Category: Slavery

The debate over the issues surrounding slavery in the 1850s still rages. Many people have set out to unravel the reason behind the then civil war that saw the shading of blood of a significant number of innocent people. The war was between the Southern and the Northern states, where slavery prevail.

While the Southern states sought to preserve their prevailing agricultural and slavery ways of life, the Northern states were after nurturing a new way of life, free of slavery. These outstanding differences compelled people to address slavery as a subject majoring on its causes. Among the many causes associated with slavery, political, cultural, moral, and economical causes underscore the major causes.

However, as primary sources unfold, virtually all the debates over slavery in the 1850s were dominated by economics, rather than morals. It is rather interesting to find out that, even from the arguments of those who associate slavery with morals, rather than economics, the issue of economics stands out in their debate. For instance, one reason that explains the stance of the Northerners concerning slavery is that they wanted to nurture unity and free labour against their southern counterparts.

Labour and economy remained intertwined in that; the former was a factor that determined the state of the latter. Therefore, building on this argument, it suffices to infer that, the causes of slavery cannot be sufficient without addressing the issue of economics. The entry of the Negros to America was a major cause of the Civil War; a war founded on nothing but slavery.

The reason behind the entry of these people was no more than economy based. They played a significant role as far as trade was concerned in those days. Therefore, economics could not be divorced from any slavery debate for it was the sole issue affecting all the political powers of that time.

Scholars single out economical differences between the two states as the cause of the slavery in those days. As the two competed in maintaining their economic statuses, slave trade turned out as one way out.

Revealing the economic gain from slavery, the Southerners were deeply rooted on slavery since it was more profitable than any other form of trade. In other words, it boosted their economic well-being significantly. Without slavery, the Southerners economy would crumble. There existed another category of people, who claimed that slavery was an outcome of the differences in geographical regions.

While some regions remained agriculturally fit, other had rugged landscapes that could not allow any agricultural practise. Following the significant contribution of agriculture in the then economy, the agriculturally challenged regions had to offer labour, sufficient to maintain this economy. As the debates about slavery unfolded, it was all about economy that slavery found its way.

In conclusion, 1850s stands out as a period marked by raging debates over slavery. People have pointed out various causes of slavery; some associate it with politics and immorality, while others associate it with culture as well as economics. As the debate over slavery continued, economics remained dominant.

Hoarding material possessions is a ghost that has haunted human beings for a long time. Morality could not find its way in at a time when material possessions surpassed human lives. Regardless of what different people perceive the dominant subject surrounding slavery, it is evident that economics and not morality dominated slavery debates in the 1850s. People of that time were not concerned about morality; all they cared was their economical well-being.

Introduction

Although more than a century has passed since the government abolished slavery, still its effects are evident in the contemporary America, because of the demand from a section of the American society to give reparations to blacks for the atrocities their ancestors suffered.

Slavery was a practice that was allowed by the law of the historical southern United States, from the time that the Britons colonized America in the 17^th century, until the time of the civil war of 1861-1865, when the practice started diminishing. Although most black slaves suffered under the hands of their white masters, they played a crucial role of making the U.S. to be what it is today, because of their active role in the building of major U.S. cities, and even the white house.

Due to the extreme suffering that the black slaves went through, and the fact that, the U.S. government took a very long time to apologize to the Black community; there has been numerous campaigns to compensate the surviving families of victims of slavery. Generally, reparations campaigns are majorly based on the assumption that, the nonblack taxpayers should pay the blacks a certain amount of compensations, them being the primary heirs of the wealth that their ancestors acquired during slavery.

Yes, no one can deny that black slaves suffered under the tyrannical rule of their white masters, and it is purely wrong that the U.S. government took a very long time to apologize and offer help to then slaves, to ease their suffering. However, why should the present white taxpayers pay for the atrocities committed by their ancestors, some of whom they do not even know? Further, the present America is a mixed race society; hence, tracing the descendants of the black slaves is very challenging activity.

On the other hand, it will be so unfair to impose the burden of paying reparations to one section of the American society, while forgetting that, its only small portion of the historical whites who had slaves; hence, what of those families that never had slaves. (Olson Para. 2-14) Considering these, although every individual acknowledges that slavery made many Blacks to suffer, the government should not offer any reparations to African-Americans, to compensate for the suffering their ancestors suffered.

Why There Should Be No Paying Of Reparations to Blacks

Frankly speaking, most activities of slavery were morally degrading, violated numerous human rights, and caused extreme suffering to the slaves. Therefore, to some extent the claim of paying some reparations to the surviving families of African-American ancestors is correct. However, one thing that most proponents of the Reparation campaign forget is that, slavery was a historical activity that was lawful, and majority of those who the tyrannical treatment of white masters are survived by families of mixed races (whites included).

Therefore, one critical question that most proponents have failed to provide solutions to is; who will the government compensate for the suffering of the historical black community. Historically, not all whites promoted the practice, as there was a group of whites who opposed the practice, for example, the Abolitionists and the Union Army members. Most members of these two groups also suffered under the tyrannical rule of the white masters.

Hence, it will be so unfair to make their generation pay for a practice that their ancestors struggled and lost their lives fighting to be abolished. On the other hand, one thing that most proponents of reparation assume is that, it is only the blacks who lost their lands; hence, the tendency of most of them proposing that, the government should give African-American tracks of lands as compensation.

In making this assumption, most supporters of reparation tend to forge that, the historical slavery injustices were also done to whites, more so those who lived in the fertile Southeastern sections of the colonial U.S. Considering this, allocating some portions of land, will be like repeating what the white oppressors did during the slavery period, because some white families resettled ion their ancestry land.

Further, it is important fro individual to note that, some perpetrators of the practice were blacks themselves (more so the freed slaves) after the civil war; hence, paying a certain portion of the American society will mean that, the government is paying those who promoted the practice, rather than the real suffers (Horowitz 1-2).

In addition to difficulties of identifying the real sufferers of the slavery, there is no practical evidence that links slavery with the current problems that the African-Americans face. Most supporters of the reparation ideology assume that, the current problems facing African-Americans are a result of the historical injustices that individuals in this community faced during the slave trade period.

Yes, this might be right because of the practical evidence of how much African-Americans have struggles to be where they are social, economically, and politically. However, it has been more than a decade since the abolishment of slave trade, and many blacks have rose to high levels of political and economic power, regardless of what their ancestors went through.

Considering this, why should a community endowed with all the necessary resources to better their lives blame their suffering on a practice that ceased to exist over one hundred and fifty years ago? Take for example the West Indian Blacks; this group has endeavored to promote its economic wellbeing, and their efforts have gained good fruits, as most West Indians earn almost the same incomes as their white counterparts.

On the other hand, since the adoption on the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, the American government has dedicated numerous funds to those it considers the disadvantages in the society (where the black community are the majority).

Most of these funds are in form of college bursaries, welfare benefits, and economic stimulus packages (Block 56-68). Therefore, the economic assumption largely lacks a base of expression hence, for fairness purposes; there should no compensations to the black community.

On the other hand, considering the fact that, Reparations are likely to favor certain groups within the American society, this can be very detrimental to the peaceful coexistence of the American people.

