Category: Slaves

Introduction

Slavery in America dates back to more than two hundred years before the birth of the republic of United States. Slavery as a trade and a practice did not begin and take place overnight; it was a progressive happening or phenomenon, which expanded over many years.

Despite slaves having been at the heart of America as a countrys birth and development, it is surprising that the contribution made by slaves in the colonial America has been left out of many history books. Selective writing has denied those who took part in the struggle of laying the foundation for current America their rightful place in history. This research paper explores the contribution of slaves in colonial America.

Slaves in Colonial America

It is widely believed that only black people of African origin were enslaved. However, there were also quite a number of white slaves in colonial America. Vickers (535), notes that though limited, there were Britons, Germans, Scots and Irish slaves in colonial America. Most of these white slaves had been shipped and subjected to slavery in colonies, as punishment by the local administrators in the countries of origin. Colonial masters owned slaves; however, in some parts, some Native Americans and free blacks also owned slaves.

Vickers (345) notes that slavery was most intensive in the southern part of America. The south had more slaves because the region had fertile soil for growing high-valued cash crops for export, such as rice, tobacco cotton and sugar.

Initially, black slaves were referred to as indentured servants, which gave them a comparable lawful position equal to most deprived Englishmen who traded a number of years of labor for means of access to America. However, even when having the status of indentured servant, Roberts (281), notes that the term Slave was used as a practical word in job regulation and politics

Contribution of Slavery in Colonial America

Contribution in Agriculture

The contribution of slaves, those of African origin, is always reduced, in many documentaries and writings, as merely unskilled farming field hands and household servants. However, critical reading through history reveals that slaves were more than just field hands and household servants. Slaves contributed to Colonial America with their agricultural knowledge and inventions.

As Engerman (335)explains, within the Southern Colony of South Carolina, Africans brought with them their exceptional skill of rice cultivation as they had long time expertise in growing rice back in Africa. They therefore shared these skills with their masters and as a result, rice production that had never been experienced before was witnessed .Engerman (328) notes that initially, slaves in the colonial America were subjected to all manner of work, which included working in cotton, sugar and tobacco plantations.

Engerman (331), however, points out that this is not all that slaves contributed in the colonial America. Overtime, most of the African American slaves were immensely involved in almost every day-to-day economic activity of the times. This free involvement led to numerous inventions by slaves such as the invention of spinning machines, which largely contributed toward the development of modern cultivation machines that were used in many colonial American plantations.

The economic contribution of slaves in the colonial America can be discussed in connection with the various economic activities that the slaves were subjected to. Working in the plantation was the earliest and common economic activity that is documented in history books.

The utmost contribution by slavery in the southern parts of America was in flourishing the plantations thus leading to booming export trade. Desiring more surpluses from agricultural exports, there was high demand for labor. Consequently, as argued by Sale(78),the colonialist had to bring in more slaves in order to enhance their cash crop production, which was the sure way to eminence.

Salem (90) further notes that the export business was going so well the colonists were able to afford two imports which would greatly contribute to their productivity and quality of life. 20 Blacks from Africa and 90 women from England. The Africans were paid for in food; each woman cost 120 pounds of tobacco. The Blacks were bought as indentured servants from a passing Dutch ship low on food, and the women were supplied by a private English company.

The achievement of tobacco plantations led to legalization of African slavery in Virginia as well as in Maryland; consequently, facilitating the southern Agriculture based economic prominence. In these southern agricultural estates, Nobleman (6), notes that majority of slaves were field hands, picking cotton, as well harvesting rice, tobacco, wheat and many other crops that were grown in the plantations.

Nobleman (7) elaborates that in small plantations slaves were given different roles, with children and the elderly being subjected to household chores, while the energetic youths and the rest of the slaves served as meadow hands. In some occurrence, Nobleman (6) observes that the slaves were forced to draw the plow or where there was no plow they would have to dig the soil without one.

In addition, Nobleman (7) points out that in other parts of America such as Texas, slaves not only worked in the field, but also worked as carpenters, huntsman, as chefs and as brick masons. In as much as enslavement was such tragic, the author argues that, it was the hard work and efforts of the slaves that made plantations successful ventures, and provided the economic backbone of Texas as it is known today.

Contribution of Urban Slaves

There was however a slight difference among the slaves that worked in the plantations and those that lived in the urban setups of the colonial America. In most cases, Morgan (88) observes that the urban slaves had few more privileges compared to their counterparts who worked in the rural plantations.

Some of these privileges were reflected in the fact that the urban residing slaves had more opportunities of earning money, which eventually enabled them to buy their freedom. Many of the African-American slaves that resided in the urban setup, according to were either domestic or maritime workers.

Most of the female slaves in the urban centers were involved in a number of occupations; most of them were cooks, while some of them served as laundresses. Their male counterparts on the other side were involved in giving coachmen services, gardening or worked as shopkeepers.

