New Money Does Not Heal Old Wounds: Reparations to Descendants of Slaves

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Recommended: Case of reparations analysis

The debate over reparations to descendants of slaves contains a wide range of diverse viewpoints and involves many ethical, moral and legal issues (Bowman). To properly analyze this complex situation and form an educated opinion, one must understand the basic pieces forming the reparations puzzle. Understanding who was impacted by the institution of slavery, when they were impacted, how they were impacted, where slavery took place, and what exactly took place will help create a better understanding of both sides of the debate. It has been estimated that a half of a million slaves were shipped to the United States from Africa in 1807, the year the slave trade was abolished. However, the slave population grew to four million by 1860 (Bowman). When the Civil War ended and the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in 1865, the bill to abolish slavery, ex-slaves still suffered from harsh discrimination. The topic of slavery and the reparations to the descendants of those slaves is a complicated one. The decision to support or deny slave reparations affects millions of people: those who will receive payment and those who will pay. The argument presented in this essay will display that reparations for slavery are not only complicated but impossible to accurately distribute. The lack of historical documentation and the impact on those who were uninvolved in the institution of slavery that will have to pay the price will display some of the many reasons why reparations simply should not happen.
First of all, reparations for the descendants of slaves are hard to justify with all the complications that follow. One objection to reparations is the large majority of Americans that are not descendants of slaves or slave owners. Numbers of Americans ...

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...nvolvement of the taxpaying immigrants who came after slavery was abolished only begin to describe the arguments against slave reparations. Understanding the arguments for slave reparations is essential to forming an educated opinion. No matter which side one decides to advocate, slave reparations remain a very important topic to consider due to the vast amount of people involved. The moral, ethical, and legal issues surrounding this topic will continue on for eternity. It is up to the reader to critically think and form the most well rounded opinion he or she can.

Works Cited
Bowman, Jeffery and Laura Finley., “Reparations for Slavery: An Overview.” Points of view: Reparations For Slavery. 2013. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 20 Mar 2014.
Brophy, Alfred L., “The Cultural War over Reparations for Slavery.” DePaul Law Review. 2004. Web. 26 Mar 2014.

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