Evils Of Slavery

The reality of black’s service to the patriot cause in revolutionary America led most northern states to emancipate their slaves during or immediately after the war. Vermont provided for immediate emancipation in its 1777 constitution and by 1780, Pennsylvania enacted gradual emancipation. However, New York still heavily relied on slave labor in the city through the 1780s and this lead to the resistance of gradual emancipation in their state constitution or in legislative actions.

Many Americans started to feel that slavery was wrong, and wanted it outlawed. In US Constitution on banning the slave trade, it states “there was a push to eliminate the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and slavery itself, amongst many Americans”(Document J). This shows that although slavery did not completely end until 1865, many Americans wished it gone. This was an enormous change from before the revolution, because before, most Americans either owned slaves or did not care about slavery. In fact, some states, such as Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, abolished or made efforts to abolish slavery within five years after the American Revolution(Document K). In Massachusetts, slavery was outlawed because of the Mum Bett or Brom and Bett v. Ashley case. This case brought to light how slavery was made illegal by the Massachusetts Constitution(Document R). This was revolutionary because slaves were finally getting freedom after several hundred years of

Slavery has existed for eons in human history, as we can trace slavery back to Babylonian times. The African Blacks were definitely not the first to be enslaved. However, it seems as if they were indeed treated the worst by their white masters than had any slaves before them been treated. The stories of the horrendous treatment endured by many slaves for the simple wish to be free are horrendous and heartbreaking. I believe there is no person better qualified to inform the world of the horrors of slavery, and to stand behind the idea of abolition, besides a former slave. This man was able to rise above every adversity thrown at him, he taught himself how to read, he observed everything going on around him, and learned from those experiences.

Most people understand that slavery was a terrible thing, but most might not fully understand the struggles that free colored men and women endured as well. While slavery was legal, free men would often be kidnapped and forced into slavery, and sometimes slaves actually escape to freedom. If an African American was considered a free man, he or she had to get official documentations stating so. Even after the documents were given to them, some of them still found themselves as slaves. There are many different stories about slavery, but just because a slave escapes from slavery, does not mean he or she is free from a slave’s mindset. Although they were in different positions in life, slaves and free African Americans experienced the same hardships, fears, and daily struggles.

The American Revolution (1775-1783) begun as the British Government increased taxation and jurisdiction in America through several taxes, most notably the Sugar Act (1763), Stamp Act (1765), Tea Act (1773), and the Townshend Tariffs (1767), whilst not granting colonists representation within British Parliament. These rulings violated the natural rights to representation, financial freedom, and liberty of American colonists, which inspired outrage and opposition. As America went to war, politicians drafted the founding documents of the new nation, one of which being the U.S. Constitution. The new Constitution directly repealed the Articles of Confederation, and addressed important claims of natural rights and liberty: ideals that originally started the war. This essay argues that, despite satisfying claims of natural rights and liberty addressed by white American colonists, the Constitution (and subsequently the Bill of Rights) completely disregards the individual rights and liberties of slaves by protecting slavery, and by exacerbating the slave trade in America.

Thomas Jefferson had written in the Declaration of Independence that, “all men are created equal.” Also, every man has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In addition, several enlightenment thinkers in Europe believed in natural law, human progress, and a government made for the people, all of whom inspired Jefferson. Despite this, in 1716, 500,000 African slaves were kept in the Americas, and Jefferson was one of these people that owned slaves.

By the end of the war a motion was set in effect to change the status of American blacks. In 1783 Virginia legislature granted freedom to all slaves who served in the war. Manumission and antislavery societies grew after the war. The Vermont state constitution of 1777 outlawed slavery and 1783 the Massachusetts courts weakened the institution of slavery beyond recovery. High profile people began to speak out against slavery. Patriot soldiers were set free once enlistment at the end of their service. In the North states began to adopt laws to abolish