Even though the urban residing slaves had a better lifestyle given they enjoyed more freedom of movement and were usually decently dressed, Morgan (93) notes that most of them lived in roof space within the cooking place, or in the laundry area. The author also points out that the urban slave contributed a great deal in helping their rural based counterparts through contributing their resources to antislavery organizations, as well as hiding escaping slaves from the plantations.

A key economic contribution by the urban slaves, in colonial America, was registered in the maritime industry. In this industry, most of the slaves served as dockworkers. They were involved in the back-breaking work of loading and unloading vessels that engaged in business transactions within the US harbors, and many other places the world over. Slaves worked hard in docks in all of the big cities bordering water bodies i.e. seas and oceans.

In absence of these slaves, it would have been extremely hard or even unfeasible to pack and take down, as well as move goods within the borders of the United States in particular, and to the rest of the world in general (Grigg 84). As Griggs (89) further points out, the slaves contribution in the maritime industry was not limited to that of porters. There were many of them who were trained and did skilled work just like the white workers.

Cultural Contribution of Slaves

There was immense cultural contribution by the slaves in colonial America. Griggs (102) point out that these comprised, most outstandingly, imaginative and musical creations, academic outputs, and specific spiritual practices. It is worth noting that even though the slaves were shipped to America against their will, this did not mean that they left their culture back in Africa. As expected, they brought it (their culture) to their new abode.

Though no one can deny that the experience the black slaves passed through was pathetic and inhuman, the persecution did not stop their deep-rooted culture from taking effect, and eventually largely influencing the American culture. In particular, Middleton (300) remarks that the African culture greatly assisted in the development of Americas own music, arts and clad.

Middleton further reiterates that it is comprehensible that given Africans were lashed into compliance and obligated into lifetime forced manual labor; they would be, most of the times, offended and irritated. As a result, they came up with forms of expression that reflected their life and its hardships.

When it comes to songs, indigenous African composition consisted primarily of wind and cord melodies interposed by hand acclamation, xylophones, and playing of the drums beats. All these found expression in American music; making it distinct and life giving for many.

With regard to language, the slaves had their own dialects before they left Africa. As would have been anticipated, upon being dumped into an English speaking society, their language slowly started fading out. Nevertheless, through appropriating English as per their dialects a new form of American English was realized.

This form of English is still in existence today in the form of the black Americans colloquial speech (Thomas 35). Thomas (56) explains that the Black English, as the altered English is commonly referred to, is still widely spoken in America by a big percentage of African-Americans.

Though the African America slaves spiritual practices have undergone quite a considerable amount of transformation over time, the centre belief, vigor and values of African American traditions is still firm as highlighted in religious and gospel music. In the course of their day-by-day forced responsibilities, Slaves sung in relation to how God exercised control and had supremacy above everything.

Middleton (302) comments that the African American slaves, believed that God had power over everything and consequently he could save them from oppression. Equally important in African religions, are their departed ancestors.

Middleton (310) observes that, majority of the slaves with Africa origin, highly believed that their ancestors could protect the living.For this explanation, the African American slaves always threw a small quantity of food or drinks before they ate, to appease their dead family members, in return for protection against anything bad that may befall any member of the their family.

Moreover, Middleton (311) indicates that in cases where the master did not give religious directives, as was often the case, the African slaves would assume the responsibility.

Over the years, most of the slaves preferred the Baptist church as opposed to other denominations, because the Baptist were not strict with some rules thus they readily incorporated some of the African cultures that were hard for Africans to leave behind (Middleton 314).

The preference of Baptist resulted from the fact that the Baptist church did not accommodate any slave owner in their congregation and therefore, the slaves were relieved some unnecessary discomfort of worshiping in the same place with their masters.

Political Contribution by Slaves

The contribution of slaves and mostly those of African heritage in the American Revolution marks the greatest sacrifice, which though often disregarded, led to the birth of todays United States of America, which is a great nation, internationally known for its democracy, wealth, and diversity.

The American Revolution was both a blessing to some and at the same time a curse to different parties that took part in it. To the Native Americans, Grigg (86), observes that the revolution presented an opportunity to fight for liberty from the British colonialist. On the other hand, most of African Americans saw the revolutionary war as an opportunity to fight for liberty.

Grigg (93) comments that the responsibility of the black slaves in the American Revolution can be comprehended by capturing the fact that loyalty was not to a location or a person, but to an approach or philosophy. Despite the consequences of where the devotion of the African American rested, they gave an input that was not officially recognized, but which was instrumental towards realization of United States of America.

During the period of American civil disobedience, the African American soldiers served both in the continental armed forces as well as in the British army. The condition of the free blacks in pre-independent America was one of vagueness, one flanked by servitude and some freedom. Lanning (205) observes that the African American slave were faced with unusual permitted, economic and societal limitations.

