Very informative post. African American slaves took on many jobs and worked on large plantations, small farms, towns and cities, inside homes, in the outfields and in the industries. Most slaves worked the field on cotton plantation in the southern regional. Surprisingly, three quarter of the white elites in the South never owned a slave. This implies that the image of the South as a place where there were plantations all over and that the whole white population remains to be a myth. There were just a small percentage of people who owned twenty or more slaves (Campbell, 2015).
When talking about the constitution in today’s world I don’t think anyone would disagree about the constitution being an anti-slavery document. The 13th amendment abolishes slavery and any form of service that isn’t voluntary. But at the time of the writing of the constitution I think there would be a strong argument for why the constitution was a pro-slavery document. The north and the south had different views on slavery, but they also agreed on some things. When talking about the slaves they had a big role in the constitution.
Northern and Southern opinions on slavery differed greatly and caused a major divide. While the South fully supported slavery, the Northern citizens were abolitionists set on dissolving the act. Northern Whigs were major abolitionists before and during the Civil War. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 forced all African-Americans in the US to become slaves if they were found by any slave owner, even if he was not their own. This law applied to the entirety of the country, thus making free African-Americans subject to slavery and inhibiting the Whigs from legally protecting any remaining Northern African-Americans (Document M).
Agriculture dominated the south with its ability to produce exceptional wealth for plantation owners. However, they were in need of labor and so they “made all men their slaves in hopes of recompenses.” (Doc. F) Many Englishmen brought over indentured servants from Europe who served as the foundation of the labor force for plantations. Soon enough, ¾ of the population in the south colonies were made of indentured servants.
Since the settlement of colonial American and the migration of individuals from different ethnicities and backgrounds, the United States of America has been as a melting pot. After the immigration of former Europeans, to colonial Americans, citizens felt displaced with the lack of national identity from 1810 to 1840. Politically, the United States lacked a problem of representation within their government. As former members of Great Britain, Americans were only aware of what they did not want, a monarchy, which led to their dismissal. Voting, Americans could not justify a system that allowed everyone to feel satisfied with.
About 40,000 fewer slaves resided in South Carolina than in the Chesapeake. The enslaved in British North America sought to retain customs, foods, belief systems and languages. It was to the point they challenged masters and overseers by refusing to work, breaking tools, feigning illness and other variations. There were very harsh consequences and punishment which included whipping and mutilation.
In the nineteenth century, white Americans relied on free labor from black slaves heavily. The supporters of slavery used economic, legal, and religious arguments to defend slavery. Many people began to question whether slavery truly was moral or not. Abolitionists had their opinions on slavery, but southerners used economic, legal, and religious arguments to justify themselves as the correct ones. These apologists were including information about economic prosperity, the property rights, and Christianity religion.
“Few are willing to incur the odium attaching to the reputation of being a cruel master; and above all things, they would not be known as not giving a slave enough to eat” (Douglass 51-52). Reputations were important throughout this time period. Slaveholders on plantations also cared deeply about their reputation, however, they did not want to be seen as “weak” or even nice. “Most enterprises probably met the minimum clothing needs of their bondsmen, but evidently some evidently employers deliberately stinted on clothing allotments just as they did on food” (Starobin 55). These plantation slaveholders gave their slaves basic necessities, but not enough for their slaves to be healthy and comfortable.
Jiovanni Lopez Toni Fannin English 122-5504 27 April 2023 Will Reparations be Enough The question of whether or not the United States government should pay some form of reparations to African Americans is a complicated problem, with strong arguments on both sides. Including arguments from Steven Dubner which he mentioned in “The Pros and Cons of Reparations” podcast. “On one hand, many argue that the United States government has systematically created barriers for African Americans, such as redlining, which denied them access to home ownership and the ability to create generational wealth. As a result, many Black Americans have been unable to accumulate wealth for generations, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and inequality.”
The north colonies (also known as the New England colonies) had somewhat less slaves then the others. Sadly, slavery was not quite abolished in most colonies here. The good news was that only about 0.65% of the population were slaves. {Doc. 8} MumBett, a slave in the colony of Massuchusetts, decided to talk to one of the big leaders in the colony.
Throughout United States History, there have been many situations that have limited civil rights. Some of these actions were the Espionage and Sedition Acts, the Executive Order 9066, and the passage of the USA Patriot Act. These actions were very controversial at the time and caused a lot of commotion between Americans and officials. Some people did not agree with them changing our civil liberties and were upset about it while others were fine with them changing our rights.
The treatment of slaves between the North and the South was drastically different. Slaves in the North typically lived in the same house as their master and worked by themselves, or in small groups (pg. 94). Slaves in the South tended to live in large plantations in which they were housed in plantation outbuildings (pg. 104). The difference between the North and the South in housing and working environment had a direct effect on the integration of African Americans into their new American society. When they were housed in the North with their masters and had limited exposure to other slaves, they tended to adopt the ways of their masters.
No more than one-quarter of the white population partook in slavery itself, this including all the members of slave owning families and all those living in slave owning families. Given that, however, virtually every
Tensions rose across the country from those in support support of slavery and those opposed. Many states wanted to outlaw slavery while others adamantly defended it because it was the main institution with a high and consistent revenue. Ultimately, the disagreements over slavery are what lead to the Civil War. The country divided into an “Us versus Them” situation which lead to both sides having growing support for their views and making the groups less susceptible to an agreement. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves from confederate states.
[1] It has been a long time since I’ve met up with you, and I miss you very much. [Q] How as being a indentured slave been? [3] Thankfully, My family has finished and successfully completed our seven years of slavery. [5] While we are recovering, we have realized how much family we have left in Virginia. [4] Focusing on moving on, we bought a wonderful ranch in Pennsylvania where I am able to care for horses and attend school in the community.
The Southern and Northern states differentiate on many issues, which ultimately led them towards a Civil War. There stood deep social, economic, and political disparities between the North and the South. These modifications stemmed from the understanding of the United States Constitution on both sides. In the end, most of these disputes about the rights of states directed to the Civil War. There existed reasons other than slavery on behalf of the South 's breakaway.