That is, considering the fact that, most reparation funds should come from the white taxpayer community, likelihoods of racism increasing are high, as this may make one group to feel oppressed of forced to suffer for mistakes they never committed. One thing that most supporters of the reparation ideology forget to acknowledge is that, some whites and some members of the black community came to the U.S. after slavery had long been abolished (Munford 413-432).

Due to this, one question that always arises is that; which group of whites should pay or contribute to the reparation kitty, and how can it be identified? Therefore promoting this like an ideology can greatly endanger the nature of relationships that exist between the entire American community; hence, the need to do away completely with the reparation ideology.

Conclusion

In conclusion, because of the numerous negative effects associated with the reparation ideology for individuals to accept that, it is not a good idea to give reparations to blacks, as this may lead to more wars between different ethnic groups that make the American continent.

The future of this debate depends on the acceptance of the entire American society to face the real facts about reparation, and accepting the fact that, although its a good way of compensating for those who suffered under the tyrannical rule of slave masters, majority of the sufferers are dead and the American community has become more multiracial. Therefore, paying certain communities can be very suicidal, as it is likely to disturb the peace America enjoys.

To deal with the issue appropriately, it is important for the government to formulate restorative justice policies that will promote love, peace, and development in the U.S. Yes it is so hard to reconcile and make all American Groups to be at par, economically, socially, and politically; however, if the government can offer its citizenry enough economic stimulating programs, likelihoods of the gap that exists between the whites and blacks is likely to reduce.

Dwelling in the history of injustice, is as equal as starting racial wars between Americans; hence, the government should instead formulate programs that are acceptable by all Americans. This can be of great help in mending the damaged relationships that exist between different groups of different ethnic backgrounds that make the American continent (Walker 382-390).

Works Cited

Block, Walter. On reparations to Blacks fro slavery. Human Rights Review. 2002. Web.

Horowitz, David. Ten reasons why reparations fro blacks is a bad idea fro blacks and racists too. Front Page Magazine, 2001. Web.

Munford, Clarence. A black perspective for the 21^st century. New Jersey: Africa World Press, 1996. Web.

Olson, Walter. Reparations, R.I.P. The Street Journal Autumn. 2008. Web.

Walker, Margaret. Restorative and reparations. Journal of Social Philosophy, 37.3 (2006): 377-395. Web.

The question of reparations is by no means new, but a new impetus to the discussion of this topic was given by the activation of the Black Lives Matter movement. All of the Democratic presidential candidates in the upcoming US presidential elections have addressed this issue in their speeches. Several organizations have publicly apologized for their involvement in this shameful page of the past. However, activists believe that this is not enough, and raise the issue of reparations. This paper analyzes the articles and videos on reparations and discusses the practicability of this issue.

According to the BBC article Should Black Americans Get Slavery Reparations?, these claims are based on the idea that not only the victims themselves but also their descendants have the right to compensation for the harm. This article has a brief history and timeline of slavery and discusses the cases for and against reparations (Should Black Americans Get Slavery Reparations?). On the one hand, reparations aim to end inequality between white and black populations. If black lives are really important, slogans and symbolic gestures do not work, but the government must pay the debt. On the other hand, the possibility of such reparations can worsen relations between the representatives of different races.

Robert Johnson also considers that the US government must make reparations for slavery to address racial inequality. As understood from the CNBC Television video BET Founder Calls for $14 Trillion of Reparations for Slavery, the founder of RLJ Companies believes that slavery has given rise to a legacy of racial harm (CNBC Television). It continues to affect the living conditions of blacks in the United States. He has pointed to the higher number of homeless, unemployed, and convicted people among African Americans (CNBC Television). His main argument is that the effects of slavery are still felt in the form of economic and educational inequalities that need to be eliminated.

The issue of paying reparations to the descendants of slaves in the United States has caused heated debate in Congress. According to the article Reparations Proposal Called a Sham by Black Activists, the presidential candidates position is ambiguous. Some potential Democratic candidates support reparations; however, Project 21 member Donna Jackson states that reparations for every African American is economically impractical (Reparations Proposal Called a Sham by Black Activists). Reparations would be offensive to many black Americans, and they will only further split the country and make it harder to build the political coalitions needed to address the problems facing black people today.

The video The Opinion Talk Show: Should Blacks Get Reparations for Slavery? confirms the idea that what some people did to others 200 years ago has nothing to do with modern people. Moreover, it would be unfair to take money from todays taxpayers for reparations for the misconduct of a small group of Americans who lived in the distant past (Santiago). Therefore, Moise Koffi says that discrimination is aside, and society as a whole is likely not to accept the arguments for reparations, considering issues related to slavery a part of history.

The issue of reparations for slavery has ceased to be only a theoretical topic for discussion by essayists, economists, and historians. It has become a key topic in the 2020 US elections and a part of the political course of the US Democratic Party. The main candidates in the presidential race support the idea itself and the H.R.40 bill associated with it (Reparations Proposal Called a Sham by Black Activists). However, those who negatively react to the idea of reparations usually understand the scale of this financial burden. While it is unfair to extend the sins of fathers to their descendants, and this argument is certainly valid, there is more to this negative backlash in the discussion of reparations for black Americans.

The question is not whether modern white people are descended from oppressors and slave owners. The question is even not whether they are somehow directly responsible for paying for the crimes of their ancestors. The reality is that the nation has been using a certain group of people for slave labor for several hundred years, and then deprived them of their rights for another hundred years. It extended full civil rights to that population at the federal level only about 50 years ago. In the United States, the abolition of slavery was followed by a hundred years of inequality and segregation, especially in the south of the country. However, the discussion of making up for this abuse and exploitation is openly ridiculed.

The former colonial powers must repair the damage caused by centuries of violence and discrimination. The total number of victims of the slave trade is difficult to estimate, but not demanding the return of this money from the United States means not respecting the sacrifices made by the black ancestors. The state bears most of the blame because it created an environment in which individuals, organizations, and companies could participate in slavery and colonialism. Therefore, even if the direct distribution of money to the descendants of the blacks is not envisaged, various areas must be financed, and jobs must be created. Reparations should mean funding the health and education system, increasing affordable housing, and creating new jobs for black people.

Works Cited

CNBC Television. BET Founder Calls for $14 Trillion of Reparations for Slavery. YouTube, 2020, Web.

Reparations Proposal Called a Sham by Black Activists. American Renaissance, 2019, Web.

Santiago, Mirna M. The Opinion Talk Show: Should Blacks Get Reparations for Slavery? YouTube, 2013, Web.

Should Black Americans Get Slavery Reparations? BBC News, 2019, Web.

Introduction

The Antebellum Period is an era in American history that was characterized by slavery and the slave trade. The period was witnessed just before the civil war of 1812, although historians believe that it extended in the years after the war. [1]It was the time when American society was divided into those in support of and against slavery. During the same period, America was slowly shifting into industrialization. While the Northern part of the country began manufacturing, the Southerners focused on cotton plantations and agricultural production. At that time, industrialization increased the demand for cheap labor. [2] Slaves provided a free workforce during this era hence they were highly preferred by farmers and white settlers. In this case, slavery was widespread for Southerners since they owned most of the plantations. The South relied on slavery for economic prosperity and used the wealth acquired from plantations with slaves as laborers to justify slavery and the slave trade.