Like Grigg, Lanning (204) argues that the most important motivating factor behind the African American slaves participation in either the patriot or the British Army was freedom. Apart from their believe in freedom, Lanning (209) argues that slaves also joined the forces out of the spirit of exploration or in order to benefit from the monetary gain that was pledged to those who joined the forces.

Similarly, Lanning (212) points out both the Americans and the Eglish used the promise of liberty to lure Africans to fight in their ranks. In the war itself, Green & Pole (335), notes that despite some level of discomfort on the part of slave owners, there are a number of blacks, who were used to pilot the war ships while others were entrusted with managing ammunition.

After the end of the revolution war, and declaration of American independence in 1776, the Africa American loyalists who had given support to the British army in the war, were repositioned to New York, while others were shipped to London.

However, most of them if not all, sooner than later became conscious of the fact that though they had been guaranteed freedom after the war, life had not in reality changed much, from the style it was prior to the revolution (Green & Pole 340). After the war, Green & Pole (357) reveal that the black service men were disqualified from martial services in various States, with some of the states permitting free men to serve in their mercenary troops.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it has to be noted that although slaves are not consciously credited for their contribution to development in America, without them the much achieved would not have been practically possible. The plantations in agrarian South America flourished because of hard forced labor of slaves.

As it was noted in the paper, slaves were not just hands in the fields but contributed in bettering farming through sharing knowledge and skills. They also came up with inventions e.g. the spinning machine that was later modified to make work easier in plantations.

The economic contribution of slaves was also registered in urban areas away from the plantations. Additionally, they were used as dockworkers and worked in the ships that fed US with what it needed from the outside world. Culturally, the slaves infused into America cultural practices that are to date shaping how things are done especially in performed arts.

Finally, slaves also had a great impact on the American Revolution that led to the birth of the American republic. in their struggle for emancipation, former slaves have helped anchor values such as freedom and equity in the American psyche. Therefore, no amount of denial will change the reality that without the sacrificial effort and hard work of these slaves, America probably would not be what it is.

Works Cited

Engerman, Stanley. Terms of Labor: Slavery, Serfdom, and Free Labor. Stanford: Stanford University press, 1999

Green, Jack & Pole, Jones. A companion to the American Revolution. New York: Wiley- Blackwell Publishers, 2003

Grigg, A., John. British Colonial America: People and Perspectives. California: ABC Publishers, 2008

Lanning, MColley. Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery. California: Greenwood Press, 1988

Middleton, Richard. Colonial America: a history 1565-1776. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, Publisher, 2002

Morgan, Philip. Diversity and Unity in Early North America. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001

Nobleman, Marc, Tyler. History Pockets, Colonial America. Monterey: Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, 2003

Salem, C. Dorothy. The Journey: A History of the African American Experience Part 1. Boston: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, 2007.

Thomas, Helen. Dance, Modernity, And Culture: Explorations In The Sociology Of Dance. London: Routledge, 1995

Vickers, Daniel. A Companion to Colonial America. Massachusetts: Wiley Blackwell Publishers, 2006

The notion of indentured servants derived from the need for cheap labor. The American settlers discovered plenty of land that required to be taken care of, but there was not enough manpower to carry out this work. Since getting into the colony was expensive and hard for everyone except the wealthy, the Virginia company created contract slavery to attract new workers. Consequently, indentured servants became an essential part of the colonial economy.

The Thirty Years War led to economic stagnation, leaving many skilled and inexperienced workers unemployed. This explains the number of immigrants who have arrived in the American colonies as servants under contract. They worked from 4 to 7 years for travel, room, food, and freedom dues. The life of the servant who signed the contract was limited but had its advantages. Their warranty included at least 25 acres of land, an annual crop of corn, weapons, cows, and new clothing. Some indentured servants even became part of the colonial elite. Still, for the vast majority of servants who survived the harsh conditions of life in the New World, the main goal was a humble and independent life.

The first Africans came to Virginia in 1619, and because there were no laws regarding slavery, they were initially treated as paid servants. Moreover, they were given the opportunity to receive free contributions on a par with white Americans. However, a slave law was soon passed in Massachusetts in 1641 and Virginia in 1661, and the freedom for African slaves disappeared. The demand for labor increased, as well as the cost of contracted servants. Many landowners felt threatened by the land claims of the newly liberated servants. The colonial elites became aware of the problem of contract slavery. Thus, landowners started to perceive African slaves as a more lucrative and renewable source of labor, and the shift from wage servants to racial slaves began.

