Slavery Should Be Abolished Dbq Essay

Throughout history, the institution slavery was the major issue that faced the United States, especially in the South. Such valuable property required rules to protect it. However, many individuals were against slavery and promoted abolition in a variety of ways. At the same time, the government created rules to handle the issue of slavery. It is important to understand how people could impose such deprivation and inequity on others. We as people, should take acknowledge of this inhumane period of our history so that it does not occur again.

Slaves have had many denied basic human rights. They had no freedom and had no power to control their own lives. In fact, according to Frederick Douglass he explains that in law, a slave has no wife, no children, and no home. The slaves couldn’t even possess, own, or even acquire anything. In addition, the slaves were on the same auction advertisement as land and corn. In other words, the slaveholders saw slaves as property. According to document 4, most slaves on the slave ship to their voyage to America jumped overboard. Those slaves preferred

death rather than a death of misery.
Slaveholders had the right to use the whip, the chain, the gag, the thumb-screw, the pillory, the knife, the pistol, and the bloodhound.

They were all necessary parts of the system. However, the reason why slaveholders denied slaves basic human rights was because it ensured good behavior. Punishing them with these weapons made a slave stay humble and motivated. Those weren’t the only devices the slaveholders had, there were also the iron mask and collar. Slaves were usually forced to wear the collar to prevent the field workers from running away. The iron mask was made to prevent them from eating the crops they were raising. These devices were horrifyingly unpleasant for slaves to wear because it caused extreme pain. Overall, the most common form of punishment used on slaves was beatings with a whip. Some slaves were unable to work for months because of how vicious their beatings

were.
Enslaved people were valued at every stage of their lives, from before birth until death. Unfortunately, the institution of slavery had lasted longer than it should have. Having no power to control your own life along with no ability to protect your family members from violent treatment is something no one should experience. All in all, I believe that slavery was the most inhumane and cruel period throughout American History. The issue of slavery shouldn’t have even existed. No human being should be given denied basic human rights. We all deserve to have basic human rights despite our skin color.