Take a Stand on Slavery
Essay: Take a Stand on Slavery Introduction In the 1820s, 1830, and 1840s, the Second Great Awakening helped to inspire a reformist impulse across the nation. As History in the Making points out, one of those movements centered on an effort to abolish slavery in the United States; of course, the desire to eliminate slavery did not go unchallenged. In this activity, you will examine the views of antislavery (abolitionist) and proslavery writers in the antebellum years. This essay will help you better understand a controversy that permeated American life in the years leading up to the Civil War. (Meets Course Learning Objectives: 1, 8, 15, and 16) Primary Sources Read the following pro- and anti-slavery documents Pro-Slavery George Fitzhugh Advocates Slavery http://www(dot)pbs(dot)org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3141.html Diseases and Peculiarities of the Negro Race http://www(dot)pbs(dot)org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3106.htmlJames Henry Hammond Advocates Slavery http://www(dot)pbs(dot)org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3439.html Excerpts from Edmund Ruffin's, "The Political Economy of Slavery" http://www(dot)pbs(dot)org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/lincolns-political-economy/ Abolitionists David Walker’s Appeal http://www(dot)pbs(dot)org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2931.html Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” http://teachingamericanhistory(dot)org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/ The American Antislavery Society: Declaration of Sentiments http://utc(dot)iath(dot)virginia(dot)edu/abolitn/abeswlgct.html Directions Part 1: Essay Focus Questions: What stereotypes do these documents promote about African-Americans? How do these men justify slavery? Or what points do they make about the need to abolish slavery? Should the emancipated slaves remain "on-soil," that is, in the United States? How do these men envision civilized society and slavery's place in it? What remarks do the abolitionists make about the conditions under which the slaves worked and lived? The pro-slavery writers? What are your impressions about the attitudes these men had about slavery, whether they were slavery proponents or abolitionists? In what ways are the arguments of these men reflective of racial prejudice? Format: For your essay, you must read the primary sources listed above and examine the descriptions of, and defense or attack of slavery offered in the documents. After selecting one side of the debate, you must write a two to three page essay (between 500 and 750 words) that addresses the focus questions. Your essay should have an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the supporting paragraphs, you should include specific examples or support of your position (quotations or paraphrases) from the primary sources for this activity. You must also follow the conventions of grammar, style, and citations covered in a freshman level composition course. Regarding grammar and style, you should proofread your work carefully because spell and grammar check do not catch all errors. FYI: It is best to write about the past in the past tense as the events you discuss have long since ended. If you struggle with grammar and spelling, you have the option to submit your essay to Smarthinking Online Tutoring for assistance. Regarding citations, you must provide citations for all of the information that you looked up in your sources and you must include a works cited page for those sources. When you complete your essay, submit your work to this Dropbox.
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Stand on Slavery
The stereotypes promoted by these documents regarding African-Americans, particularly by the pro-slavery writers include (i) they are marketable goods, properties and commodities which can be sold and purchased just like livestock; (ii) African-Americans are seen as brute beasts. Moreover, (iii) that they should be shut out from the light of religion and education; (iv) they were childish people who needed protection; and (v) they could be lashed brutally (Douglass, 1852). Slavery is justified by pro-slavery forces such as James Henry Hammond and George Fitzhugh who claimed that: (i) African-Americans were biologically inferior compared to their white counterparts and were not able to assimilate in free society. They also argued that (ii) slavery provided a civilizing influence; (iii) that black people were childish individuals and had to be protected; (iv) slavery was a necessary evil and a positive good; and (v) slaves were required in order to maintain the development and advancement of the white society (Edmund, 1963).
Regarding the need to abolish slavery, the points made are as follows: (i) every person was created equal, and they are all granted by God certain inalienable rights including liberty, life, as well as the pursuit of happiness; and (ii) no one has the right of imbruting or enslaving his brother and slavery is a crime. (iii) The right of enjoying liberty is inalienable; (iv) any American citizen who confines a person in involuntary bondage as his property is a man-stealer in accordance with Scripture; and (v) buying or stealing a native African and subjecting him to servitude amounts to piracy, and the sin of enslaving an African is as great as that of enslaving an American (Garrison, 1833). The emancipated slaves should remain on-soil because, as David Walker stated in his 1829 Appeal, America belonged to everyone who helped in building it, and the emancipated slaves helped to build America, so t...