Out of the various forms of resistance used by slaves, the one which exacted the best revenge is armed and organized rebellion. The main reason is the fact that despite their failures in colonial America, the Haitian Revolution was a signal about slavery always being challenged. One of the most common forms of resistance was sabotage of production by breaking tools, feigning illnesses, and slowing the work process. However, these were mostly ineffective measures because they led to negotiations where masters benefited the highest. In addition to sabotage, theft was also a form of resistance, where slaves stole certain goods for their own personal use. It was done mainly due to poor living conditions, such as nutrition, among slaves, which is why food was the main target of theft. It should also be noted that theft was justified from the slaves perspective since they are their masters property, and thus, how can a property steal the same owners property?

Unlike the previously daily forms of resistance, the flight was an overt resistance. However, it was not effective because it led to harsher oversight and severe punishments. Escaping was a risky endeavor with rather low chances of success with no widespread impact. In addition, it was mostly men who had acceptable chances of successful flight. Therefore, the most effective form of resistance with the best revenge was armed rebellion, such as the Haitian Revolution. Although it was the only successful rebellion among many suppressed ones, the victory was not the main point. The key message was the fact that slavery will never be tolerated and it always is challenged by slaves, and the Haitian Revolutions success was a reminder to masters that they will not be able to own slaves forever.

The United States early years are characterized as a period of active territorial expansion, economic development, and the growth of internal contradictions. At this time, the formation of the American state was completed, the country reached its modern continental borders (through treaties, purchases, and wars), domestic communications (first canals, then railroads) were rapidly developing. Politically, the U.S. balanced the free North and the slave-holding South, which competed for the fast-growing West. The South developed a plantation system based on the slavery of African Americans, which led to the emergence of the anti-slavery movement (abolitionism). The rapid growth of the territory exacerbated the dispute over the fate of the new states  whether they were to be free or slave states. This was a crucial precondition for the Civil War that broke out in the country.

During the first years of the country formation, three aspects of U.S. external politics were acquiring lands, national defense, and maintaining foreign commerce. Under Thomas Jeffersons administration, the U.S. first expanded by purchasing territories (Spear, 2018). For example, the acquisition of Louisiana from France is considered a significant event in the countrys early history. It was roughly the same size as the territory that the States had previously possessed. The outbreak of war with Great Britain was unavoidable for many reasons. Great Britain sought to undermine U.S. maritime trade, violated the rights of neutral navigation, seized American ships and their crews under the pretext of looking for English deserted sailors. Canada, however, remained British, and in August 1814, the English corps entered Washington.

The early 1800s is characterized as a time when the foreign policy foundations of the young nation. Every party that came to power in the country sought to secure its borders and push back European rivals. In this connection, the Pacific basin and East Asia became one of the areas of U.S. expansion. Hence, the purposeful struggle to possess naval bases in the Pacific Ocean on the approaches to the Asian mainland. The United States saw its mission in strengthening its presence in Latin America, establishing a bridgehead on the Caribbean Sea islands.

Alexander Hamilton, a prominent politician during the War of Independence and the U.S. founding, called for creating a comprehensive American system beyond the control and influence of European countries. It should have been capable of dictating the terms of relations between the Old and the New World. In 1820, U.S. Secretary of State Henry Clay formulated the position that predetermined the commonality of economic interests of the North, Central, and South America under the U.S. hegemony (Ostdiek and Witt, 2021). As new territories were developed and expanded, new states were created.

Once again, the U.S. used the big stick policy  armed interference in the affairs of Latin American countries, in its relations with Colombia, with the issue of the interoceanic canal as an excuse. This strategy was combined with dollar diplomacy: the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua became economically dependent on the United States (Hollenbeck, 2020). American companies monopolized the lucrative fruit trade in Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Argentina. In Mexico, U.S. investment was over a billion dollars or a quarter of U.S. investment abroad. Given its relative military weakness in the Far East, the U.S. focused on supporting Japanese aggression against China and Korea to exploit Japans successes to its advantage. Thus, ensuring stable and profitable trade and protecting external borders were achieved through the intensive occupation of territories or financial control over them.

U.S. foreign policy was weakened to some extent by the debilitating war with Great Britain, which was fought with mixed success. Britain was not very agreeable to its former colonies seceding and forming an independent state, so every excuse was used to force America back into the fold of the British Empire. In 1814 British troops even captured Washington and destroyed virtually all of its public buildings in two days (Achenbach, 2021). But the extraordinary heroism shown by American soldiers forced the British to retreat. After the war was over, Great Britain officially recognized the independence of the United States of America and no longer attempted to infringe on its sovereignty.

Despite the end of the war, there were still many disputes between the U.S. and Great Britain. These were primarily resolved in the postwar negotiations that led to the Anglo-American Convention of 1818 (Ostdiek and Witt, 2019). The remaining unresolved issues, such as the status of the present-day Northwest United States, were settled in the 1842 Webster-Ashburton Treaty (Longley, 2019) and the 1846 Oregon Treaty (Noakes, 2021). The conclusion of these treaties helped to strengthen the U.S. position at that time.

