“The sufferings of the Helots among the Spartans, were somewhat severe, it is true, but to say that theirs, were as severe as ours among the Americans, I do most strenuously deny” –“David Walker’s Appeal” in Let Nobody Turn Us Around, p. 28.
The above statement, which was written by David Walker in his Appeal in Four Articles, attempts not only outline the atrocity of slavery in America, but also mentions the fact that the type slavery practiced by the America is worse than even that practiced by the Spartans. Walker goes on to explain that the Spartans had a right to enslave the Helots since they had caused an insurrection, and in response to their actions, the Spartans attacked them and made them “prisoners of war” (Walker 28). However, Walker contends that the white American Christians have enslaved the African for “enriching” themselves and “their country” (Walker 28). Furthermore, it can be argued that slavery in the New World, in particular America, is worse than the forms of slavery practiced by other ethnic groups throughout history. Indeed, it can be argued that although slavery is not unique to world history since it has been well-documented that various ethnic groups have enslaved others, the selected excerpt of the text, Let Nobody Turn Us Around (pages 21-40), depict how slavery in America was one of the worst, if not the worst, forms of slavery. This is because the African-American was enslaved mentally since he was denied education and by physical means, through whippings and other forms of physical torture and enslaved socially, through the act of segregation.
In Richard Allen’s account of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), he explained how white American Christians on numerous occasions prevented “people of color” from worshipping with the whites (Allen 21). For instance, Allen describes how he and other African-Americans were thrown out of St. George’s church, after the membership of the African-Americans was becoming too “numerous” (Allen 21). It should be noted that the white American Christians moved the African-Americans from the seats that were accustomed to sitting in, before placing them “around the wall,” and then lastly to the “gallery” (Allen 21-22). Allen and his fellow African-Americans had to be content to being thrown out of a church that they helped to build. The act of segregation by the white American Christians was an attempt to enslave the African-Americans socially by allowing them to recognize their place, which was not to be shared with white persons, especially not in such large numbers.
Walker in his Appeal in Four Articles explains how “white Christians of America” physically enslaved African-Americans (26). For example, Walker details how these white American Christians “crop” the ears of the black person and “cut off bits” of her tongue (32). These cruel and inhumane actions were not only used to enslave the African-American by means of physical coercion, but these actions also suggest to the African-American’s psyche that she is an animal. It tells the African-American that she should be treated in the same manner as “horses, bulls, or hogs” (Walker 32).
A statute passed by the State of North Carolina in 1830-1831 indicates that a “white man or woman” who was found teaching a slave how to read or write could be fined one hundred to two hundred dollars (“Slaves are Prohibited to Read and Write by Law” 40). However, if a black person was caught doing the same thing he or she would receive “thirty nine lashes on his or her bare back” (“Slaves are Prohibited to Read and Write by Law” 40). Education was perceived as a deadly weapon that could be used against the whites by the blacks. If a slave was empowered with knowledge as it to his true condition, rather than accepting it, he would rebel and cause others to rebel. Hence, the white slave masters attempted to control the minds of their slaves by enacting laws that would prevent them from being educated.
In conclusion, the form of slavery used by white Americans can be considered to be one of the worst, if not the worst, forms. This is because the white Americans attempted to enslave the African-American socially by segregating him from public spaces, such as churches. Furthermore, the whites in American attempted to enslave the African-Americans by physical means so that they can be perceived as animals rather than human beings. Lastly, African-Americans were mentally enslaved so that they could be prevented from rebelling against their master, and passively accept their condition as slaves.
Works Cited
Allen, Richard. “The Founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Richard Allen, 1816.” Eds. Manning Marable and Leith Mullings. Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: An African American Anthology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2009. Print. 20-24.
“Slaves are Prohibited to Read and Write by Law.” Manning Marable and Leith Mullings. Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: An African American Anthology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2009. Print. 39-40.
Walker, David. “David Walker’s ‘Appeal,’ 1829-1830. Eds. Manning Marable and Leith Mullings. Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal: An African American Anthology. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2009. Print. 24-33.
