American Slavery
by Hunter Meredith
Often referred to as America’s greatest sin, the scars of slavery have yet to completely heal. Though the enslavement of Africans and their descendants had been a part of America’s culture ever since the colonial days, the issue of slavery reached a boiling point in the mid-1800s.
Slavery was a remnant of America’s British ancestry, and as such when the Colonies split away from the motherland, there was little serious discussion of emancipation. As such, later generations of Americans were simply accustomed to the presence of slavery. Many viewed it as a necessary evil, thinking that the black people were learning valuable skills and discipline, and that they were safer in the states than in Africa. There were also fears that emancipation would result in the devastation of the Southern economy without slaves to work the all-important plantations.
While vicious abuse of slaves wasn’t as widespread as many believe today, the actual mistreatment of slaves was cruel and frequent enough that it must never be forgotten. But it goes beyond physical abuse. Slaves were often treated as sub-human. Families were frequently split up, with husbands and wives forbidden from seeing each other, and children taken at birth to never get to know their parents. Many were forbidden from practicing religion. They were not allowed any kind of close bonds or signs of hope, so that they could be kept docile and underfoot.
Eventually the issue of slavery was big enough to fracture the country. While the American Civil War was a reflection of many old, lingering issues in the country, slavery proved the most galvanizing. It was an issue of basic human rights to many. Even when the war had finally ended, racial prejudice would still remain ingrained in American culture for over a century.
The literature surrounding slavery is widespread. Numerous anti-slavery newspapers like the North Star and the Emancipator published stories and photographic evidence of the injustices, calling out for change. Poetry, short stories, and novels on the subject were widespread. The most notable of these was Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which tells the story of an oppressed slave who somehow manages to make the spiritual and familial connections he is denied, and becomes better for it. Modern pieces on the subject like Twelve Years a Slave ensure that the victims of America’s greatest sin will not be forgotten.
by Hunter Meredith
Often referred to as America’s greatest sin, the scars of slavery have yet to completely heal. Though the enslavement of Africans and their descendants had been a part of America’s culture ever since the colonial days, the issue of slavery reached a boiling point in the mid-1800s.
Slavery was a remnant of America’s British ancestry, and as such when the Colonies split away from the motherland, there was little serious discussion of emancipation. As such, later generations of Americans were simply accustomed to the presence of slavery. Many viewed it as a necessary evil, thinking that the black people were learning valuable skills and discipline, and that they were safer in the states than in Africa. There were also fears that emancipation would result in the devastation of the Southern economy without slaves to work the all-important plantations.
While vicious abuse of slaves wasn’t as widespread as many believe today, the actual mistreatment of slaves was cruel and frequent enough that it must never be forgotten. But it goes beyond physical abuse. Slaves were often treated as sub-human. Families were frequently split up, with husbands and wives forbidden from seeing each other, and children taken at birth to never get to know their parents. Many were forbidden from practicing religion. They were not allowed any kind of close bonds or signs of hope, so that they could be kept docile and underfoot.
Eventually the issue of slavery was big enough to fracture the country. While the American Civil War was a reflection of many old, lingering issues in the country, slavery proved the most galvanizing. It was an issue of basic human rights to many. Even when the war had finally ended, racial prejudice would still remain ingrained in American culture for over a century.
The literature surrounding slavery is widespread. Numerous anti-slavery newspapers like the North Star and the Emancipator published stories and photographic evidence of the injustices, calling out for change. Poetry, short stories, and novels on the subject were widespread. The most notable of these was Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which tells the story of an oppressed slave who somehow manages to make the spiritual and familial connections he is denied, and becomes better for it. Modern pieces on the subject like Twelve Years a Slave ensure that the victims of America’s greatest sin will not be forgotten.