Thus, the nature of U.S. foreign politics since the establishment of the country has been purely practical. By the end of the XIX century, the products of American manufacturers in many respects became superior to their European counterparts, and the domestic market was packed. Therefore, the state-directed its forces on the intensive displacement of European competitors and the conquest of foreign markets of the Western hemisphere and the Pacific region. In addition, the promotion of American products in the Old World was of no small importance.

References

Achenbach, Joel, In 1814, British forces burned the U.S. Capitol, The Washington Post.

Hollenbeck, Rachel, Lending a Helping Hand: Dollar Diplomacy in Latin America, Undergraduate Research Journal 24, no. 3 (2020): 25-40. Web.

Longley, Robert, The Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842: How the Treaty Smoothed US-Canadian Relations, ThoughtCo.

Noakes, Taylor C, Oregon Treaty, The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Ostdiek, Bennett, and John Fabian Witt, The Czar and the Slaves: Two Puzzles in the History of International Arbitration,American Journal of International Law 113, no. 3 (2019): 53567.

Spear, Jennifer M, The Louisiana Purchase: Liberty, Slavery, and the Incorporation of the Territory of Orleans, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History.

Introduction

American slaves were freed and from 1936 to 1938, over 2,300 former slaves from across the American South were interviewed by writers and journalists under the aegis of the Works Progress Administration (Fort, a, 1998). The interviews contain stories of people about their childhood, being slaves, masters, and their attitude, their life after the Civil War. It is worth mentioning that people sought freedom and they had different reasons for this.

The stories of being slaves

Maria Jackson was born in slavery, but she did not tell anything bad about being a slave except the fact that their family was separated. The only thing that was important for this woman is her family; after the war, they met again and lived together. Another person is Charity Anderson who recalls that her master treated all his slaves well, but she also remembered seeing slaves torn up by dogs and whipped unmercifully (Fort, b, 1998). Charity Anderson wanted freedom for her children; she expected they would go to school and her husband would obtain a good job. The next person whose story should be described is Mary Reynolds who witnessed brutal beatings, and tells of working in weather so cold that her hands bled (Fort, b, 1998). Mary could only dream of what freedom would be like. Walter Calloway is the last person presenting the narratives of former slaves; he tells about worshipping in a brush arbor, the outbreak of the Civil War, and federal troops ransacking the plantation at wars end (Fort, b, 1998).

These four people present their stories of being slaves. Their narratives seem to be rather accurate, though the fact of fighting for freedom or seeking freedom, respect, land, and the rights of citizenship. The value of these narratives consists in telling the modern readers about the hardships of being slaves and about some people who treated their slaves well despite thoughts that the inhabitants of the South were cruel to their slaves.

Conclusion

Different people wanted different future for them and their children; moreover, people tried to gain some respect, land, and enjoy equal rights of citizenship with white representatives of the same nation. A multicultural society is a society that consists of people presenting different ethnic groups or communities; an American society consists of ethnic groups which are constantly discriminated against. In this respect we can assume that the nation has missed the opportunity to create a multicultural society; the state did not support subordinate groups and did not put an end to acts of discrimination towards representatives of ethnic minorities. However, the events of Reconstruction have cast a long shadow over race relations for future generations. I agree with this statement as such things as discrimination are faced by black people even nowadays. Segregation, secession, extermination are aspects of everyday life for representatives of subordinate groups; these things could have been brought to a stop in the years of reconstruction when the nation was renewing its economic and social life. That period could give freedom to African Americans and guarantee equal rights with other citizens.

Reference

Davidson, J. W. (2004). Nation of Nations; a Narrative History of the American Republic (Volume II: Since 1865, Chapters 17-32). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Fort, B. (1998). American Slave Narratives. Web.

Fort, B. (1998). Index of Narratives. Web.

Despite the fact that the white people treated slaves as lower creatures and constantly abused them, they also tried to deprive the black people of their identities. The main goal for it was to keep the slaves under control and limit their freedom as much as possible so they would not resist the existing terrible conditions and would not start a riot. One of the methods masters used to prevent the servants from acknowledging their self-worthiness is the lack of education. They kept the slaves ignorant, so they would genuinely think that slavery was a normal social phenomenon and that they were born to serve the whites. To erase their self-identity even more, the master would not tell their slaves even the most crucial parts of their lives. Whites did not reveal the servants date of birth, the name of their parents, and the existence of any family members (Douglass 36). To make it more effective, the masters usually got the slaves from the newborn age, and as they grew and matured, they controlled their development.