History and Background Information

Slavery refers to a system whereby they are owned as property by other people. The Slave trade can be compared to the human trafficking menace in the modern-day. Slavery in the US commenced as early as the 17th century and continued to spread all over the countrys states. [3] The main reason why the practice was prevalent during the Antebellum period is that slaves provided the cheap labor that could be used in sugar, cotton, and coffee plantations. Despite the horror and adversity associated with the term slavery, it is evident that they played an enormous role in the growth of many world economies at the turn of the 18th century.

During the Antebellum period, the main sources of slavery were either Native Americans or poor white servants who originated mainly from Europe. Although it was a lucrative kind of trade, it had its limitations. Native Americans could easily escape from their areas of work because they were familiar with the terrain where they worked. [4] The poor whites, on the other hand, were considered free after working for a few years as a result of decreased indentured servitude. In most cases, African Americans were segregated on the basis of their skin color, race, or ethnic identity. Blackness was a symbol of evil, a sign of danger and repulsion. [5] This statement basically depicts how being black was considered a curse and white a blessing. Blacks and whites were not allowed to live together, interact with each other, or even have sexual relations with each other. Being black was a taboo, a vice unwanted by society.

Antebellum Period and Industrialization

Between the late 19th Century to early 20th Century, the USA was significantly transformed from merely being a rural dilapidated agrarian society to being an industrial economy. The massive growth was observed in the fields of Communication, Science, Mechanization, and Transportation. Industrialists and scientists collaborated and they were able to develop innovations as a result of harnessing electrical energy. [6] As industrialization expanded, the demand for human labor grew hence; the slave trade thrived. Immigrants were aiming at exploiting the employment opportunities being offered by the newly established industries.

Laborers working environment was characterized by dangerous machines. The factories employed use of enormous hats facilitated mass production of commodities. [7] These were often hazardous. They were contained in small spaces that lacked proper ventilation. The machines produced both toxic fumes and excessive heat which harmed the laborers. According to the textbook about 35000 workers were killed as a result of industrial accidents in 1900.[8] During the same year, about 500,000 laborers were maimed in factory accidents.[9] There was also increased air and water pollution as a result of the industrial revolution.

Besides, laborers endured long working hours in the factories. An average worker was expected to continuously work for a minimum of 10 hours a day. Human labor was provided 6 days a week. Prolonged working hours resulted in illness and extreme fatigue among the workers.[10] Children who resided in the factories worked even up to 18 hours daily. Thirdly, workers were paid low wages and salaries despite the long and strenuous working hours. The majority of the profits obtained from the factories were shared by the factory owners. The rise of mechanization resulted in skilled manpower replacing the unskilled laborers for much less pay. Technological advancement also paved way for machines to replace human input. Unskilled workers were therefore left to compete for small tasks that completed the manufacturing process.

Pay among the workers varied in terms of both age and gender.[11] An average employee earned about 6 dollars on a good week.[12] This was way below a familys living wage contributing to the continuous poverty cycle within workers.

Settlers and Slavery

Another important characteristic and evidence of the link between the Antebellum and slaves are how settlers were involving child workers during the period. Due to the growth of factories, the demand for cheap readily available labor grew and as a result, many children found themselves drawn into the labor force. Adult wages were so low that minors were forced to provide labor to aid their parents in making ends meet. According to the National Achieves there were roughly 1.7 million children under the age of 15 providing labor in American factories. Truancy was also a common occurrence during these times.[13] As a result of the poor working conditions accorded to the children provided, they developed various ailments and conditions such as stunted growth, spinal curvature, Tuberculosis, and even contagious diseases.

Mineworkers also faced precarious conditions in their working environments. Occasionally rocks toppled and fell on top of workers crushing them to death. Powder and smoke emanating from mines caused the workers to suffer from lung-related ailments e.g. the black lung. [14]In some industries for example the garment industry, workers were not allowed to converse and interact with each other during working hours. Cloth could be stacked in high piles such that workers could not see each other eye to eye. If the job was not complete during the stipulate time one was not paid. In 1911, one of the countrys worst industrial accidents ever to occur took place in the Triangle shirts factory[15]A bin that contained fabric scrap caught fire as a result of a cigarette tossed by probably one of the managers. Fear-stricken employees tried to exit the building in vain. As a result, workers began being protected from such occurrences by both employers and settlers.

Race, Class, Poverty, and Slavery

During the industrial revolution times, poverty was a menace deep-rooted within American societies. People especially industrial workers wallowed in poverty. Due to the low wages and salaries, workers lived in poorly established houses. The structures were ruined and lacked essential necessities such as water and electricity. Poor healthcare was also being accorded to the factory workers. There was a lack of health facilities such as hospitals. Infant mortality was therefore very high as a result. There was no form of insurance being offered by factories on their employees despite the risks they were being exposed to.[16] The few available facilities were crowded and lacked the equipment and medicine.

Education was also neglected during the industrial revolution period. There was a lack of learning institutions equipped with the necessary material required to teach children. Most children became school dropouts as they opted to collaborate with their parents to make ends meet.[17] Illiteracy levels were therefore high. It is also sad to note that despite the low wages and salaries of factory workers, the government imposed high taxes on them. This complicated life further. The lack of jobs and poor living standards resulted in rural to urban migration. People moved into cities in search of means of livelihood. It is important to note that after the industrial revolution had spread all over the nation the living standards of workers and their families gradually started to improve.[18] This is because their wages and salaries were increased by their employees due to government intervention. The per capita consumption of rice, sugar, tobacco, and coffee increased the need for slaves to work on the plantations.

During the slave era, slaves had devised ways to resist the authority of their owners. Although some of the acts of resistance involved violence, most of the ways of resistance were largely non-violent.[19] Some of the ways which the slaves resisted include; stealing, damaging tools of work, faking sickness, working slowly, praying secretly, and learning to read and write. Stealing from the slave owners and damaging tools of work would ensure that the slaves sabotage work in the plantations as the owners had to either buy new tools or repair the damaged ones. Besides, pretending to be sick and working slowly would ensure they resist the forced labor that the owners had meted on the slaves.

Religion and Slavery

One of the greatest strengths that kept slaves fighting slavery and the self-definition of slave was spirituality.[20] Slaves largely depended on spiritual nourishment to fight off the challenges of slavery. Religion gave slaves the assurance that all humans are equal and that they were not lesser beings. Spirituality provided them solace from the mistreatment they faced from their owners as well as the undignified definition of slavery. It enabled them to assert their worth as human beings contrary to them being branded and treated as lesser beings. Slaves would secretly congregate and worship.[21] The gatherings for worship also provided an avenue for them to organize resistance revolutions. Through worshipping together, the slaves were also able to share their suffering hence encouraging each other and offering each other solace, and comforting one another. The slaves would hold secret meetings in the forest and they would worship together away from the plantations where their overseers would be watching.

