Introduction
The connection between Colonial America, Atlantic trade and slavery helped in the development and growth of America’s colonies. Without slavery, it would have unmanageable for European colonists to develop the New World (Morgan 6). It is also inconceivable that colonists and settlers could have managed to settle and develop America without slave labour. Slave labour is the essential reason American was able to produce major consumer goods that became the basis of global trade of tobacco, cotton, rice, etc. (Dodson).
Slavery and the Making of America is a documentary made by PBS that discusses the role played by slavery in developing America and making their masters rich. The documentary has several an eye-opening life stories of slave life and the harsh conditions they had to face, while helping to build America at the same time. The documentary justifies that global trade and American economy grew, on the back of hard labour and mistreatment of African American slaves in from 1619 to 1865.
Historical Context
The documentary presents an account of life of African Americans from the point the first 11 were brought to America in 1619 to 1865 when the final one was freed after the Union victory in the Civil War. Slavery and the makings of America tells the story of the 250 years African American oppression through the hands of their masters. At the same time, it also provides detailed information on the role African American slaves played in the development of the America were all get to see today. Slavery was the only solution as the Colonists failed to enslave the American Indians and for their colonies to grow they needed free labour.
African American slaves, not only provided their masters with the critical labour, they also had to endure a condition where any child they fathered was born a slave. It is also worth noting that, “the country that says to the world we bring ourselves into existence on the principle of human freedom is the country that is, in many ways, founded on the principle of human slavery” (PBS). Also, the person who wrote the Declaration of Independence, used to have 250 slaves of his own; Thomas Jefferson contradicts his own beliefs. Overall, the setting of plantation economy was fitting for bringing black men and women from Africa through Atlantic slave trade and making them work in farms and live like animals.
Analysis
Quotes
Apart from slavery and plantation economy, several white Americans used to invest in auxiliary industries such as insurance, shipping, and the slave trade. The documentary reveals, “The major profit came from the human cargo of enslaved Africans. Slave trading had become the basis of an international economy” (PBS). This meant the White men were making money from both sides of the trade as they used for investment in ship building which brought slaves to America, insurance on ships that made them money if ships went down, and slave trade that helped planters like them to easily buy slaves to work in their farms. Overall, slavery became an essential source for the expansion of American capitalism.
Slavery has been described as, “an extraordinary goose that laid the golden egg. You had workers that you didn't have to pay and you owned their children as soon as they were born” (PBS). Slavery helped many planters to become filthy rich, as the slaves were never paid and had to live in gruesome conditions. It was gruesome that as soon a child was born, he became a slave. The only one gaining from the situation was the master and the rights of slaves were non-existent. Therefore, to say that American economy prior to 1865 grew on the back of slavery would not be totally unjustifiable.
Images
The documentary shows images of slaves working on tobacco farms and living in undreamed-of conditions. While at the same time, it shows that size of plantations built by their masters from the income they generated by employing slaves. Also, slave children are sold for paying debts of masters and families are destroyed only to maintain a farm and fill the coffers of masters. Some slaves introduced rice farming in Carolina, and the masters profited from the skill by developing rice farms where other products failed to grow. It shows that slaves became the source of income for plantation owners who might not have managed to sustain their colonies without their labour (PBS).
There are scenes that reveal that many slave women became prey of their masters in indecent intentions. Many women had to endure physical relations with their masters, and any children they gave birth to were born slaves. Those who tried to fight, such as Frances Driggus, were given a cold shoulder by the courts. Other like Harriet Brown if survived their masters, became prey to other White men who took advantage of their innocence and need for support.
There were many cases lashings of slave women who used to disagree with their masters or used to complain about their suffering and sexual attacks. Several African women were whipped for fornication or having a child out of marriage, even though the child was fathered by their master (PBS).
The documentary reveals how things changed with time as indentured servants and slaves were treated as equals during initial settlements. But, as time passed, slaves suffering increased and as the suffering increased the plantation economy and wealth of American increased. With time colonies started to realize the size of income they could make in the slave game, and they started to legalize slavery, with Massachusetts being the first one and other Northern states Maryland and New York joined after them. Even when there was a slave uprising, the manner in which it was quashed was barbaric. Also, the planters increased the level of violence and hatred for slaves after uprising or runaways (PBS).
Lyrics
One of the quotes from the movie that defines the life of slaves and their role in building American economy is, “the sound of the pounding of rice in Africa was the sound of domesticity. Ah -- but the sound of pounding rice in South Carolina was the sound of exploitation” (PBS). Slaves brought the culture of growing rice to Carolina, but the people who made money from them were their masters. The pounding of rice that used to be a common chore for African women back home, became part of their master’s oppression. As the noise from pounding rice grew in Caroline, the level of oppression faced by the slaves grew with it.
The songs that the slaves sung became part of their oppression as they drew dignity from their culture and spirituality. Their songs were the source of entitlement to them as they had nothing left but their connection to god and culture, and the suffering at the hands of their masters. Slaves drew different meaning from the Bible, “the slaves drew from Christianity the parts that particularly spoke to the oppressed. The parts that said God won't forget you” (PBS). It became their sole source of hope; as they considered working tirelessly for their masters, part of god’s plan to take them to the much espoused Promised Land. Overall, such beliefs helped the plantation owners to become wealthy, as their slaves believed they were doing god’s work, even though most of them reviled it.
Conclusion
Slavery and the Making of America is a retelling of the historical account of the role slaves played in developing the American economy and making their masters rich. The colonists started out with indentured servants, but overtime learned that slavery was the essential source of developing their economy. The documentary tells of story of slaves and their struggle to maintain human dignity and surviving under the times when no rules or regulations existed for them. Slaves were treated like animals and were forced to work regardless of their physical health, age and weather conditions. At the same time, they made their master richer and helped in developing the American economy and trade. Slaves played an important role in the growth of global trade of cotton, rice and tobacco industries, and helped build several American cities from scratch. In simple words, without slaves and their suffering American colonists would have never managed to develop their great economy and wealth.
Works Cited
Dodson, Howard. "How Slavery Helped Build a World Economy." National Geographic News. nationalgeographic.com, 3 Feb. 2003. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
Mahmood, Huzaifah. "Slavery And Development: The United States And Benin | African Development Portrayed in Film | Vanderbilt University." Vanderbilt University. vanderbilt.edu, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
PBS. "Slavery & the Making of America Part 2- Liberty in the Air." YouTube. youtube.com, 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
PBS. "Slavery and the Making of America 2005 Part 1 of 4 The Downward Spiral."YouTube. youtube.com, 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
PBS. "SLAVERY AND THE MAKING OF AMERICA Episode 3 Seeds of Destruction SD." YouTube. youtube.com, 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.
Morgan, Kenneth. Slavery, Atlantic Trade and the British Economy, 1660-1800. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. Print.
Wright, Gavin. Slavery and American Economic Development. Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 2013. Print.