The Revolutionary War transformed life for those in Britain’s American colonies. Amid the disorder American society changed and institutions adapted, while the American people’s values shifted. Unlike their beliefs prior to the Revolutionary War, most Americans stopped condoning slavery during and after the war, as it contradicted the principle of liberty that America was founded on. Widespread disapproval could not end slavery and its underlying racism in the U.S., for the economy had become dependent on slave labor, though it did yield more opportunities for slaves to gain their freedom. Before the war, Americans treated slaves inhumanely, viewing slaves as a way to make profit. Turmoil throughout the war allowed slaves to seize opportunities

Slaves fought on both sides during the war (Schultz, 2009). Some were promised freedom following the war, while others fled during the war. Progression towards abolishing slavery formally began after the war in the North, although it was a slow process. Even some of the south made advancements towards abolishment of slavery. Virginia and Maryland were able to willingly free their slaves. Eventually the freed slaves had built communities where escaped slaves could come to hide. Finally, the North legally set the abolishment into motion. Another key point is the five states in the North permitted African Americans to vote. Even more important is that by 1790, all states except Georgia and South Carolina outlawed importing slaves. Americans began to realize they had fought for liberty and freedom from the Crown, but yet contradictorily enslaved others taken their

Even the U.S. Constitution was written with freedom in mind, and the Bill of Rights established that all men were created equal, that is, except for slaves. Thomas Jefferson himself was a slave owner, proving him to be deeply hypocritical. During the seventeenth century, there was a clear adjustment in the outlook towards slaves. As opposed to discrimination towards all slaves, it was now mainly towards black slaves. In 1640, “three Virginia servants—two Europeans and one African—escaped from their masters. Upon recapture, a Virginia court ordered the European servants to serve their master for one more year and the African servant to serve his master … for the rest of his life” (Bouvier 4). Although all slaves were treated with disrespect, African slaves were treated with distinct hatred and contempt. The government was created to protect the rights of the people, but instead it forced its hateful, racist ideology into the lives of many. Racism and slavery continued to grow until the Civil War in America, breaking out on August 12, 1861. The war was between the slave owners of the south who believed it was their

Following the American Revolution (1775-1781), a new political movement called Republicanism took place. Republicanism was based on the ideology of liberty and equality, where the territory was no longer ruled by monarchy or aristocracy. The people were at the core of the Republicanism. The problem was finding balance within the social order of the population and their properties. African Americans used this movement as the reason why they should be treated as equal to others and have the same rights. How could slavery match with the concept of liberty? The concept of freedom, while enslaving others, was in fact a contradiction. While northern states started to prohibit slavery, the feeling of racism and diversity still persisted. Contrarily,

The revolutionary era focused the concern on equality for every individual including African Americans. Gradual emancipation laws were passed in many northern states of which freed many black slaves. The freeing of slaves also developed in many southern states. According to the Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery, “By 1810 one third of the African American population in Maryland was free, and in Delaware free blacks outnumbered enslaved African Americans by three to one. Even in the powerful slave state of Virginia, the free black population grew more rapidly than ever before in the 1780s and 1790s” (Revolutionary Changes,

Due to the many murders and mistreatment of people, slavery is one of the most horrific event that occurred in American history. However, subjection in the classroom is rarely discussed and that is why the public should be aware of the rape, abuse, malnourishment, and separation of families that occurred during the 1800’s. Having the people aware of the brutality that was given to Africans during the time of oppression can give people an understanding of the horrible things that were done during the 1800’s. It also shows what some people went through just because of their skin color and their race/nationality.

“The fact is, that civilization requires slaves. The Greeks were quite right there. Unless there are slaves to do the ugly, horrible, uninteresting work, culture and contemplation become almost impossible.” - OSCAR WILDE, The Soul of Man Under Socialism

Even though the slavery was introduced in the early 1600s, it had no doubt that the abolitionist inaugurated the movements about the slavery actively from early 1850s. The slavery became the essential part of industry in the South more than in the North because of the large plantations and slave trades. So in the Southerners’ perspective, the slave flourished the businesses with their inexpensive labor forces in order to profit; they argued slaves were by and large a culturally inferior, child-like people who were treated well by whites and thus content with their status in life. However, Uncle Tom’s Cabin described the slavery as an evil institution that must be abolished accurately from the historians today.