Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Slavery: Old News or Relevant History?

I hope that you all found today's activity on slavery informative and eye-opening. But does it really matter that we study stuff like this? Some would question whether or not it is wise to dig up this awful part on our nation's history. Why not put it out of our minds and just move forward? I suppose we can ask that question about all of history. That would not be good news for a history teacher!

We've discussed how Southern plantation owners may have justified their involvement in the institution of slavery. A good case can be made that without slavery the economy of the Southern colonies - and later the Southern United States - would have crumbled. Howard Dodson, writing about the importance of slavery to the cotton trade in 1800s America, says "the slavery system in the United States was a national system that touched the very core of its economic and political life." He goes on to describe how the institution of slavery was interwoven into virtually every part of the U.S. economy at the time:

Each plantation economy was part of a larger national and international political economy. The cotton plantation economy, for instance, is generally seen as part of the regional economy of the American South. By the 1830s, "cotton was king" indeed in the South. It was also king in the United States, which was competing for economic leadership in the global political economy. Plantation-grown cotton was the foundation of the antebellum southern economy.

But the American financial and shipping industries were also dependent on slave-produced cotton. So was the British textile industry. Cotton was not shipped directly to Europe from the South. Rather, it was shipped to New York and then transshipped to England and other centers of cotton manufacturing in the United States and Europe.

As the cotton plantation economy expanded throughout the southern region, banks and financial houses in New York supplied the loan capital and/or investment capital to purchase land and slaves.

Recruited as an inexpensive source of labor, enslaved Africans in the United States also became important economic and political capital in the American political economy. Enslaved Africans were legally a form of property—a commodity. Individually and collectively, they were frequently used as collateral in all kinds of business transactions. They were also traded for other kinds of goods and services.

The value of the investments slaveholders held in their slaves was often used to secure loans to purchase additional land or slaves. Slaves were also used to pay off outstanding debts. When calculating the value of estates, the estimated value of each slave was included. This became the source of tax revenue for local and state governments. Taxes were also levied on slave transactions.

Politically, the U.S. Constitution incorporated a feature that made enslaved Africans political capital—to the benefit of southern states. The so-called three-fifths compromise allowed the southern states to count their slaves as three-fifths of a person for purposes of calculating states' representation in the U.S. Congress. Thus the balance of power between slaveholding and non-slaveholding states turned, in part, on the three-fifths presence of enslaved Africans in the census.

(from National Geographic News)

So were Southern plantation owners right? Was the future of the United States - and the survival of the colonies before that - critical enough to justify slavery? Obviously, we have decided as a nation - as late as it was - that slavery was an evil institution and a regrettable part of our past. So should slavery be remembered as a necessary evil? If so, then how can it we get past the fact that African slaves were forced against their will to be at the center of this horrible history.

Today you heard the horrors that Africans had to endure from the moment they were captured. Hopefully, for a few minutes you tried to put yourself inKunte's shoes - as impossible as that is.

So after reading above about how important slavery was to the economy of our country's early years and after considering what we heard and felt in class, how do you think the United States would be different today if the slavery in North America never existed? Would there have ever been a United States? Would the United States have been better off without slavery? If we decide that slavery was important enough to forgive early Americans for, then we should consider what Lincoln said:
Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.
That probably a good test to apply to ourselves whenever we argue for anything!!

Remember, keep your comments and debate respectful. Be thoughtful!!

21 comments:

Zaneta said...

Its hard to believe that people would act that way back then, but then again there are still people who are racists even today. The people who believed that slavery was a good idea were wrong people, and we could of done well without it. I mean seriously, America could easily find another resource for making a good economy. I am very happy that the United States ended slavery because I would not be able to have a good education, or even have the friends that I have today. Even if the end of it was kind of late. Just because Africans had different skin color didn't mean that they were different, like they say "don't judge a book by its cover".

Unknown said...