Secular humanism offers an explanation to the reasons for the existence of enslaved victimization in American society during the 19th century. The Antebellum period explains why slavery was dominant in American and how the belief of slaves as private property led American settlers to take advantage and exploit their slaves.[22] Slaves were part of private property and that the owner had control over the lives of their slaves. Slave trade was widely accepted in most American societies just as any other form of trade that involve the exchange of goods and services.

One of the major reasons that made slavery common for Southerners in the 17th and 18th centuries was conflicts that arose due to the several immigrations that were witnessed during these periods. As people migrated, they had to settle into a new land that already had occupants leaving them with the option of either displacing them or assimilating and being part of the existing community.[23] These instances led to conflicts between the native occupants of the land and the immigrants which later surfaced and developed into wars. The American civil war was a result of the division of the northern and southern colonies which later fueled into civil war as the two separated and migrated and in the process of migration and settlement, the picked conflicts with the native settlers, and this later developed into civil war between 1860 and 1861.[24] Settlement into the southern and northern colonies was a factor that contributed much to the American civil war. The assertion that the civil war had its roots in the slavery practiced in southern colonies were settled is justified in that the settlements attracted slavery.

Conclusion

In summary, it is evident that there is a correlation between the Antebellum Period Southerners used to justify slavery. Due to the rapid industrialization that occurred during this era, slaves provided an alternative for free or cheap labor. Southerners with settlements and plantations would use the slaves on their farms. In this case, the Antebellum period led to the propagation of slavery both during and after the Civil war. At the time, Southerners were allowed to own slaves as any other property.

References

Aptheker, Herbert. The Negro in the Abolitionist Movement. Science & Society 5, no. 2 (2020), 148-172. Web.

Ferguson, SallyAnn. Christian Violence and the Slave Narrative. American Literature 68, no. 2 (2020), 297-320. Web.

Laughlin-Stonham, Hilary. From Slavery to Civil Rights: On the streetcars of New Orleans 1830s-Present. Liverpool University Press, 2020. Web.

Shalhope, Robert E. Race, Class, Slavery, and the Antebellum Southern Mind. The Journal of Southern History 37, no. 4 (2020), 557-574. Web.

Wills, Mathew. How Antebellum Christians Justified Slavery: After Emancipation, some Southern Protestants refused to revise their proslavery views. In their minds, slavery had been divinely sanctioned. JSTOR Daily, (2018).

If there is a blot on the conscience of the so-called free world, the modern-day slavery represented by the millions of children who cross borders as sex slaves should turn the blot into a wound. Apparently respectable people cross borders into countries where law-enforcement is either lacking, inefficient or totally absent to engage in the pastime that ruins the lives of millions of children globally. In a world where the buzz words are freedom and respect for human rights, it can only shock the most innocent observer that trafficking in children thrives as some form of international trade  complete with its own lingo. Perhaps what is even more shocking is that concerted international efforts could bring this trade to an immediate end.

The enormity of the problem can best be understood by reference to statistics from the UN body that looks after the rights of children  UNICEF. UNICEF reports indicate that trafficking in children is both profitable and global in character (Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse). The most likely source of children for international trafficking is Africa and UNICEF reports that, on the African continent, children are trafficked both internally and internationally.

Internally, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Gabon are beneficiaries of children trafficked from Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana (Child protection from violence) While various reasons exist for traffic in children, UNICEF observes that most of the children are sent to the countries mentioned mainly as domestic workers but also as sex slaves. For this reason, the majority of the children exported are girls. Africas contribution to the trade in the traffic of children is truly remarkable but the rest of the world is not spared either. Asia and Eastern Europe are also major contributors to the trade and supply girls who are trafficked as mail-order brides and who in most cases are as young as 13 (Child protection from violence).

To prove that the trade in the traffic of children is truly international, UNICEF also observes that Europe and North America are recipients of children trafficked from Guatemala and other areas of Latin America. Most of the children ending up in Europe and North America are adopted by the families that acquire them. In summary, UNICEF estimates the number of children trafficked annually is a staggering 1.2 billion (Child protection from violence).

The trade in the traffic of children thrives for a number of reasons but the prime reason is poverty (Mathews 649). Perhaps that explains why Africa and Asia are the biggest suppliers of children. In concurrence with the UNICEF report cited above, Mathews (649) observes that most of the children being trafficked are mainly lured by promises of employment and better living. The poverty that the children suffer makes them vulnerable and once in the jaws of their captors are unable to extricate themselves.

Mathews (649) notes a paradox in the trade of traffic in children by observing that the beneficiaries of the trade end up appearing like benefactors. Where a child is sent into a brothel, he or she is, effectively, the property of the brothel owner. While all freedom is lost, the childs basic needs are taken care of and therefore will have escaped the crushing poverty that the child knew before.

Poverty aside, Mathews (649) observes that the trade could be thriving because of international confusion on issues as basic as the definition of a child. There is no universally accepted definition on who a child is and this compounds the problem for several reasons. First, it is impossible to protect children unless the various countries they end up in can agree on who a child is. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (qtd in Mathews 649) defines child as a person under the age of eighteen.

This therefore means that even if it was possible to offer protection to children, evidence would need to be provided that they were under eighteen years of age. Since different countries have different definitions of a child, the eighteen-year definition that the UN offers lacks universality and therefore aggravates an already bad scenario. As if that is not bad enough, Spun (19) notes a major headache that confronts law-enforcement agencies in their bid to protect children involved in prostitution or other forms of exploitation. For law-enforcement agencies, there is no definite way of telling the age of a child involved in prostitution.

Spun (19) quotes Detective Mark Gilkey of the prostitution unit of Washingtons Metropolitan Police Department , who says, many of the kids we lock up are not of age but we cant get a positive ID (Spun 19). The problem that the police in Washington face is symptomatic of the global nature of the problem. Mathews (649) further notes that most of the children who are victims of trafficking originate from countries which might not have proper birth records and, even where they exist, such records are not easily accessible.

Trafficking in children also thrives because the beneficiaries are mainly wealthy people who have the ability to move from country to country. Even if such clients come from countries where laws for the protection of children exist, they are able to roam the world and operate in countries where such laws do not exist. Moreover, should such clients feel uncomfortable with existing laws or fear arrest they are able to move quickly to other countries where they stay unscathed (Mathews 649).

While individual wealth by perpetrators of the trade and the individual poverty of the victims contributes to the trade in child trafficking, Mathews (649) observes that at the root of the trade is the disparity between wealthy and poor nations. While the poverty of the childs nation makes him or her an easy victim, such poor nations also contribute to the problem in their desperate need to attract wealth from the prosperous nations.

Closely related to poverty, another major contributor to the trade is political instability and official corruption. In countries with unstable governments, borders are not properly secured and it is therefore easy to ship children out of such countries. Police and other law enforcement agencies could do much to stop the trafficking of children from their countries but this hardly happens due to corruption in these agencies.

Mathews (649) notes that prosecution of offenders hardly ever takes place because of corruption among these agencies. Where victims of child prostitution end in the hands of corrupt law enforcers, Mathews (649) observes that in some countries, the victims are charged and prosecuted for illegal sex acts rather than being treated as victims of a crime. Victims of child trafficking do not fare much better either when they end up in the hands of the police in their countries of exploitation. According to UNICEF, such children are sometimes arrested and detained as illegal aliens (Child protection from violence).

