Edmund Morgan's Slavery And Freedom

Edmund Morgan, the author of Slavery and Freedom, wrote about the American contradiction. The fact that Thomas Jefferson, and other political leaders of the American Revolution, said “all men are created equal,” yet owned slaves themselves. “How did England, who prided themselves on liberty of their citizens, produce colonies who controlled lives that were not their own?” Morgan questioned and argued how they created such an effort to keep human liberty and respect intact, while at the same time continue with the labor of slaves, stripping them of their own liberty and self-worth every day. How could all men be equal when a large portion of the population were not having the same equal rights and were owned? Edmund Morgan explains that when Thomas Jefferson writes this famous

Breen and Stephen Innes were the authors of Myne Owne Ground. With the history of slavery and how it has been portrayed in our society today: white, wealthy male owning African American people as labor for their land, owning and controlling their lives, it is easy to think that slavery has always been there and it was almost unavoidable. Breen and Innes argue something completely different. They argued that both races could live together in peace and unity. The authors used examples of Anthony Johnson, an African American who was a slave and then became a successful land owner and farmer. Johnson himself even owned slaves. Breen and Innes believe that this was one example of mutability, a black male could be owned as a slave, as well as reach a high enough status in the community to own slaves himself. Johnson was also involved in a court case against a white man. No one “questioned the legitimacy of slavery nor the propriety of a black man owning a black slave.” Breen and Innes argue slavery and racism are not as strong in the early century because you status in your community was established by how much land you owned. The more land you owned, the more equality and rights you