I agree with Zaneta, but I think that if they had stopped slavery that America would not be how it is today. I think it was wrong that just because they where black or African Americans meant that they had to be owned and hurt(wiped, chocked , etc.) I mean they had to be owned by someone instead of living a free life like the other people in America, and then when they got worn out their owners would just like set them free to live their 5 more days of living. I think that slavery was a major problem and a time that are country will never forget, but if slavery had not gone on we would not have the same economy and life in our country.

Anonymous said...

I think it is very important to learn about our past and educate ourselves about what happened years ago because if we do not then history could repeate its self and that would be very bad.

It is suprising to say but since we live in the south and if we still lived back in that time period we all be slave owners or slaves. I fully belive that America is better off without slavery and I agree with Zaneta that I would not have the same friends and that life would be completely different. Speaking about Zaneta I also kinda disagree with her because of what she said "the people who belived in slavery were very wrong people" because...
If you were born into a slave owning family and grew up like that (being told the enslved Africans were bad and worthless people) by your parents, friends, etc. you would be used to if and belive that they were harmful, no good people since you don't know any different. (I am not saying that I agree with slavery at any extent)

Anonymous said...

hey wait a second marra your not in our class are you???

Anonymous said...

I think it is important to learn about the pass so we know what has happened and not make those same mistakes. I think it was bad and good that people enslaved Afericans. It is good because it has all happened and is behind us. If it hadent happened then we might have a war if slavery started today. Slavery is bad because all those inasent people got torchered, hurt, seppreated from faimily members, and sick. Just like Zeneta said, if slavery had not ended then I would not has lots of the friends I have today. Just like Savannah said, if there were still slavery then we would be owing or being slaves. Thinking about it is weird. Over all i think slavery has helped our country lean lots of lessons. I think that slavery will not be a problem in the future.

Zaneta said...

I think that all of you are correct and that I was wrong about saying that the people who believed that slavery was a good idea that they were bad people, but really if I was a plantation owner then I would probably think that slavery would be okay. Also we would not have learned from the mistakes that we made. Also like Savannah said, if we didn't educate ourselves about the past then history would be the same and that would not be a good idea.

By the way, is Marra in our class?

Anonymous said...

zaneta i totally agree that another resource could have benefited the economy. Marra your right to. but your not in our class? however i do not agree with savanna, even if you grew up with people telling you that Africans are worthless it doesn't make it right.jenny i agree with you,it wasn't at all a good thing and i highly doubt that it would start a war, but if it hadn't happened i think allot of people would still be racist.

Unknown said...

Hi Savannah! Hi Zaneta! I totally agree with both of you! yeah, if i was a plantation owner i would probably keep slaves. Although I'd probably try to be nicer! It is really sad how those men treated the slaves. I know there are still racists around today. Kinda like a bet a lot of people will not vote for Obama because he is black. I DO NOT agree with that! I believe that all people are equal!!!

Unknown said...

I agree with Jenny that it is good that the slavery is behind and we can try to make the world a better place in the future. There will always be people who think they are better then others, but most people have learned what's inside that counts and everybody is a equal.
I also agree with Savannah and Ophelia. If I had a slave I would treat him or her with respect and not take them away from their family. I would help them and other slaves escape to the north.Everybody should can a fair chance at living but the United States would be different if we did have slavery in the early times.

Anonymous said...

I think it was important that we learned about the slaves and their past with the British. It was very frightening to the story on how slaves were treated. It makes me think twice on how slavery was helpful to our economy but also cruel. It was helpful because slaves help pay of debts to their masters and help them in the feilds to get the job done quicker. But the down side is that slaves were poorly neglected and needed a lot better treatment because they were people just like the whites but the whites refused to act in kindness and treated them like wild animals. It was awful and disgusting to be hearing about how slaves sat and slept in piles of vomit and urine and how people died of hunger. If I was a slave in the conditions I sure would like to give those whites a peice of my mind. But the main question is how who we being living in the United States without slavery. I think we wouldn't have the greatest economy we would have a country full of poverty problems and they probably would migrate back to England. But anyway I'm glad slavery ended because I probably wouldn't have some of the friends I have today like Zaneta, Deanne, etc.