The immediate victims of child trafficking are the children used in the trade but the trade affects large segments of the society and has the potential to sour international relations. Apart from breaking families and ruining the futures of innocent children, child trafficking could disrupt countries by taking away the children who are a nations most valuable resource. It is for this reason that child trafficking has been identified as a major global problem which needs to be fought by a united world.

That the world has been aware of the enormity of the problem is illustrated by the fact that the UN has attempted to address the problem through its Convention on the Rights of the Child (Mathews 649). This convention, which was signed by all UN member nations and ratified by all but the United States and Somalia (Mathews 649), contains a long list of rights that the member countries are supposed to guarantee children. Signatories of this convention are supposed to protect children from torture and mistreatment and to safeguard them from exploitative acts. As a direct attempt at ending child trafficking, the convention clearly calls for a ban on the separation of child and family to counteract the influences that lead to child trafficking (Mathews 649).

This convention is by far the boldest step that the world has taken to end child trafficking but there have been many other treaties and resolutions on an international scale. A common streak in most of these treaties, resolutions and conventions has been the agreement that child trafficking can best be fought by raising awareness on the magnitude and the dangers that the trade poses to the entire world. An equally important global attempt at fighting traffic in children is the Hague Convention which, among other things, provides support for parents whose child has been abducted (Mathews 649).

When all is said and done, child trafficking remains a basic human rights issue. Where human rights violations in whatever form are carried out, it becomes easier to violate the rights of the child. Since the suppliers of children are countries with weak, poor, undemocratic or even non-existent governments, all attempts should be made to spread democratic governance on a global scale. International providers of finance, such as the Bretton Woods Institutions, should continuously tie the provision of Aid to democratic governance and the observance of human rights.

While the UN has done much in passing conventions on the rights of the child, it should go a step further and bring an end to wars that disrupt governments and families and therefore fuel the trade. Even more critically, the trade could be dealt a death-blow if individuals, operating as global citizens, raised awareness on the gravity of the problem and petitioned their governments to deal most severely with perpetrators of the trade.

Works cited

Child Protection from Violence, Exploitation and Abuse. Unite for Children. UNICEF. 2007. Web.

Mathews, Stacey. International Trafficking in Children: Will New U.S. Legislation Provide an Ending to the Story? Houston Journal of International Law 27.3 (2005):649+.

Spun, Brandon. Closed Doors and Childhoods Lost: Many Experts Believe Cases of Child Pornography and Prostitution Are on the Rise. Sometimes Prosecutors Focus on the Victims Rather Than on the Perpetrators. Insight on the News 18.3(2002):19+.

The period of slavery in the United States is one of the darkest periods in the history of the country, associated with the humiliation and misfortune that befell black people. For learning about these events, it is best to turn to the words of direct witnesses to slavery. The purpose of this essay is to study the stories of former slaves to get an idea of slavery in Louisiana.

As sources telling about those times, it is appropriate to study the stories of two former slaves, Mary Reynolds and Charley Williams. They speak about their life and work, as well as about the fundamental principles adopted in a slave society. Marys story is more focused on her personal experiences and relationships with the people around her. Charlie talks more about the organization of his life and the plantation of his owner, without going much into the personal details.

According to Cobb, slaves for their masters were nothing more than property, instruments devoid of personality (6). Despite the differences in views of Mary and Charley, similar lines can be deduced in both texts confirming the previous statement and characterizing the slave-owning regime in general.

Such details as, for example, the general arrangement of life, are slightly different for Mary and Charley. Slaves lived separately from the owners in distinctly constructed rooms with a minimum of comforts. Sometimes, like in Charlies case, in such houses, there was not even a fireplace. The day of slaves proceeded in work on the plantations, to which they were brought out under the supervision, but the working conditions also differed.

For example, Charlie recalls his work with enthusiasm and without complaining about the injustice of the owners. At the same time, Mary mentions Solomon, a cruel warder who observes their every move and punishes the slightest fault. Thus, we can conclude that although the general rules of slaveholding society in many respects coincided, a lot of the life conditions depended on the particular owner.

Such interviews, like many similar sources, despite their age, are valuable to this day. Such records store not just a historical summary but contain emotions and impressions of former slaves. These impressions allow us to look at the regime from the subjective point of view of a person who lived in that period. Such knowledge reveals details that are often not displayed in general historical reports, and that is why these retellings are so valuable and significant.

References

Cobb, Christy. Slavery, Gender, Truth, and Power in Luke-Acts and Other Ancient Narratives. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

It is essential to announce the opportunity of slaves in the ten Confederate states still in defiance. Most importantly, the current subjection is exceptionally dishonest, harming the entire idea of human character. African Americans are deprived of each component of their characters, such as names and language. Their religions and histories were taken, forever adjusting their characters. Many are forced to live in inadequate conditions and suffer daily from their owners (Quintana 79). We should understand the value of human life and respect the core of being an individual. Liberating slaves will permit the States to advance as a country with high ethics and solid equity.

Liberated slaves could be enrolled in the Union Army, consequently expanding the Unions accessible labor. It is a significant stage towards nullifying bondage and giving American citizenship to ex-slaves. The reestablished Confederate states will draft new state constitutions (Quintana 80). For the Southern states, the necessities for readmission to the Union should be genuinely direct. States will be needed to hold individual state shows to cancel the mandates of severance and confirm the Thirteenth Amendment.

There will be an overall exoneration to all Southerners except for the high-positioning Confederate government and military pioneers. Confederate authorities who will energetically give up to the Union will be acquitted; the people who interfere will be punished accordingly. This will get the country from gigantic dissidents and restrictions from the South but show that swindlers are constantly rebuffed (Bhambra and Holmwood 581). Furthermore, the people who probably will not make the vow will not be able to partake later in the political existence of the South. Swearing dependability to the Union and taking care of war obligations, southern state legislatures will be given free rein to reconstruct themselves.

The Proclamation likewise will forestall European powers from mediating in the conflict for the benefit of the Confederacy. Since the Emancipation Proclamation can assist with making the annulment of subjugation into a Union objective, connecting promotion for the Confederacy to help for slavery (Quintana 82). The Proclamation changed unfamiliar prominent attitudes toward the Union by acquiring the help of European nations that had effectively banned slave masters. It will adequately end the Confederacys expectations of acquiring official acknowledgment from European heads of state.

There also ought to be high insurance for previous captives to avoid solid social separation and segregation in the country. The absence of regulations can raise the probability of restarting the Civil War. The South did not have a similar degree of industrialism without subjection as the North did (Bhambra and Holmwood 577). With a more significant level of training, weaponry, and creation capacity, the North does not depend on slaves as much since emancipation has become more predominant (Bhambra and Holmwood 577). By advancing proficiency for ex-slaves, the nation will have a chance to raise the degree of scholarly people in the States, improving the development.