Therefore, children were raised in the conditions of white dominance and the oppression perceived as a natural way of existence, so they would never try to change it. While the black children were maturing, masters did not allow them to learn how to write or read. Otherwise, they could learn about their self-identification and realize that the way masters treat them is a great act of injustice. Thus, if the slaves could not read, they were unable to recognize the fact that they also had human rights and families and they deserved to manage their lives by themselves. Overall, illiteracy was the primary method of keeping slaves ignorant and preventing them from self-autonomy and erasing their identities to maintain control over them.

Work Cited

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. JA, 2018.

Introduction

A person, owned by another person, as a rule, does not have freedom of speech. In this document, planter and servant describe the life of slaves and servants in America in the eighteenth century. However, their descriptions do not match because the planter claims that servants rights are taken into account, while the other assures the opposite. Thus, the document ensures that the life of servants and slaves through the eyes of planters, as Robert Beverley was, is much better. At the same time, William Moraley was in America as a servant and saw the real life of servants. This paper analyzes the document about slavery on plantations and claims that the treatment of black people was worse than others, the rights of servants were not valued, and they differ from slaves.

Discussion

Robert Beverley wrote the first article of the document; he was a planter in America. The second article was written by William Moraley, who journeyed from England to America as an indentured servant. Both pieces were dedicated to all their readers, especially historians. These authors wanted their truth to be established in the history of humanity. The first author claims about the humaneness of planters, but William Moraley, as a servant, asserts another version. However, the whole documents purpose is accurately to let its readers analyze which version is actual. In turn, Robert Beverley avoids telling the absolute truth to the audience since he is a planter. The tone of the messages from both authors is narrative, as both narrate what they saw.

In the stories of the planter and the employee, it is equally stated that the life of the blacks was worse than whites. While whites served for a temporary, blacks served their masters all their lives. Moreover, their children at birth also became slaves for life since they were considered descendants of slaves. Moreover, if someone killed an enslaved Black person, there was no punishment for the murderers because the law did not prescribe anything concerning the protection of blacks. In the first document, several laws confirmed that servants could complain to judges. However, this document does not specify anything about protecting enslaved peoples rights. In other words, the employee and the planter cannot deny that black people worked in worse conditions than other servants.

Further, even though the planter indicated some existing laws to protect workers rights, in real life, these laws did not apply, and the opinion of servants was not taken into account anywhere. The planter claims that if the owners mistreat their servants, they can file a complaint with the judges, and, if confirmed, the servants will be given to other kinder owners. However, these statutes were checked by William Moraley in real life, where he said that The Condition of bought Servants is very hard. Undoubtedly, unlike dark-skinned ones, ordinary servants are less subjected to pressure from their masters. However, this does not mean their opinions and rights were valued and respected.

Last, two articles in the document equally claim that slaves differ from servants. Robert Beverley states, Slaves for Life, and Servants for a time. It means that enslaved people remained enslaved people for their entire lives and servants only for a while. Servants entered a contract during which they served their masters, while enslaved people did not have such privileges. In addition, the first article says that Slaves are the Negroes, which confirms that only people were slaves who served their masters working on plantations all their lives. As for the second document, William Moraley, who lived in America as a servant, confirms in his letter the difference between enslaved people and servants. For example, he says English servants and Negro Slaves, making it clear that Robert Beverleys words are valid about the difference between enslaved people and servants. Unlike slaves, servants served only for that period until the concluded contract ended.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this document compares the lives of servants and enslaved people from the point of view of the planter and the employee. According to the planter, the lives of employees and their rights matter; therefore, there are points in the law where their rights are protected. However, according to the employee, these laws are usually not observed. Moreover, black people who serve all their lives and are called enslaved people are the most subjected to infringement. In turn, white-skinned people are called servants and work only for a while.

Bibliography

Slaves for Life, and Servants for a Time. National Humanities Center, 2009.

The issue of slavery has long conflicted with the history of the United States of America, which is also called the world’s largest democratic state. With the independence of the country, there was felt a strong need for a cheap workforce to boost its economy. For that matter, Africans were traded to America in 1619 as “indentured servants”¹. However more economic and land development resulted in the arrival of more Africans in the New World. By 1750, 200,000 African slaves were working in America which grew to 700,000 in 1800. In many states such as South Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia, the slave population outnumbered the white population (Sylvester, 1998).

African American slaves were subject to various forms of brutality. Their social, political, religious, and cultural activities were controlled by their white masters. They were not allowed to educate themselves or participate in any political activity. Their masters controlled their sexual reproduction which was based on the concept of breeding children for the slave market. Female slaves were often raped and their families disintegrated as they were sold to other parts of the country² (Ender, 2001). There was no freedom of religion and one of the

theologians justified the brutality on Africans by stating that “Negroes were enslaved because they had sinned against God”³. Special slave codes were set up and every slave was expected to follow the code of conduct expected from him (Sylvester, 1998).