Unknown said...

Slavery is a bad thing and I also believe we could have found another way to solve the labor problem. If slavery was still going on we wouldn't have many of the things we have today, like black baseball players. If slavey hadn't happened then racism probably wouldn't exist, I mean, they were the people that started the whole racism thing. If I was alive during that time I would have done something to help the slaves, kind of like Abraham Lincoln except that I wouldn't become president. The slaves weren't even treated like humans more like animals in fact I don't even think they had names. The slave master just said "Hey you there!".

Anonymous said...

I think it is very important that we study our past history. If we didn't learn it, we would know nothing, and their would be no reason for a History class. I think that it was critical enough to have slavery, but not use them as though they were pack mules. Maybe, they could have just asked all kinds of races to help with plantion work or what ever they needed help with to help the economy. But, beating them, and torchoring them was just UNNECESSARY! I also thing slavery should be remembered as a necessary evil, because it was necessary to have the extra work done but not in that cruel and evil kind of way. The U.S. wouldn't be any different if slavery didn't go on, and yes their still would be a United States. I also think that world would have been better off without slavery because some whites wouldn't feel as though there past is terrible, and some blacks wouldn't think, if someone was treating them in a way they felt like they were slave, they wouldn't have to say. STOP TREATING ME LIKE A SLAVE, AND LIKE YOU OWN ME! So, their would be none of that going on if sllavery never happened. I also agree with Zaneta because those people who believed that slavery was great was terribly wron, and also that their are still racists today, and it is becuase of slavery!

Anonymous said...

Sorry for all the typos!

Unknown said...

Great comments and discussion.

Whatever side you come down on as to whether slavery was a necessary evil in building this nation (or whether it made this country what it is today), it is interesting to see how someone like Jefferson handled the issue. Jefferson was probably the most eloquent voice for freedom and liberty, yet he owned slaves until his death. You could certainly find other examples like this among our early leaders.

In his first draft of the Declaration of Independence he condemned the English crown saying that the crown "has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere." Jefferson is charging the English crown with promoting slavery in the colonies.

Sounds like the words of an abolitionist (someone that felt slavery should be ended), but is in conflict with how he handled his own role in slavery as a slave holder. I sure some of these early leaders viewed slavery as the necessary evil, or at least something that could not be ended while trying to establish a new country.

Anonymous said...

i think that hunter has a good point. slaves werent given any better treatment than animals! it is very hard to comprehend the torture they were put through. plantations need many hands to keep them running i agree, but they could have treated them as if they were acutally people and not just tools that that they could throw away when broken! slavery is a very unjust thing and im glad it has stopped. right on lincoln!

Anonymous said...

Slavery is hard to describe... to believe that there are people that cruel, wicked, and evil; it sickens me and seems unreal.But I have to say if it wasn't for the wickedness we probably wouldn't be the free America we are today. Slavery is something that effects everyone on a different scale;for example slavery has a larger impact on Africans, or Africa-Americans then it would on most Caucasian.( Im taking a wild guess). I'm very happy that our country decided to CHANGE (like Obama).I say this was a huge step up for our country and I'm glad we took it.
(Emma is a racist)

Anonymous said...

I think that it is truely cruel that they treated the Africans that way, but it is still terible that that still people are treating the africans like they aren't anything. It is espeacially terible that their own kind sold them to the whites.(I agree with Delani that it seems unreal)

Unknown said...

hey yall!!! f prd Veliz is off the chain!!! slavery sucks but to tell you the truth if i was a plantation owner... i would be doin the same thing... u gotta do what you gotta do. also i would have been raised to think of them as lesser people - maybe even animals. but i don't think i could ever be as cruel and harsh as some slave owners.

lyl KAK

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

F@#*& mmr zilev

bored said...

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