History of Slavery and Ways in which it Impacts Contemporary Society

History of Slavery and Ways in which it Impacts Contemporary Society
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History of Slavery and Ways in which it Impacts Contemporary Society
The study of history plays a big role in fostering knowledge about people and societies. In particular, learning about the history of slavery is pivotal towards appreciating the significant steps the world has made towards freedom. When people learn about the slavery history of their forefathers, they are able to test their moral sense against the happenings of the past. With slavery still being present in the contemporary world, understanding how the vice happened in the past could unlock ways to tackle what the current trend. In addition, it is important to find out how the current society is impacted by the slavery in the past. It is close to a century and a half now since the formal abolishment of slavery. However, the impacts of the vice are still prevalent in the current society. Some scholars have even pointed out to slavery being present in the modern world. Therefore, it is important to understand the aspects that characterized slavery in the past and the efforts of abolitionists in combating it. This essay begins by documenting the significant aspects that characterize the history of slavery in the US. The essay also examines how the history of slavery impacts the political, economical, and educational institutions in the current society. It’s relation to the inequality present in the contemporary society is also examined.
A significant part of the US history is characterized by slavery. Before dwelling further on the issue, it is important to note that slavery did not first appear in the US. It has been part of human history as seen in the Bible and Greek history. During this time which is thousands of years before the slave trade in America, the practice existed in the form of conquered people, indentured servants, and serfs. It is thus important to recognize that that slavery had existed prior to the one experienced in the US. The slavery in the US is different, however, in the sense that race determined who was considered a slave. As informed by History (n.d.), slavery history in America dates back to 1619 when the first slaves were introduced by the Dutch. These were the first African slaves who were brought to Virginia to work in farms producing lucrative crops like tobacco. As such, the early 17th century was characterized by Europeans turning to slaves from Africa for cheap and available labor (History, n.d.). It is imperative to note that before African slaves were brought, indentured servants were the labor source. These indentured servants, according to History (n.d), were made up Europeans who were poorer than others. However, when Africans were brought, a cheap alternative labor source emerged. After the twenty were Africans were brought to Virginia, there was a spread of slavery across the colonies in America. According to History (n.d), it is estimated that between 6 and 7 million slaves were shipped to the New World in the 18th century alone. As seen, Africa was deprived of its ablest and healthiest people. The 17th and 18th centuries saw African slaves working on rice, and tobacco plantations that were mainly located on the Southern Coast. The colonists in the North began realizing how slavery was unimportant to their economy after the 1775-83 American Revolution (History, n.d.). These colonists thus began calling for the abolishment of slavery as they saw it as similar to the oppression by the British. However, the vice continued since the constitution of the US started acknowledging the institution, where each slave was counted as three-fifths of a human being. As seen, a big part of the US history is marked by slavery.
16383002162175The invention of cotton gin played an immense role in perpetuating slavery in the US. The end of the 18th century came with the exhaustion of the land used to grow tobacco. There was thus an economic crisis in the South, and doubt arose whether continuity of slavery would continue. However, the demand for American cotton in England due to the mechanization of cotton industry and the cotton gin invention gave hope to farmers in the south. The invention of cotton gin, a simple devise used in the removal of cotton seeds facilitated the transition from tobacco to cotton farming. The painting beside shows slaves working on the machine. It is this machine that increased the demand for slabs as farmers saw an opportunity in cotton farming. According to History (n.d.), the transition to cotton farming reinforced the dependence of the South on labor from slaves. It is important to note that the vice was not widespread in the North; however, there were businessmen who had made investments in plantations in the South. While the states in the North abolished the vice, those in the South considered it important to their economy. According to History (n.d), by 1804, all the states in the North had abolished slavery but the ones the South still treasured the institution. The outlawing of African slave trade by the Congress in 1808 did little to reduce the vice as the population of the slaves in the country tripled in the 50 years that followed. Therefore, the cotton gin played a part in the growth of slavery in the Southern states.
The history of slavery in America is also characterized by the rise of the Abolitionist movement. In the period between the 1830s and 1860s, the movement gained momentum as they sought to ensure the country is free of slavery. Frederick Douglas among other free blacks as well as white supporters led the movement. Apart from Douglas, other people that led the fight against slavery are William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Tubman, and Harriet Stowe (University of California, n.d). Some of the members of the abolitionist movement base their fight on the belief that the act of slavery was a sin. However, others fostered the free labor argument that slavery was inefficient and regressive. The northerners who supported the movement as well as free blacks facilitated to a great extent the escape of slaves into the North. According to History (n.d), the practice helped between 40,000 and 100,000 slaves run off to the North to attain freedom. As seen, the abolitionist moved played a big role in helping slaves attain freedom as shown in the picture below.
(University of California, n.d)
19240502409825Civil War and Emancipation are also part of the slave history in the country. The election of Abraham Lincoln as US president was a big win for the abolitionist movement as he was against the vice. However, after his election, southern states began seceding from the central union. The tensions between the states in the North and those in the South led to the explosion of the Civil War that lasted from 1861 to 1865. As such, there was a war between states. Emancipation Proclamation by Lincoln that was made official in 1863 led to some black slaves being freed. The ...