successful of their number took full advantage of the latest innovations in modern transportation and employed effective market and advertising strategies thus introducing a spirit of commercialism which was so prevalent in the North to the South's agrarian culture. While it can not be disputed the most of these men held strongly racist views and many committed appalling acts in the course of the business, most saw themselves as men of vision who were simply pursuing their own American dream of happiness and prosperity. In their estimation their business practices were no more unethical than those of Northern entrepreneurs and served a viable need to the public at large. Stowe introduces us to her fictitious Mr. Haley with an air of obvious distaste, describing him as “a short, thick-set man, with coarse, co... ... middle of paper ... ...bin-and-matter-influence> Smith, Karen R. “Resurrection, Uncle Tom's Cabin” and the Reader in Crisis, Penn State University Press, 1996, Accessed April 23, 2012, /40247080?uid=3739744&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid= 21100737798371> Stephenson, Wendell Holmes. Isaac Franklin, slave trader and planter of the Old South; with plantation records. University, La.: Louisiana State University Press, 1938. Tadman, Michael. Speculators and slaves: masters, traders, and slaves in the Old South. Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 1989. "The Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin." University of Virginia Library. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/StoKeyu.html (accessed April 9, 2012). Winter, Kari J.. The American dreams of John B. Prentis, slave trader. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2011.
...gro Slavery tried to influence the reader all too much. Instead, Stampp preferred to let the statistics and anecdotes tell the tale which allowed both scholars and non-scholars to draw their own conclusions based upon the evidence presented. Because of this, The Peculiar Institution is an invaluable source of information regarding both the institute of slavery as well as southern culture during the ante-bellum period. Personal anecdotes as well as impersonal plantation records solidify this work as an important piece of research that seeks to present the realities of slavery to a modern audience. This impersonal presentation provides a more scholarly approach to a long sensitive topic of debate in the United States. It serves as a reminder to the modern generation of the horrors of slavery and seeks to debase the romantic notion of the paternalistic slave holder.
Roediger, David and Blatt, Martin H. The Meaning of Slavery in the North. JStor. 1998. Vol. 18
Between 1800 and 1860 slavery in the American South had become a ‘peculiar institution’ during these times. Although it may have seemed that the worst was over when it came to slavery, it had just begun. The time gap within 1800 and 1860 had slavery at an all time high from what it looks like. As soon as the cotton production had become a long staple trade source it gave more reason for slavery to exist. Varieties of slavery were instituted as well, especially once international slave trading was banned in America after 1808, they had to think of a way to keep it going – which they did. Nonetheless, slavery in the American South had never declined; it may have just come to a halt for a long while, but during this time between 1800 and 1860, it shows it could have been at an all time high.
The slave trade, yet horrific in it’s inhumanity, became an important aspect of the world’s economy during the eighteenth century. During a time when thousands of Africans were being traded for currency, Olaudah Equiano became one of countless children kidnapped and sold on the black market as a slave. Slavery existed centuries before the birth of Equiano (1745), but strengthened drastically due to an increasing demand for labor in the developing western hemisphere, especially in the Caribbean and Carolinas. Through illogical justification, slave trading became a powerful facet of commerce, regardless of its deliberate mistreatment of human beings by other human beings. Olaudah Equiano was able to overcome this intense adversity and actually accumulate wealth by making the best of certain situations he faced throughout his experiences. Even though he was a victim of the slave trade, he willfully took advantage of the opportunity to see the world and to become a productive individual.
Blassingame, John. The Slave Community. United States: Oxford University Press, 1972. Print. October 31st 2013.
Post, D. G. (2001, 07 02). Temple Universtiy. Retrieved 07 07, 2010, from Words Fitly Spoken: http://www.temple.edu/lawschool/dpost/slavery.PDF
Reynolds, Mary. The American Slave. Vol. 5, by Che Rawick, 236-246. Westport , Conneticut: Greenwood Press, Inc, 1972.
Since the beginning of slavery in the America, Africans have been deemed inferior to the whites whom exploited the Atlantic slave trade. Africans were exported and shipped in droves to the Americas for the sole purpose of enriching the lives of other races with slave labor. These Africans were sold like livestock and forced into a life of servitude once they became the “property” of others. As the United States expanded westward, the desire to cultivate new land increased the need for more slaves. The treatment of slaves was dependent upon the region because different crops required differing needs for cultivation. Slaves in the Cotton South, concluded traveler Frederick Law Olmsted, worked “much harder and more unremittingly” than those in the tobacco regions.1 Since the birth of America and throughout its expansion, African Americans have been fighting an uphill battle to achieve freedom and some semblance of equality. While African Americans were confronted with their inferior status during the domestic slave trade, when performing their tasks, and even after they were set free, they still made great strides in their quest for equality during the nineteenth century.
Colonial America depended on their natural resources to provide the things they needed to live. Some parts of the colonies differed from others depending on their location, therefore they relied on trade to make up for what they may have been lacking. For instance England had poor soil, so to get food and crops they would trade with another region that prospered in farming. (Trade in the Colonies ) Slave trade was very useful for almost anyone who lived in the Colonies. They used the slaves for farming and gathering materials. There was a lot of open land in the Colonies due to the fact it was newly discovered. People came from many different countries for many reasons. Some came because they were poor and thought this would be a good opportunity
In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin and more slave labor was needed to keep up with the vast amount of cotton that could now be produced. Less than forty years latter a growing anti-slavery movement was gaining recognition in the north. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” helped spread the anti-slavery message. Everyday Americans who probably wouldn’t have given the anti-slavery movement much thought were now motivated by this book.
In “Slaves and the ‘Commerce’ of the Slave Trade,” Walter Johnson describes the main form of antebellum, or pre-Civil War, slavery in the South being in the slave market through domestic, or internal, slave trade. The slave trade involves the chattel principle, which said that slaves are comparable to chattels, personal property that is movable and can be bought or sold. Johnson identified the chattel principle as being central to the emergence and expansion of slavery, as it meant that slaves were considered inferior to everyone else. As a result, Johnson argued that slaves weren’t seen as human beings and were continually being mistreated by their owners. Additionally, thanks to the chattel principle, black inferiority was inscribed
My critique comes from a commentary titled " Did We Sell Each Other Into Slavery?" by Oscar L. Beard. The author is a consultant in African Studies. The commentary was written May 24, 1999, which contains a discussion about slave trading. The author wants readers to understand the history of slave trading before making any type of judgements. The author feels African American character has been negatively effected because of the remarks made about slavery. My discussion will hold two views. The views will show that I agree we did sell each other to slavery in some forms and I agree Whites had some responsibility for slavery too.
Phillips, Thomas. "Buying Slaves in 1693." Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader. Third ed. Vol. 2. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 637-61 Print.
It is clear that Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an anti-slavery novel. Yet, Stowe endows her novel with a deeper interpretation through showing the incompatibility of slavery and Christian ethics. The novel questions the laws that protected slavery, as well as advocates the importance of freedom to all people. In order to achieve the purpose of persuading readers that slavery is evil and un-Christian, Stowe employs several approaches.
While Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin overtly deals with the wrongs of slavery from a Christian standpoint, there is a subtle yet strong emphasis on the moral and physical strength of women. Eliza, Eva, Aunt Chloe, and Mrs. Shelby all exhibit remarkable power and understanding of good over evil in ways that most of the male characters in Stowe’s novel. Even Mrs. St. Claire, who is ill throughout most of the book, proves later that she was always physically in control of her actions, however immoral they were. This emotional strength, when compared with the strength of the male characters, shows a belief in women as equals to men (if not more so) uncommon to 19th century literature.