Slavery As A Form Of Punishment

Slavery has long inspired controversy among historians. Many have different views on slavery whether it was slaves lived under kind masters, or slavery was a brutal system that drove slaves into constant rebellion, but neither viewpoint is accurate although both contain some truth in it. Many masters wanted to earn profit off of slaves no matter what because some masters were kind causing the slaves to develop genuine affection for their owners. Although slaves had affection for owners they did not even question themselves when deciding to desert to Union lines when northern troops descended on the plantations during the Civil War. The experience of slaves working on cotton plantations in the 1830s and 1700s differed because of reasons unrelated to the kindness or brutality of masters. More of reasons like the plantation system, the work and discipline, the slave family, and the longevity, health, and diet of slaves.

Slavery as a Cruel Institution Cruelty can be defined as an inhumane action done to an individual or group of people that causes either physical or mental harm. Slavery, at its very core, was a cruel and inhumane institution. From the idea behind it to the way that it was enforced, it degraded the lives of human beings and forbade the basic liberties that every man deserves under the Constitution of the United States. Three major areas where cruelty was especially prevalent were in the slaves working conditions, living conditions, and loss of fundamental freedoms. Working conditions for slaves were about as bad as can possibly be imagined. Slaves worked from dawn till dusk and sometimes even longer. Solomon Northrup describes his

Slaves were an economic positive but a social negative in history. They helped the economics of the country thrive and grow, but it was also a insult of a race. Africans also had a history that they should have been proud to have. Instead, they were denied their heritage and were made to be ashamed of the people that they were. The development of slavery was the white slave owners ' way to maintain control of the growing population of Africans, socially and industrially. If the slaves were confined to the fields of the plantations for supervision, the whites would remain dominant race and maintain their theory of "white supremacy." It also freed the slave owners from the worries of labor

During the time prior to the twentieth century our world accepted slavery as a normal part of life. Aphra Behn and Phillis Wheatley, both female authors born about 100 years apart, had their own views of slavery and wrote poems and stories about the subject. These women were physically different, Aphra was a Caucasian, and Phillis was an African American, and their lives were rather different as well. Aphra was a spy and playwright, who lived the middle class life and Phillis, was a slave who was taken from her homeland, brought to America, sold into slavery, then later freed. I believe that both writers’ views were difficult to figure out, especially by just reading their works.

In the 1800s slavery wasn’t a new concept in America. The sad truth was that this way of life in the “Old South” was normal. Many challenged it, some thought it was the only way, that slavery was natural way of living and blacks were only seen as property. In the era of slavery, most people often wonder if it could’ve ever have been prevented. Another aspect is that slavery was inevitable and that in a twisted way it made us better. With all these questions, and twisting of views one thing is for certain, it’s a part of our history, we are taught about it and it happened. It’s up to us to make sure we never get back to this “way of life” or the idea of slavery as normal.

Slavery has always been one of the most, if not the most, shocking phenomenons of our world. Slavery, by itself seems very unnatural and entices mixed feelings various different people especially in our country during the 1800s which had been divided into the north and south due to this controversial issue. In the north, for the most part, people had believed that slaves had the right to be free and slavery was unjust which is why it was abolished in 1804. This differed from the south in that generally, it was believed that the slaves were incapable of doing anything other than slavery and thus should be kept as they are that is until 1865 when the 13th amendment ended slavery in the south. Some people, however, are descendants of those who used to be slaves years ago. Some faced “slavery”, or forced labor that would classify as the equivalent of slavery, even in the contemporary times. While others simply do not understand the possibility of one human being considering another human being its slave. By definition, slavery is one of the first historical forms of exploitation, under which a slave becomes the private property of the slave owner. In other words slavery converts an individual human being into a “belonging”, if you could call it that. This phenomenon has done a lot of harm to millions of people, in that it takes away lives and destroys the fate of the people who could have otherwise been happy. It is common knowledge that slavery was

Virgina has differences and similarities when it comes to slave narratives. To explain further, this is why the details and experiences that these ex-slaves gave in describing the institution of slavery and the practice of slavery are tremendously important because Virginia became a royal colony, the first in English history. However, the English kings were occupied with affairs at home, the Virginia house of burgesses was able to continue its functions and won formal recognition in the late 1630s. Thus, representative government under royal domain was assured. By 1641, when Sir William Berkeley became governor, the colony was well established and extended on both sides of the James up to its falls.

In 1739 Hutchinson's store was robbed for their ammunition and guns. Two shopkeepers were killed. Plantations were burned down. The African armies destination was Fort Mose. There was 20 men. While marching, they played drums to gain more Africans in their army. Nearly 100 people joined by the Afternoon. They never made it to fort Mose because an armed group caught up to them and the Africans faced a brutal death. South Carolina banned drumming and education for slaves, and made gruesome punishments for runaway slaves because of this incident.

In the average American’s eyes, there is always assumptions made about slavery and the nature of slavery. Slavery was something that many people relied on for centuries. It is not something that can be easily forgotten and the importance of it cannot be understated. Slavery was simply the bondage of peoples who were then forced into labor on farms or in the city. Believe it or not, slavery did exist outside the standard cotton plantation and tobacco farms in the South. Slavery was all over the southern part of the country whether on a farm or in the ever-expanding cities. Slaves could also be found in small farms and towns.

The movement to eliminate slavery in the United States during the antebellum years was difficult and did not go unchallenged as there were many people who were pro-slavery while others were anti-slavery. Before the Civil War there was debate over the issue of slavery. Slaves were considered property, and were property because they were black. Many people in the South were strong advocates of slavery, while people in the North were opposed to it. In the South, slavery was a social and powerful economic institution. During this period in the south Pro-Slavery activists did not empathize with the system and conditions the

I want to ad just a little about my own opinion. Slavery is an institution. It ruins lives or makes them better and is not a 50/50 profet. This is the truth about slavery it happened every where not just America but only in America are people so unwilling to just let things be. An example wouldbe the Jewish ancesters were slaves to the Egyptians but their desndants don't go to egypt and demand the pyramids that they built. But we hear all the time about what the " White Americans" did to the " Black Americans" . There are colleges just for the blacks as they still call themselves the minority. And there are easier college etrence exams for the black because they are underprivlaged.

The institution of slavery dates back before written records. The term slave was originally a derivative from the historical French and Latin medieval word for Slavic people of central and Eastern Europe. [ (wikipedia, 2010) ] In North America, the class system is systematically at the root of every socioeconomic and political issue resulting in Super companies, multibillionaires and the formation of lobbyists and special interest groups; there always has and always will be the have and have-nots. Unfortunately, for African Americans who have historically been the have-nots, that does not seem to have changed as evidenced by recent events like the Jenna 6. African Americans have a history uniquely

“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.

It’s common knowledge that slavery was made illegal in the United States by the 13th amendment to the constitution, in 1865. However, it is less widely known that the 13th amendment still allows slavery as a punishment for crime. If a person commits an illegal act, it is perfectly constitutional to enslave them. This forced labor is one of the most profitable industries to the United States. The blatant exploitation of prisoners by the U.S. government must be put to an end.