This brutal behavior by the white masters often provoked resistance among the black population. In this paper, I aim to discuss the different forms of nonviolent resistance adopted by African Americans as a protest against slavery. The methods, violent and nonviolent, were often successful and have been discussed below.

The first and most common form of nonviolent resistance came in the form of running away from the masters towards free states. It is roughly estimated by historians that approximately 50,000 blacks ran away every year from1830 from 1860. Since freedom was always in the mind of the African Americans they always looked for an opportunity to escape. This required months of planning, perfect timing, and an escape route. Although the hunted slaves were punished severely still the rebellious ones made daring attempts for the sake of freedom. Those who ran away in the forests and wilderness of the undeveloped parts of the country were termed as “marooned” slaves. They fed themselves on food available in the forests (Sylvester, 1998).

The slaves escaped for a variety of reasons. Some ran away to gain independence from the brutality of their white masters. Some escaped to reunite themselves with their families. Some were habitual runners who were always on the run since someone had abused them or insulted their dignity. Underground railroad tunnels between different states were the most common routes for escaping⁴ (Ender, 2001).

The second method of nonviolent resistance was in the form of stopping the work. This method was often adopted either individually or collectively. This form of resistance included strategies that slowed the pace of work, such as pretending to be sick or calling strikes (Ender, 2001). Slaves often divided the work in such a way that would put a fewer burden on weak and old slaves. They also damaged the property⁵, livestock, work tools, and adopted strategies to slow down the pace of work (Ronald, n.d.).

The last form of nonviolent resistance included education. This method involved influential African Americans who used their knowledge to educate people through lectures, speeches, and articles to protest the brutality and the institution of slavery itself. Prominent Africans in this category include Fredrick Douglass and Sojourner Truth ⁶(Ender, 2001).

Some notable revolts of slave resistance which included violent methods are mentioned below:

Gabriel Prosser was an African American slave. He had the mission of setting himself and 1000 other slaves free from the white brutalities. He had planned to overtake the town of Richmond, Virginia, and kill its white residents. His plan was abandoned due to bad weather. He was later arrested along with 36 other slaves as his plan was disclosed by an informer⁷.

Denmark Vesey was a free man in 1800. However, he was strongly against the institution of slavery. He belonged to Charlestown, South Carolina. He had chalked out a plan to kill the white masters and freeing all in slavery. Once again the plan was revealed by an informer due to which Vesey and few others were prosecuted and then hanged⁸.

Nat Turner, another African American, believed himself to be the “chosen one” to free himself and his fellows. He and his fellows began by killing his plantation master along with his family in Virginia. The rebellious slaves continued their violence and killed more than 60 white masters and their families. The slaves were later arrested and were executed⁹.

To conclude African American slave’s resistance and defense finally led them to the abolition of the institution of slavery. The freedom paved way for their success and helped them produce prominent figures like Abraham Lincoln and Barak Obama. Today America can proudly call itself one of the largest democratic states of the world.

References

Ender, Morten G. 2001. “Families”, Creating and Defining African-American Community: Family, Church, Politics and Culture. Department of Defense, Florida. Pg. 1-14.

Ronald, L.F. Davis. n.d.. “Slavery in America: Historical Overview”, California State University, Northridge. Web.

Sylvester, Melvin. 1998. “Introduction”, The African American: A Journey from Slavery to Freedom”. Web.

Footnotes

1. The indentured slave is a term also used for poor white people (Sylvester, Melvin. 1998. “Introduction”, The African American: A Journey from Slavery to Freedom”. Web.
2. Slave trading strengthened the families together as uncles and aunts took places of the relatives sold in the Market (Ender, Morten. G. 2001. “Families”, Creating and Defining African-American Community: Family, Church, Politics, and Culture”. Department of Defense, Florida. Pg.4..
3. Quote by Cotton Mather, a theologian from Boston. (Sylvester, Melvin. 1998. “Introduction”, The African American: A Journey from Slavery to Freedom”. Web.
4. Harriet Tubman, an African American woman helped escape hundreds of slaves to freedom (Ender, Morten. G. (2001). “Families”, Creating and Defining African-American Community: Family, Church, Politics, and Culture”. Department of Defense, Florida. Pg. 14.
5. Property damage often included setting up farms on fire (Ronald, L.F. Davis. n.d… “Slavery in America: Historical Overview”, California State University, Northridge. Web.
6. Other names include Booker T Washington, DuBois, Marcus Mosaiah Garvey, Rossa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. (Ender, Morten.G. (2001). “Families”, Creating and Defining African-American Community: Family, Church, Politics and Culture”. Department of Defense, Florida. Pg. 11-14.
7. 1800. (Sylvester, Melvin. 1998. “Introduction”, The African American: A Journey from Slavery to Freedom. Web.
8. Vesey was caught in 1882. (Sylvester, Melvin. 1998. “Introduction”, The African American: A Journey from Slavery to Freedom. Web.
9. Approximately 100 slaves were arrested. Some innocent slaves were also killed. Nat Turner was arrested three months after the arrest of his partners. (Sylvester, Melvin. 1998. “Introduction”, The African American: A Journey from Slavery to Freedom. Web.

