The Issue of Slavery in America

It is easy to see that slavery affected the agriculture in the United Sates, and how the labor of slaves was important to the growing crop of the Unites States, especially the South. The South was notorious for its vigorous production of tobacco, rice, sugar and cotton, as well as other world agriculture as well. Although the population of the south was a mere 30% the size of the north, in 1861 they grew more than one third of the corn, one sixth the wheat, four fifths the peas and beans and over half of the tobacco in the United Sates. That amount of production in the South was phenomenal, which made it simple to overlook the labor that they used. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation revolutionizing the country, the economy of the South remained stunted and the emancipated slaves were unable to fain economic freedom.

The question of slavery and the rights of states to decide on the matter for themselves completely controlled politics in the years prior to the Civil War. Laws were passed, such as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which made it so any slaves that escaped were to be sent back to their owners. Not only would these runaway slaves be punished severely, but anybody who aided them in escape would also be subject to harsh punishment. These desperate men, women, and children had no protection in the legal system and were left with no options in life other than escape. Many of these escapees had to watch friends and family be beaten, sold, or even killed and were expected to work just as hard, like nothing had happened. After losing everything, it

In modern society, people often try for minority groups to feel equal to majorities, however, when slavery existed, blacks were undermined and denied many freedoms entitled to them under the Constitution. There were many topics argued about, but slavery caused the most dispute within the country. In the 1850’s, the pro-slavery South and the anti-slavery North collided when the case of Dred Scott, a black slave who attempted to gain liberation, was brought to court. The North and South had vastly different views on the subject of slavery, Scott had resided in the free state of Illinois with his master, illegally, after being taken from the slave state of Missouri. His residency in Illinois, which was a free state, automatically nullified

The north was an industrious society. It encouraged industry and business. The south lacked in industry. It attracted anti-slavery groups by opposing the growth of slavery into new territories. The north didn’t understand how slavery didn’t cause for growth in industrialism, social advancements and education. The north produced iron and steel, while the south was mainly producing cotton. North thought that free labor was more efficient than slavery, because the slaves did not have encouragements to do the work so they did the bare

Southern political leaders became convinced that the institution of slavery was under attack by the North, especially by Lincoln and the Republican party. The southern states did not want Abraham Lincoln to win the Election of 1860. Lincoln was a Republican and the Republican Party opposed slavery. Lincoln never said he wanted to end slavery in the South and did not believe anyone had the right to do so, yet he did not want to see slavery spread to other parts of the United States. Unless slavery could spread, the slave population in the South would become too large. In time, blacks and whites would battle for control where one or the other would be destroyed. This idea of leaving the Union split North and South just as much as slavery. Southerners claimed they had the right to secede peacefully. Northerners disagreed saying that secession was treason and that it would lead to civil war. Debates grew over slavery between the North and South but a compromise wad necessary for advancing.

Thomas Jefferson expressed a variety of ideas on slavery in America in his book Notes on the State of Virginia. One of the ideas that stood out to me was the intellectual and artistic ability of the black slave being put into question if the slave can learn like a white man. Jefferson compares the condition of the Native Americans who were never essentially enslaved, to the slave who also never taught how to be skilled in certain crafts. Jefferson analyzes what it means to be “robbed “of what it means to be educated in a world where whites reigned superior to the black person. Overall, Jefferson acknowledges the differences but does not purpose any kind of effective solution.

Ranging from a necessary evil to a positive good, the perception of slavery proved to be a polarizing issue. Many northern citizens were indifferent to the idea of slavery, while southern plantation owners relied on slavery to support their economies. After the Second Great Awakening, the abolition movement was introduced and opposition to slavery began to receive attention. Due to political ideals, acquisition of new American territories, and religious influences, opposition to slavery grew rapidly in the United States from 1776 to 1852.

As the century drew to a close new innovations were being created every day. Things such as the cotton gin were being created and as industry grew so did the reliance of railroads for transportation, thus sparking a catalyst that could aid the work force. This was especially important for those living in the United States as it was a relatively new, yet thriving country that was rapidly becoming an economic threat to countries that dominated the world for centuries. While the northern parts of the United States were quickly catching on to a blossoming new century, there was still an old custom being practiced in the south that was widely outdated, slavery. The “necessary evil” was soon becoming a thing of the past, and while the north seemed to be flourishing the south was still grounded in the outdated custom that was long overdue and kept those tied down to it in bondage. Slavery was no longer a needed institution and its insinuation not only hindered the south, but of the overall growth of the United States.

The use of African American slaves began in the Mid-17th century. According to the U.S. Census of 1790, the United States had a population of 3.8 million people; from which 700,000 of them were slaves, that is 18 percent of the entire population. The state of Virginia had the largest population of slaves. Virginia alone had 300,000 slaves. In South Carolina, 43 percent of the entire population was slaves ( Zambelli). It all makes sense because in the year of 1790, the average household owned 2-6 slaves. Some families owned a larger farm or had larger plantation fields and they could own up to two-hundred slaves (Walbert). People owned slaves not just for the economic advantages that they produced but also for racial prejudice. “Southern whites were convinced that slavery was necessary … because freed blacks would be savages and a threat to white survival” (Zambelli).

Slavery has been a notable time in America’s history, but the often forgotten free blacks, who had endured the struggle of being thrown into a herd of another kind are now being questioned. To be free is to have the power to do as one wishes, which was how free blacks lived in the North given the help of a small population. Not every white man’s right was equally given to free blacks, yet all were free to live their lives. A few had significantly, put their say into politics, made a social standing through peer interaction, and gained education by breaking the mighty economic barrier.

In 1619 there was a Dutch ship that arrived in America to trade humans for food. These humans were Africans who were not treated as normal human beings. On the voyage over to America, they were crammed into the lower level of the ship. They were forbidden to move and had to remain lying down. For those on the ship to be sure that this was happening they had put chains on the large group of slaves or indented servants, historians are unsure. If anyone had become ill on the journey they went overboard. Due to all of the treachery the Africans had to go through, millions of them died. Those who made it, were immediately sold to Americans who used them to work. They were sold to anyone who wanted them, regardless of whether they had a

Lincoln believed that the United States of America was headed down one of two paths; all citizens will accept slavery as a normal law, or we will stop this unconstitutional act. The United States of America will be divided over this political issue based on various reasons.

When people think of America, they think of a Christian country. Going all the way back to the beginning of the history of North America, many colonists came for religious reasons, most notably the Pilgrims, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 seeking refuge from the persecution by the Church of England because of their separatist beliefs. They saw America as a place where they could settle and be free to worship God how they saw fit. This idea was prevalent in early American history, including in the amending of the Constitution of the United States of America. Freedoms of all kind, including religion, were so important to Americans at the time that they put them in the first amendment of the Bill of Rights: that “Congress

The United States of America was founded on the principle of justice and equality for all. Unfortunately, people have come to think that blatant injustice is necessary for the strength and prosperity of the Union. This is simply not true. There is no way a great nation can operate on the basis of such an inequality that is slavery. The injustice of slavery should not even exist in our country, let alone expand to the western territories. It does not matter if the citizens support the concept of slavery it is the government’s duty to uphold moral values, and thus, slavery can not be permitted in the United States.

It all began when African Kings supplied slaves to Europe Which built their fortunes from the trade. The Africans were captured by the stronger tribes and because of that the Africans were encouraged to go to war against each other fighting in the fear of capture. Africa had got their goods from Europe and sent their slaves to America