History of Slavery and Its Impacts on the Contemporary Society
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Thesis Statement
The study will conduct an empirical investigation of the history of slavery and attempt to determine the impact of slavery on contemporary modern day society.
Annotated Bibliography
King, R. (2006). Recasting African American history. Slavery & Abolition, 27(1), 133-138. http://dx(dot)doi(dot)org/10.1080/01440390500500054
The study concerns itself with the recognition of African Americans as capable of cognitive thought. The study attempts to explain the community as having intellectual capability.
Miller, J. (2013). The History of Slavery. Slavery & Abolition, 35(1), 170-179. http://dx(dot)doi(dot)org/10.1080/0144039x.2013.814350
The study traces the evolution of slavery from its onset to the circumstances surrounding its abolition. The paper looks into the factors that came together to make it possible to abolish slavery. The initial conditions that made slavery as an institution desirable and provided it with sustenance.
Schiller, B. (2011). US Slavery's Diaspora: Black Atlantic History at the Crossroads of ‘Race’, Enslavement, and Colonization. Slavery & Abolition, 32(2), 199-212. http://dx(dot)doi(dot)org/10.1080/0144039x.2011.568232
The study looks into the conceptualization of the US slaves as American rather than African. The study notes the impact of migration on the psyche of the slavery bolstered by slave trade, relocation and colonization. The paper attempts to explain the metamorphosis of slavery and its creation of the unique identity of the African American.
Stewart, J. (2015). “Using History to Make Slavery History”: The African American Past and the Challenge of Contemporary Slavery. SI, 3(1), 125. http://dx(dot)doi(dot)org/10.17645/si.v3i1.143
The study attempts to utilize the history of slavery and particular the abolitionist movement to determine how the modern day anti-slavery movement can improve its processes. The study notes that by conducting an examination of the original abolitionist movement, the struggle to end modern
Annotations (Part I and II, 75 and 125 points)
In week three you have two annotations due, and in week four, you have three annotations due. Each of your annotations should be approximately 200–250 words. These are due Weeks 3 and 4.
Draft Paper (150 points)
A draft of five-seven pages, impeccably presented with in-text citations and reference page. This is due in Week 6.
Final Paper (200 points)
A final paper of nine to ten pages (not including title or reference pages) is due in Week 8.
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History of Slavery and Its Impacts on the Contemporary Society
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History of Slavery and Its Impacts on the Contemporary Society
Thesis Statement: Though slavery was abolished decades ago; its ramifications are evident in the contemporary society.
Introduction
Slavery is viewed as a state in which people are owned as property by other individuals who take control of them through involuntary servitude. Slavery, just like other forms of evil and ill-fated unethical practices, reached pandemic level in America and Europe colonies. The history of slavery was acutely recorded when slaves arrived in the United States of America, a notion that consequently leads to the thought that slavery never existed before or that its ramifications and relevance had little social, historical and economical importance. This study aims at conducting an empirical evaluation to establish the history of slavery and its impact in the contemporary society. The practice of slavery has been in existence for hundreds of years even before colonialists explored and reached the African continent. In North America, the practice of slavery began in 1619 when the Dutch brought black people from Africa as slaves in the colony of Virginia. Slavery ramifications are still evident in the contemporary society, even though it was ended many centuries ago; for instance through racial inequalities.
History of slavery
The American slavery began with the bringing of first slaves from Africa to the colony of North America in 1619. In this aspect, the Dutch colonies brought black people from Africa as slaves in Jamestown, Virginia. The African slaves were to help in production of lucrative crops like tobacco and were required to serve for a period of seven years in this State. They were purchased from native lands and were not allowed to return to their families at any given time. The slaves were assigned responsibilities that required them to work hard under harsh and cruel treatments since they were considered to have no rights.
As depicted in different kinds of literature, the act of slavery was never initiated in the United States but in Africa. For instance, In Egypt, slavery was practiced by individuals who were held as captives for committing crimes within the society. In addition, peasants were also seen in this way since they chose to sell themselves as slaves with the aim of paying up their debts. It is however essential to note that the American society never embraced the practice of slavery, an aspect that resulted in the Africans demanding for replacements for the Native Americans. Enslavement of human beings is an act that has been in existence for hundreds of years before other colonies explored and reached the African continent. The proponents of slavery purport that the element of slavery was a natural step in the process of development and evolution in civilized peoples. In as much as this practice has been abolished, its everlasting consequences and impact still remain evident in the society, affecting many individuals. According to Axtell (2015), slavery still remains alive in America even after its legal ending.
Impact of Slavery
Racial inequalities
According to O’ Connell (2012), the element of slavery has immensely contributed to racial inequalities despite the initiation of civil rights laws in the contemporary society. Slavery according to O’Connell was highly practiced in several nations between the 17th and 18th centuries, with its impact and effects in human history unique to America. Several elements played a part in the creation of slavery in colonial America, with an essential aspect being the financial and personal growth of nations and people. The practice of slavery in 1800s resulted in the contemporary inequality among the blacks and whites especially in respect to poverty, the independence of economic conditions, demographic, racial threats, and wealth disparities. In this case, it is imperative to note that slavery played a significant role in shaping the currently existing racial inequality patterns in modern society.
Racism, capitalism, and individualism
Racism, capitalism, and individualism are viewed as the most controversial factors that resulted from slavery, with other factors that include urbanization also considered to find root in slavery (O’ Connell, 2012). These factors played a significant role in the growth of an enormous economy during this period for the American colonies, but had some negative impact since they left social gaps that can still be traced today. Capitalism, as detailed by O'Connell (2012), resulted as a double-edged sword in the United States of America; a driving force that pushed the aspect of economic growth at the expense of the African Americans who served as slaves in this state. It was enforced and implied that the African slaves were less than their white counterparts in consideration of the means and ways that they were used by slave traders and owners in promoting their stature and wealth. The irony of these remains in the manner in which the contemporary world has been weaved to inculcate the element of religious and political freedom with the aim of escaping oppression, something that has in fact promoted individualism and personal worth.
Superiority of whites and inferiority of Blacks
In America, the Africans were separated from the society because they were racially defined and viewed as incurable. The slave owners had a belief that they had a responsibility to mold the character of slaves. They did this through incorporation of harsh disciplinary measures, creation of a sense of inferiority and master superiority thus requiring the acceptance of the master’s ideas and a deep sense of dependency and hopelessness on the slaves. The slaves were consequently exploited in order for them to accumulate wealth for their masters. As a result of this, the aspect of urbanization took place in the industrialization process (O'Connell, 2012). However, this was not to the benefit of the slaves, since their owners still saw them as stupid and were believed to have no understanding of how to operate machines.
United States promoted and encouraged slave trade that divided the society, thus contradicting their ideologies. They excluded the African slaves and viewed them as being of lesser class to the whites. O’Connell further points out that racism is one of the significant factors that was faced by indentured servants during the slavery era and is still faced by many people of African descent in the contemporary American society today. As a result of this, the perceptions of white superiority have taken cognizance of the society, with blacks considered and inferior.
In his article, Herron established the existing relationship between the enslavement of the blacks and the freedom of the whites. Herron (2011) focuses on the decrease of freedoms and the rights of the blacks, while their white counterparts obtained more power and rights. Herron in his article takes a closer look at one presidential address that was delivered by Morgan Edmund in 1972 which clearly defined the relationship between freedom and slavery in the political development and system of America. According to this author’s argument, the rise of equal...