As an international student, I knew nothing about Jackie Robinson and the history of integration before examining the course materials and watching the film. Therefore, reading “Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete,” written by William C. Roden, was a completely new experience. It was advantageous to become aware of this person’s significance to the United States and the resolution of the racial issue in sports in particular. Also, the presence of numerous sources of different kinds, such as movies and books, allowed for comparing the presented information about Jackie Robinson, which was interesting from the perspective of other people’s attitudes to the matter.

It is clear that there is a similarity between the narrative of Disney’s “42” and the facts, which are generally known to the public concerning this story, as I can see from others’ feedback. However, because this information is new to me, I can only rely on my classmates’ opinions in considering the common elements in these areas. They claim that the resemblance is definite, whereas the differences are insignificant since this piece accurately depicts the actual events. Hence, I tend to agree with them, and the book’s chapters are evidence of this stance.

In turn, the comparison of Rhoden’s writings with the film shows that the former adds more details to the story and, consequently, to the context of the described events. Thus, for example, the problematic integration of black athletes was multi-faceted as it included various aspects, such as the perception of interdependence by African Americans (Rhoden). In the chapter, it was written that this concept was crucial for their achievements in the field, whereas the people who intended to join the white leagues were deprived of this assistance (Rhoden). Thus, Rhoden’s work changes the story by showing the psychological underpinning of this process.

Works Cited

42. Directed by Brian Helgeland, performance by Chadwick Boseman, Legendary Pictures, 2013.

Rhoden, William C. Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. Crown Publishers, 2006.

Slavery is one of the grossest forms of violation of fundamental human rights. Nevertheless, the stage with slavery takes place in the history of humankind, and the United States is no exception. Enslaved people were treated with things, that is, they could be bought, sold, donated, or forced to do any, even the most inhuman work. Although slavery violated absolutely all human rights, it still brought the United States significant revenues and made the American economy one of the most prosperous in the world.

The primary source of income from slave labor was agriculture, and in particular, plantations where cotton, rice, sugar cane, and tobacco were grown. For the plantations to function well, the planters needed cheap labor, which they could only get from enslaved people (Hammond et al. 2020). At the same time, people were kept in inhumane conditions that further lowered costs and contributed to an increase in the income of planters. Because many enslaved people from Africa created families, the birth rate began to rise, and as a result, whole auctions of enslaved people were made, at which people were examined, sold, and bought like cattle.

Tobacco was recognized as one of the main cultivated crops, leading to this product’s significant export. From 1622 to the end of 1639, tobacco leaf exports changed from 60,000 to 1.5 million (Hammond et al. 2020). Nevertheless, tobacco was not a reliable source of income, as its quantity was influenced by many factors, such as price instability, frequently changing weather conditions, and soil quality. Gradually, slave labor shifted from tobacco cultivation to cotton cultivation. Working with cotton was laborious and complex, as enslaved people worked under the scorching sun, processing cotton with their hands and sometimes were deprived of drink, food, and rest. Enslaved people processed an incredible amount of cotton, and eventually, it became one of the primary commodities for export and brought significant revenues to the US economy.

Slavery played a significant role not only in the economic prosperity of America as a whole but also in the fact that small planters could earn good incomes. Those who did not hire workers did not have such payments and hoped that someday they would be able to hire enslaved people for their plantations. The presence of enslaved people also replenished the state treasury at the expense of tax fees that were paid for each enslaved person by the enslaver (Forest 2020). In addition, enslaved people were used as collateral in all types of transactions. Banks provided loans for the expansion of farms and plantations, as well as for the purchase of newly enslaved people for work. That is, the presence of enslaved people played a significant role in the formation of the entire financial well-being of the country.

In conclusion, the consequences of the enslaved people’s journey to the United States were the economic success of the country and the development of its financial well-being. The acquisition of enslaved people brought significant benefits to the state, but still, it was a violation of human rights and was sincere over time. People were forced to work for a long time, not to have free access to water and food, only to benefit the planter who bought them. Inhumane treatment of living people and the most challenging work were the keys to the success of the wealthy and small farmers, but a terrible life for the enslaved people.

References

Forest, Jeff. Williams’ Gang: A Notorious Slave Trader and his Cargo of Black Convicts. Cambridge University Press.

Hammond, Janice, Massey, Kamau, and Garza, Mayra. 2020. African American Inequality in the United States. Harvard Business School.