Locales utilizing slaves as working instruments do not see a desire for a headway. Henceforth, by freeing slaves, there will be opportunities to bring advancement. The choice to pass a law that tells all slaves from the South that they are free and empowers them to wage war to participate in the battle against their previous bosses is a splendid strategic move. This way, liberation can change the stakes of the Civil War, guaranteeing that a Union triumph means a huge scope of social revolution.

Works Cited

Bhambra, Gurminder K., and John Holmwood. Colonialism, Postcolonialism and the Liberal Welfare State. New Political Economy, vol. 23, no. 5, 2018, p. 574587.

Quintana, Ryan A. Slavery and the Conceptual History of the Early U.S. State. Journal of the Early Republic, vol. 38 no. 1, 2018, p. 77-86. Project MUSE.

When slavery was defined as a peculiar institution, it was thought to mean a distinctive aspect of the people of the US who had embraced it. In other words, it was used in a more positive light since those who partook of it believed that they were doing the right thing and the benefits that emanated from it were crucial to the lives of its stakeholders.

On the other hand, an external analysis of slavery as a peculiar institution reveals a lot of contradictions within it thus making it quite peculiar. First and foremost, it was regarded as a critical tool to self preservation by whites. They needed it both socially and economically at the time. Choosing to abolish it was feared to cause a number of casualties within their lives. However slavery took place at a time that was considered the age of enlightenment. There were obvious political and moral evils that the dominant group was aware of yet it could not oblige. The slaves were vehemently denied access to justice even when it was common knowledge that this was their right as human beings. Those contradictions make slavery something distinct or peculiar from any other undertaking in the American South or the entire US for that matter.

Slavery came to be defined very differently by both blacks and whites at that time. Slave masters often meddled in the lives of blacks where they would dictate how the latter live. For instance, they made decisions on whether to separate families or not, to nullify marriages, to threaten, punish and even sexually abuse slave women. Indeed, the objection to slavery by blacks was not primarily because of the hard work associated with it; instead, they objected to their loss of freedom and the control of their lives by their masters. In fact, many slaves tried to live as autonomously as was reasonably possible in an attempt to limit control by their masters. Whites on the other hand, presumed that they were offering their slaves security and care. For instance, they often gave them food rations or permission to till their own land. Additionally, they were provided with a small degree of medicine and clothing. However, the latter provisions were mostly prevalent after the civil war in 1861.

How the dominant group rationalized existence of slavery in a nominally libertarian and egalitarian nation

The defense of slavery can be analyzed under a five fold lens. Slave owners and other like minded individuals used religious backings as a basis for their actions. They asserted that the bible permitted slavery since certain scriptures mentioned the master-slave relationship.

Supporters of slavery often asserted that they were only perpetuating a deep tradition prevalent in many civilizations. Here they argued that even the ancient Greek and Roman empires depended on slavery for their existence so the United States was no exception. To these proponents, every civilized society had to have a way of securing labor for themselves and this was effectively done through the adoption of such a system.

Others argued that slavery was necessary in order to sustain the cotton economy which was especially prevalent in the Southern states. After the invention of the cotton gin, there was increased demand for cotton and hence labor through slavery. Whites in the South and North benefited from exportation of cotton and therefore perpetuated increased used of slave labor. In fact, when certain voices started raising questions against slave labor, several Southern slave masters asserted that it would create social disorder because the economy would be adversely affected. Furthermore, unemployment and a clamor for the few job positions prevalent in the nation would arise.

In the North, wage labor had been adopted and to the slave owners, this seemed like a step backward in terms of productivity or efficiency. A proponent of such a view was John Calhoun. He felt that the conditions of slave laborers in the South were more tenable than the struggles of free labor in the North. According to him, whenever paid labor existed, there would always be a struggle between capital and labor and this would lead to impeded progress. Slavery ensured that the relationship between capital and labor was never jeopardized as owners of capital could flourish from the proceeds of their efforts while their slaves could be treated well and offered security even up to their old age. In this regard, the south would be in a great position to advance because they could live off the efforts of their slaves while they were concentrated on the leisure of science, learning or even the arts.

Others took on a more aggressive ideological stance: that slavery was crucial in civilizing Africans and removing them from the primitive ways of their ancestors. A notable proponent of these ideas was Robert Lee. The latter individual once asserted that Africans were actually in a better state as slaves than they were back in their motherland. He believed that this was a pathway to physical, social and moral development. Indeed, he asserted that the black race was destined for great things owing to the discipline they would receive from slavery. This was a way of instructing them on better living and how they could deal with their own problems. These adherents believed that there were certain racial differences between white and black people and therefore trying to make them equal would be nothing more than an exercise in futility. Some like George Fitzhugh actually believed that slavery put black people in their place. To him, blacks were lazy and unintelligent with the brain development of children. Consequently, it was imperative to restrict them so that they would not be a danger to themselves or others around them. The free world would be too much of a challenge for the black man because it would entail job searching, starvation or even begging by the latter individuals.

However, one does not have to go too far to see how inaccurate such viewpoints are. Slavery was a contradiction to Christianity as well as to the basic founding principles of the land which rested on the inalienable rights of every man. To purport that Blacks were an inferior race was simply to look for a way of justifying this erroneous institution. In truth, white slave owners shifted the controversy from the institution to the person. In other words, they made the slave not slavery the ultimate object of scorn. Indeed in the eighteenth century, several slave traders including Ashley Montagu who wrote Mans most dangerous myth-the fallacy of race affirmed that slaves mental capacity rivaled that of whites or even superseded in certain scenarios. Slave supporters may have been threatened by abolitionists and antislavery supporters so they needed to look for some other justification for their actions.

Also, the view that slavery was a necessary machinery for the economy was also not justified because according to Alexis Tocqueville (in his 1835 book-Democracy in America) colonies with no slavery tended to be more populous and greatly flourished in comparison to those without. Slavery therefore undermined the economy as seen by the rural setting that persisted in the Southern States; the Northern states grew tremendously.

Slavery has been a topic of hot debate throughout most of American history. The process, considered brutal and corrupt by many people, attained even more supporters who considered it the course of nature. It is essential to understand how could this unethical practice survive and thrive for decades. Slavery institution as a concept should be at fault for the distortion of the common principles of morality and victimization of all the parties related to it.

First of all, it should be mentioned that slavery institutions are not new, and throughout history, they attained different forms. However, the American approach may be considered one of the most dehumanizing and violent. The problem lies, in fact, that slavery, being an amoral practice, is not devoid of positive perks. It usually served as a way of incorporating certain individuals into the host society. Their relationship might not have been equal, but slaves were treated like humans. The American approach defies this concept, presenting slaves like chattel and denying their most basic rights. For example, slaves were not to be educated in order to fulfill their role better. Frederick Douglass describes a situation where his master chides the wife for giving lessons to the young slave with the words, he should know nothing but the will of his master, and learn to obey it (Douglass 114). Such attitude only supports the superiority of a master in their relationship with a slave. It means that any manifestations of humanity are deemed not only unnecessary but harmful. Obviously, this proprietor behavior prevents any feelings of mutual respect or acceptance and prohibits the lower caste from entering the life of the society.

