Essay about The Injustice of Slavery: A Peoples Resistance

Forms varied, but the common denominator in all acts of resistance was an attempt to claim some measure of freedom against an institution that defined people fundamentally as property. Perhaps the most common forms of resistance were those that took place in the work environment. After all, slavery was ultimately about coerced labor, and the enslaved struggled daily to define the terms of their work.

Both free and enslaved Africans were discriminated against in this time period but responded differently towards their challenges. African Americans found ways to cope with their situation one being religious gatherings (Doc D). They sang old traditional African songs and danced. By doing so, they can forget about life troubles for a moment and give themselves a sense of hope that someday they would by free. Some slaves where more violent than other and began rebellions against their white owners. The use of rebellion was inspired to them by the Bible and that God was pleading for their cause with earnestness and zeal (Doc G). Slaves who caused mischief was relocated deeper south where the treatment and condition was even worse. The Fugitive Slave Law forced the North to send back any slaves who escaped to the North in return for a reward. Slaves who tried to escape to the North were also relocated. By relocating them, the chances of escape decreased for them. Even

    When examining the time period of slavery in the U.S, it would be an extremely difficult task to provide examples of slaves that have submitted. For years slaves found  many different ways to fight against their oppression. From the start of slavery to the end of it, the vast majority of slaves never submitted themselves or gave up at all. Resistance to slavery can be seen very clearly in U.S history. Some common methods of slave resistance were escape/running away, violent uprisings

Slave as defined by the dictionary means that a slave is a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant. So why is it that every time you go and visit a historical place like the Hampton-Preston mansion in Columbia South Carolina, the Lowell Factory where the mill girls work in Massachusetts or the Old town of Williamsburg Virginia they only talk about the good things that happened at these place, like such things as who owned them, who worked them, how they were financed and what life was like for the owners. They never talk about the background information of the lower level people like the slaves or servants who helped take care and run these places behind the scenes.

In his narrative, Douglass expresses incredulity at the fact that onlookers could hear anything but the deepest sadness in these slave songs. Writes Douglass, “I have often been utterly astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake.” As suggested

Rebellion has always been the cornerstone of change. Wherever a rebellion has surfaced a change has soon followed, whether it is political change such as an overthrow of a government or just the overthrow of an oppressor such as a slaver. Some rebellions however are less justified than others; none more so than slave rebellions. Slavery in America was one of our biggest mistakes as a nation and was by far the most terrible time in African American history. However most slaves although poorly treated were given places to live and enough food to survive. They weren’t treated as people but as property and had about as many rights as a sack of potatoes. This led to most, if not all, slaves feeling a lot of animosity towards their owners. The more educated of slaves tried to find ways to get out of their servitude. When all peaceful means of getting out of their servitude had failed they went to flat out rebellion. Slave rebellions tended to be extremely violent and usually very rash. And when the rebellions were better planned they tended to be even more violent and disturbing. These rebellions however were completely unjustified and the slaves had no right to revolt the way they did.

Plantation/production resistance given the option, slaves made very clear that they wanted freedom. The vast majority of slaves, however, remained on their plantations in the countryside. Nevertheless, even these slaves in the Southern interior contrived to work considerably less than they had before the war. African Americans bled and struggled for their lives against slaveholding traitors. (Doc B)

Notwithstanding, not every one of their tunes were of divergence and misfortune. They additionally sang melodies communicating affection, delight, and expectation. Other than making utilization of verses as a type of articulation, African slaves utilized their stories and spirituals to beat their proprietors. This shrewd strategy included the death of fundamental data concerning meeting spots, plans, or risks through the real songs and stories. They could finish this by the utilization of concealed importance in their words and a

Douglass corrects white reader’s misconceptions about the slave’s assumed happiness by illustrating the song’s true meaning through his personal experience “within the circle.” Douglass is astounded that northerners believed they were singing songs out of happiness; he says, “I have often been astonished, since I came to the north, to find persons who could speak of the singing, among slaves, as evidence of their contentment and happiness. It is impossible to conceive of a greater mistake” (26). Douglass explains that the songs create a common experience among all slaves. Therefore, those outside the circle are ignorant to believe that their songs are out of happiness or contempt. In actuality, “slaves sing most when they are the most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears” (26). Douglass makes it clear that slaves are actually evident on a sub-conscious level of deep unhappiness. The singing is a coping mechanism, per say, to the aching hearts. The songs are not a pastime

Many historians believe that there is little to learn about the actions of slaves since they themselves provided little to no writings. Although slaves were unable to provide any written experiences, historians today are still able to learn about their actions through various forms of resistance. Several methods of resistance were common, such as running away, resisting daily labor, organizing large scale uprisings, and even the formation of slave codes. All of the instances depict the actions of slaves during this time and the impact they had.

The Visionaries were fighting against slavery and for women’s rights. The participants were the American Anti-Slavery Society. The two major participants were abolitionist William Garrison and his opponents Lewis Tappan who had a dispute about the women’s rights and slavery. This event took place between the two national anti slavery societies in 1840 in London.

Every-day acts of resistance included breaking tools, destroying livestock and other property, talking back to their owners and so forth, and though they had no long-term effect on the slave system, they encouraged many slaves to stand up for themselves, which slowly contributed to the elimination of slavery. Arson, homicide and armed rebellions were a few examples of long-term resistance which had a continuing effect on the slave system. When looking at both types of resistance, one may think they contradict each other but they often help each other out. Every-day acts of resistance can become so frequent that they help encourage slaves to come up with more ambitious ideas of rebellion that can later develop into long-terms acts of resistance.

There has been much debate on the topic of slavery in the early times, although most of the countries considered slavery as a criminal activity. Some countries such as Myanmar and Sudan do not abolish it. They even expedite the slavery system. It is no doubt that slavery violent the human rights. However, it was commonly spread in the early times from 17th to 19th century. In this research, I will talk about the origin of the slavery, the reasons for people to becoming slave and the life of the slave.

I believe all the listed forms of resistance were effective however the consequences which they bore varied. To illustrate, revolts which were comprised of violence ,rebellion and the destruction of the plantations property, The consequence dwelled unto slaves who partook in this form of resistance were severally penalized. However, forms of resistance such as feigning stupidity, marooning and religion were quite effective without the grave ramifications.

Throughout the three-hundred years that slavery was exercised in the United States, there were many forms of resistance to the horrors it entailed. Everything from acts of sabotage, poor work, feigning illness, arson, poisoning, and running away to the North were used to undermine the institution (Foner;Garraty). Perhaps one of the most prolific and impactful forms of resistance to slavery were the numerous rebellions and revolts (Foner;Garraty). Although many revolts were put down quickly after their initiation, a select few significant political effects. The Gloucester Conspiracy, the South Carolina “Stono