Thesis: Chronology and the perspectives of slavery in the past society of United States of America
Analysis of the book, “American Slavery by Peter kolchin,” gives a critique, and incisive detail on the journey that the American people as far as the clamour for slavery are concerned. The term slavery in the basic ad most common sense refers to the circumstance where a person is subjected to torture, unfair treatment, persecution and/or maltreatment to a person. A person who is subjected to slavery is usually captured or obtained forcefully through military incursions or bought at designated markets. In the United States of America, there was a period when the issue of slavery in totality was the order of the day and nothing seemed to be wrong with it. The author mentioned above has given a principled and detailed chronology of the events that led to slavery until its subsequent end. Thus, I am of the opinion that the author has articulated his argument and logic in a sequential manner which is informative and beneficial to the reader.
It was also because of such circumstances that the jails were crowded by slaves, free Negroes and those who were suspected to have run away from their masters or those who were thought to have absconded duty from their posts or duty stations. Some regions in the United States of America such as the District of Columbia served as a depot for the purchase of the interstate traders. These traders originated from the Maryland and Virginia. Typically the District of Columbia was smaller to serve the function of rearing the slaves for its own self, and thus acted as the depot for the same function. During the subsequent years, there emerged a clique of slave traders who exhibited signs of prejudice and a little compassion for their fellow human beings. Their actions were repugnant, because they could squeeze many slaves and people who were intended to be sold to the markets, in very small slave pens, with inhumane conditions.
In the period between 1830 and 1860, there rose a campaign which sought to terminate in absolute terms, slavery and all the things that pertain to it. They were referred to as the abolitionists who sought not only to encourage legislative revolution but ethical sense into the practitioners of the slavery and wanted it ended forthwith. This campaign was spearheaded by one of the legendary personalities of the time led by Theodore D. Weld, Lewis Tappan, William Lloyd and the brothers Arthur. All these people lobbied the states and the places where the slaves were kept and the depots which provided fodder for the merchants, with anti-slavery literature. The literatures were aimed at exhibiting and painting the acts of slavery and all the things that pertain to it as immoral and unethical to humanity. Ethical and moral literature alone was enough to oust the habit and trade of slavery.
In subsequent times, the abolitionists put forth a spirited campaign which led to moral suasions and political actions from the concerned persons to have the act revoked. It is recorded that the abolitionists had only one common agenda and purpose to front during the agitation; to end slavery, especially of the blacks or the African-America people. The means that they would use not important. Nonetheless, that is why some of the campaigners resolved to embrace and use violence so as to achieve their noble goals. The end of the movement was the aim of the movement where the campaigners or the abolitionists opted to embrace. In the movement, there were moderates who thought of gradual emancipation and were mindful of the perceived racial tension and what would occur in a free society. Some of the moderators and liberal thinkers of that time thought of the chance, likelihood and the possibility of resettling the slaves back in Africa.
The Southern parts of America had relative liberation and embrace of free slavery movements held in that regard. However, in the northern parts, there were increased oppression and agility of the oppression of slaves as far as slavery was concerned. The African Americans were required to carry passes whenever they needed to walk around in the city. The situation was so dire to the extent that the whites were allowed to occasion mass violence and mob attack to assemblies of the Africa Americans. If an African American needed to hold a party or any entertainment for their fellows, they were required to have express permission from the authorities. In the case where there were seen gathering or standing in public spaces or grounds then the whites were allowed to mete mob violence towards them. This was meant to serve as a reactionary tact and collage to the Southern parts of America which had made considerable steps towards liberation and closure of slave trade business.
The situation of slavery grew from bad to worse when in the successive years, the congress banned debate and arguments pertaining to the question of slavery. The whites who were in the congress were not allowed to talk about the issue of slavery, and it was assumed that the matter had been resolved and settled as such thus there was no need for further debate. Members were even threatened with censure motions against them; this came with the enactment of the gag law. This was interesting because the African American were not only condemned to slavery, but the whites were also “prohibited, gagged and disallowed” to discuss the matter ever.
This implies that the society had accepted and embraced the situation as it was because even the economic incentives of the blacks were frustrated. This reason explains why for a considerable amount of time; the African American community have lagging behind in terms of economic development and, therefore, have been labelled as the marginalised people within the free economy of the United States of America. In a positive light, the anti-slavery movement grew in leaps and bounds until the eventual time where the “collaborators in slavery” fell out and revoked the previous legislation and rules that legalised slavery and ill-treatment that was treated to the African American community.
In comparison to the article and book America Past and present, there are common factors and common denominators and issues that cut across board between these two books. In the book the American past and present, also highlights and details the source of slavery for the pat American society. All these accounts point to the direction that the slaves were obtained from Africa, who travelled to America through the pacific and were coerced to travel to America. All these accounts confirm that only a black or the African American Community was subjected to slavery by their white counterparts. This account records that, “slave experience was substantially varied from colony to colony.” But the most basic commonality was that they were subjected to harsh working conditions. In the Northern parts of Virginia, the African Americans were dissatisfied with their economic and social conditions and thus offered cells and fits of revolt against their white masters.
Accordingly, his events led to the formation of anti-slavery societies that were obviously blacklisted and illegalised by the authorities. The campaigners wanted intellectually to engage the masters and the people who supported slave trade, by questioning g the economic productivity of a slave. This movement was fronted by the elite networks of the African Americans who lived in New York and later on had the impetus and the good will of the evangelical groups such as missionaries.
Summary
In the above essay, I have detailed a principled analysis of the books and accounts which sought to explain the situation and the circumstance of the slaves in the United States of America. I hold that it was prudent and proper to put matters into perspectives so as to determine with an accurate certainty what happened during the dark days of slavery. This is why the book by Peter Kolchin titled the American Slavery was incisive and very informative. In brief, the book details the chronology and successive and subsequent events that led to the emergence and the inevitable closure of the salve trade and slavery in general. There are comparisons and similarities between the two accounts discussed above in terms of principles. This is to say that it is only the African Americans or the black society which were subjected to ill and unfair treatment with forceful subjection to work without proper working conditions and zero pay. This is why, the thesis: Chronology and the perspectives of slavery in the past society of United States of America, is relevant.
Introduction: one hundred and fifty words
Analysis: Evidence to support the chronology of events and argument of the author: one thousand two hundreds words
Personal view and analysis of the topic of interest
Comparisons with the other account; two hundred words
Summary: Two hundreds words
Bibliography
Catterall, Helen Tunnicliff, and James John Hayden, eds. Judicial Cases Concerning
American Slavery and the Negro: Cases from the Courts of England, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Vol. 1. Octagon Books, 1968.
Kolchin, Peter, and Peter Kolchin. Unfree labor: American slavery and Russian serfdom. Harvard University Press, 2009.
Weld, Theodore Dwight, ed. American Slavery as it is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses. No. 10. American Anti-Slavery Society, 1839.