Furthermore, such approach changes the slaveholder as he no longer recognizes his slaves as humans. Frederic Douglass argued that a mans character greatly takes its hue and shape from the form and color of things about him (Douglass 62). This sentence illustrates the whole concept of slavery. The sense of morality becomes distorted when slaves are treated as chattel. The problem arises when such attitude becomes a norm. As humans are social beings, they always look for guidance or examples in society. For instance, Douglass says that his master might have been a great man had he been brought up in a free state. The lack of restraints and laws provides people with freedom that may be used in a harmful way. It is difficult to expect moral virtues from a person who has legal rights to inflict pain and suffering on another human being or escape punishment for murder. The very concept of slavery encourages even the kindest soul to overstep boundaries and treat slaves like mere objects. People do not question their actions when state laws and the church itself support them.

Abusive violence may be morally degrading for slaveholders who presented it as a necessary social-engineering tool. A notable passage may be found in My Bondage and My Freedom describing a slave, wounded by some man, returning home only to be punished by her master. The proprietary attitude prevents people from such a simple feeling as compassion. The acts of punishment were carried out not only to impose authority but also to preserve the morality of the owners. For example, corporal punishment became customary and could be provided at any time, not requiring any reasons or justifications. It was just a means of preserving dignity in a cruel society. If abusive acts become normalized, then there is no need for slaveholders to feel agony or remorse. It leads to systematization and intensification of violence, expressing the superiority of not only class but racial hierarchy.

It is important to note that slavery institution distorts the moral values quite slowly. Douglass accounts his meetings with white boys who believed I had as good a right to be free as they had (Douglass 122). It is an excellent example of a fact that no man is born vile or wicked, it is a system of common values that may turn him into one. Consolation and compassion were often found in children because they treated slaves as equal beings. Douglass writes an interesting phrase relating to his mistress, which may be applied to the whole concept of slavery: Nature had made us friends; slavery made us enemies (Douglass 126). Society considered it important to have human property in order to be respected, and many slaveholders only did what they were expected to do. It is not wrong to condemn or judge individuals who took part in this practice, but the whole system should be blamed in the first place. The whole concept of slavery is twisted enough to distort the values of people who could be great parents of spouses, showing kindness to those they deemed equal.

In conclusion, the slavery institution as a concept was harmful not only to slaves but also to slaveholders. This practice degrades the common values bringing a society to some bestial laws of power and authority. It distorts personality by creating a community where violence comes into the norm. While slaves suffer from physical abuse, slaveholders corrupt their morality. It means that this practice, despite its practical benefits for owners, may never exist in a developed and ethical society.

Work Cited

Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. Gutenberg, 1857, Gutenberg, Web.

The history of slavery continues to have a significant influence on contemporary society in diverse ways. According to Crane (2013), societies are not blends of distinct people fashioning themselves anew from various generations. Rather, a complex web of social connections and a long train of historical influences interact to form the opportunities and shape the outlook of individuals (Crane, 2013, p. 51).

It does not imply that personal commitment does not contribute to shaping ones life. Nonetheless, cultural affinities, historical backgrounds, and communal influence play a significant role in ones life. It underscores the reason the conservatives are adamant that cultural divergences are the primary causes of racial inequality in the United States. A study of Americas underclass culture reveals the repercussions of the history of slavery. The study reveals that the history of slavery influences the politics of the United States, the identity of African-Americans as well as the education system.

Impacts of History of Slavery on Contemporary Politics

Nunn (2007) posits, The theory of historical persistence of political attitudes maintains that regional differences in contemporary white attitudes in part trace their origins to the late slave period and the duration after its collapse (p. 161). The history shows that the fall of slavery was an unfortunate incident that had negative impacts on the economic and political clout of the Southern whites. It resulted in a sudden liberation and enfranchisement of the blacks.

Further, it ended the political control that the whites had enjoyed for a long time. Also, it posed a significant threat to the Southern plantation economy. The economic and political transformations that arose as a result of the fall of slavery served as a scapegoat for Southern Black Belt leaders to peddle anti-black sentiments. The leaders called for the whites to revolt against blacks.

Nunn (2007) maintains that the history of slavery influences contemporary politics in the South. The present political attitudes, which are prevalent in the U.S. South, are a product of the history of slavery. It continues to influence the political stance that white Southerners embrace. Nunn (2007) argues that a majority of the whites who reside in the Cotton Belt have negative opinions towards blacks. They believe that the fall of slavery is what robbed them the political and economic powers.

Presently, many residents of the Cotton Belt associate themselves with the Republican Party. Further, they are opposed to all policies that support the abolishment of racial discrimination like affirmative action. The slavery effect contributes to over 10% of the political party inclination in the United States today. Levine (2012) maintains, In political circles, the Souths opinionated conservatism is often credited to Southern exceptionalism (p. 52). Nevertheless, research shows that contemporary political divergences are as a result of the historical existence of slaves. Slavery continues to influence the political views of the Americans long after its abolishment.

History of Slavery and Modern Education System

According to Reece and OConnell (2016), the legacy of slavery has a significant impact on the contemporary education system in the United States. The history of slavery influences school enrollment, particularly in the South. There is a strong correlation between regions that had high slave concentration and school enrollment. Racial isolation characterizes the American education system. In the South, racial segregation is prevalent in private schools.

Reece and OConnell (2016) claim that historical circumstances like slavery contribute to the contemporary degree of racial isolation in schools in the South. After the abolishment of slavery, the blacks embarked on a reconstruction program that entailed enrolling for education. Nevertheless, the whites were determined to ensure that the blacks did not get a quality education. They opposed the establishment of the universal education system. Later, Brown vs. the Board of Education case allowed the blacks to enroll in public schools that initially registered the white students only. Eventually, the whites started to renounce public schools and construct private learning institutions.

Reece and OConnell (2016) claim, The history of slavery suggests that there is a link between whites understanding of the contemporary education system and enrollment patterns (p. 49). Despite the effort made to improve the education standard in public schools, many whites prefer to enroll their children in private schools. Besides, numerous private schools are concentrated in areas that were renowned for slavery.

Today, many whites view enrollment into private schools as an avenue to avoid integrated public schools. They used the same strategy during slavery. Crane (2013) holds that whites use education as the modern form of racial segregation. Today, it is hard for whites to force minority groups to work for them. Nevertheless, they can use other methods to ensure that minority groups continue to serve as a primary source of labor. The standard of education in public and private schools differs. Private schools offer a quality education. Therefore, students who enroll in private schools are likely to secure better jobs. It leaves the students from minority groups who enroll in public schools with no option but to work for their white counterparts.

Legacy of Slavery and Contemporary Black Identity

Harper, Patton, and Wooden (2009) claim that the United States guarantees sovereignty and impartiality to all races. Nonetheless, the past few years have seen resurface of concerns of social rights. Currently, the damaging relationship between police and African-American teenagers is a significant public discussion. Harper et al. (2009) hold, Although there has been robust discussion regarding police-minority relations, a more comprehensive discourse of institutional racism in the media and the black identity it contrives has seldom been heard (p. 392).

