Dbq Slavery Analysis

With the economy of the United States just starting up many people needed to find a new cheap form of labor. The answer was simple, slavery. The idea of slavery created lots of tension between the Northern and Southern states during the 1800s. Some argued for slavery was beneficial but they were wrong. Once you look at the religion, the declaration of independence and from the way slaves are treated you will see that slavery is the greatest form of injustice placed upon people of another race. The first reason to show that slavery is evil is religion. It was immoral. How could one look at God and ask for his blessings when later they would return to the plantations to force their slaves to work through the long and hot hours. Southerners

The treatment was very poor. They were treated inhumanly as part of property. The slaves were no different than land or food at an auction (Doc 2). Slave auctions were places where slaves were split off from family members to the highest bidders. Many families never seen each other again after being auctioned off. (Doc 9) The slaves were used to do the worst and hardest forms of labor. It would be common for them to pick cotton off the hard seeds or cut down and move heavy trees for timber (Doc 3). They were used to do the work that normal people were deemed to highclass to do. They were often humiliated for fun. Women were constantly raped and their husbands had to watch. Masters often took slaves and beat them to a bloody pulp with the whip. (Doc 8) Afterwards they would stuff them into boxes in the heat or cold. If the masters wanted to humiliate them some more they could sell off a man’s wife or child. (Doc 7) The only option slaves had to survive was to run away. If they got caught, then they would have masks placed on top for them as well as heavy metal spikes and weights. (Doc 5) It was so bad many preferred death over slavery. Many attempted suicide and some succeeded. The ones that failed really wished they died for the pain that came next was the worst. Slaves that attempted suicide had the hardest forms of punishment. (Doc