Experts in black identity blame the history of slavery for the challenges that the African-American teenagers face in the effort to forge an identity. Many black teens prefer to associate themselves with renowned athletes such as Michael Jordan, the late Muhammad Ali, and Jim Brown. Success in athletics serves as a status symbol among the blacks. Levine (2012) claims that the value attributed to athletic proficiency these days is premised on the demand for physical abilities that made slaves invaluable.

The whites believed that slaves who looked healthy served as an attractive labor force. The association of physical strength with adeptness during slavery is what has resulted in many black youths struggling to keep healthy. According to Levine (2012), slavery brought about the need for African-Americans appears physically robust. The demand to appear healthy has developed into a custom and a source of pleasure amid the black youths. Indeed, most African-American teens prefer athletic careers to education.

Legacy of Slavery and Mental Health

Evans-Campbell (2008) alleges that the history of slavery has devastating impacts on the mental well-being of the minority groups, particularly the African-Americans. Many African-Americans still struggle with the repercussions of white supremacy. Unfortunately, the government of the United States does not have modalities to address the adverse effects of the history of slavery (Evans-Campbell, 2008). Today, many African-Americans grapple with stifle emotions related to slavery. The study shows that cases of suicide are common among the African-Americans. Psychiatrists associate the high rate of suicide with the aftermath of slavery.

Historians claim that African-Americans are descendants of slaves. The fact that blacks are offspring of slaves is degrading and impairs the self-esteem of African-Americans. Evans-Campbell (2008) holds that the history of slavery does not affect blacks only. It also has negative impacts on the whites. The whites feel guilty for being complicit in a system that is against the egalitarian principles on which the United States is founded. It underlines the reason there is an increase in the number of race-based crimes perpetrated by the whites.

Slavery Today and Its Outcomes

The history of slavery shows that people can identify their needs and clarify the goals they want to achieve. Several modern people continue living their ordinary lives, cherishing the dreams of a happy future, liberty, and happiness, and believing that, today, they have nothing in common with slavery or other activities that could diminish the rights of certain groups of people. However, the same dreams and intentions could be observed during the times when slavery was an ordinary thing, and several African-Americans could not even imagine their lives without being enslaved. Today, people believe that they have already got rid of slavery and provide their generations with free and happy lives.

Therefore, the question of freedom remains to be open because people cannot understand how blind they are in regards to slavery issues. Bales and Soodalter (2010) underline that slavery exists and even flourishes today, and people cannot neglect this fact. The poor thing is that modern slavery could gain several different forms. Sometimes, people cannot even comprehend that they become victims of slavery at one moment. It thrives in the dark and occurs in the places people expect it least (Bales & Soodalter, 2010).

One of the most important lessons got from history is the necessity to fight against slavery and make people understand their worth and their rights. As well as modern slavery gains various forms, the forms of wars against slavery could vary. Some people prefer to organize strikes and open discussions to attract the attention of the government and underline the importance of changes. Some people take guns in their hands and want to believe that they strive for independence and justice.

Many people prefer a kind of passive opposition and use online forums, academic research, or analysis as the ways to share stats about modern slavery and provide people with knowledge that should change the opinions of people regarding the importance of slavery today. For example, the developers of specialized sites use the numbers offered by researchers and inform that more than 30 million of people are enslaved worldwide today, and the forms of labor slavery, child slavery, or sex slavery are not the only ones people could suffer from (Free the Slaves, 2016).

Several years ago, slavery did exist, but it was not analyzed and investigated thoroughly. People had nothing to do but accept the fact that slavery was an integral part of their lives. Slaves did not even think that their problems, challenges, and life-threatening activities could be investigated to be diminished. Nowadays, people take several important historical lessons and try to identify the sources of slavery to eradicate it.

It was concluded that such reasons as the explosion of population in developing countries, discrimination in regards to social inequality, migration of people from rural areas to cities, and corruption of the government make people vulnerable (Free the Slaves, 2016). In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, slavery was declared as something bad and unjust (Walvin, 2009). Still, people could do nothing to prevent their spreading in society.

Nowadays, people become smarter and more inventive to introduce powerful approaches to protect people against numerous traps of modern slavery. For example, people are provided with comprehensive education about their rights and actions that could be taken to avoid slavery, informed how to contact the police and explain the problems clearly, and offered various types of psychological, medical, and legal support (Free the Slaves, 2016).

The history of slavery and the lessons people take from it helps the society a lot. Besides, the possibilities to exchange information fast via the Internet, telephones, and other media types become available worldwide. One group of people could observe the situations other groups of people have to deal with, learn from the mistakes, and make the conclusions that could lead to positive outcomes. Mutual support, understanding, and identification of slavery as a current social problem make people think about their opportunities and rights.

The history serves to help people understand their mistakes and avoid them to get a safe and sound future. The history of the South shows that peoples intentions to get rid of slavery cost several lives. Today, people should do everything to avoid the same outcomes and make certain contributions to eradicating slavery from society. Nowadays, there are many significant problems connected with globalization, hunger, natural disasters, etc., so that people should understand that mutual support, collectivism, and personal involvement could help to survive and create appropriate living conditions without slavery or other forms of inequalities that bother people.

Conclusion

The history of slavery has diverse impacts on contemporary society. It influences the politics of the United States. The whites who originate from regions that were notorious for slavery are ardent supporters of the Republican Party and its ideologies. They oppose all race-based policies. The legacy of slavery contributes to contemporary disparities in school enrollment in the United States. Public schools are associated with blacks. Most whites decline to enroll their children in public schools, particularly in areas dominated by blacks. History of slavery influence black identity in modern society. The whites valued slaves who looked healthy.

Today, African Americans endeavor to appear healthy as they associate it with success. Research shows that the legacy of slavery affects the mental health of both whites and blacks. Many blacks endure psychological pain when they recall what their ancestors suffered at the hands of the whites. Conversely, many whites feel ashamed of being complicit in a system that undermined the principles of the United States.

In general, the role of the history of slavery cannot be neglected. It introduces several lessons and much information about the mistakes that have been already made and the opportunities that could still be used to promote success and create the future all people are dreaming of.

References

Bales, K. & Soodalter, R. (2010). The slave next door: Human trafficking and slavery in America today. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.

Crane, A. (2013). Modern slavery as a management practice: Exploring the conditions and capabilities of human exploitation. Academy of Management Review, 38(1), 49-69.

Evans-Campbell, T. (2008). Historical trauma in American Indian/Native Alaska communities: A multilevel framework for exploring impacts on individuals, families and communities. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23(3), 316-338.

Free the slaves. (2016). Slavery today. 

Harper, S., Patton, L., & Wooden, O. (2009). Access and equity for African American students in higher education: A critical race historical analysis of policy efforts. The Journal of Higher Education, 80(4), 389-414.

Levine, L. (2012). Black culture and black consciousness: Afro-American folk thought from slavery to freedom. New York: Oxford University Press.

Nunn, N. (2007). Historical legacies: A model linking Africas past to its current underdevelopment. Journal of Development Economics, 83(1), 157-175.

Reece, R., & OConnell, H. (2016). How the legacy of slavery and racial composition shape public school enrollment in the American South. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 2(1), 42-57.