Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Slavery: Old News or Relevant History?

I hope that you all found today's activity on slavery informative and eye-opening. But does it really matter that we study stuff like this? Some would question whether or not it is wise to dig up this awful part on our nation's history. Why not put it out of our minds and just move forward? I suppose we can ask that question about all of history. That would not be good news for a history teacher!

We've discussed how Southern plantation owners may have justified their involvement in the institution of slavery. A good case can be made that without slavery the economy of the Southern colonies - and later the Southern United States - would have crumbled. Howard Dodson, writing about the importance of slavery to the cotton trade in 1800s America, says "the slavery system in the United States was a national system that touched the very core of its economic and political life." He goes on to describe how the institution of slavery was interwoven into virtually every part of the U.S. economy at the time:

Each plantation economy was part of a larger national and international political economy. The cotton plantation economy, for instance, is generally seen as part of the regional economy of the American South. By the 1830s, "cotton was king" indeed in the South. It was also king in the United States, which was competing for economic leadership in the global political economy. Plantation-grown cotton was the foundation of the antebellum southern economy.

But the American financial and shipping industries were also dependent on slave-produced cotton. So was the British textile industry. Cotton was not shipped directly to Europe from the South. Rather, it was shipped to New York and then transshipped to England and other centers of cotton manufacturing in the United States and Europe.

As the cotton plantation economy expanded throughout the southern region, banks and financial houses in New York supplied the loan capital and/or investment capital to purchase land and slaves.

Recruited as an inexpensive source of labor, enslaved Africans in the United States also became important economic and political capital in the American political economy. Enslaved Africans were legally a form of property—a commodity. Individually and collectively, they were frequently used as collateral in all kinds of business transactions. They were also traded for other kinds of goods and services.

The value of the investments slaveholders held in their slaves was often used to secure loans to purchase additional land or slaves. Slaves were also used to pay off outstanding debts. When calculating the value of estates, the estimated value of each slave was included. This became the source of tax revenue for local and state governments. Taxes were also levied on slave transactions.

Politically, the U.S. Constitution incorporated a feature that made enslaved Africans political capital—to the benefit of southern states. The so-called three-fifths compromise allowed the southern states to count their slaves as three-fifths of a person for purposes of calculating states' representation in the U.S. Congress. Thus the balance of power between slaveholding and non-slaveholding states turned, in part, on the three-fifths presence of enslaved Africans in the census.

(from National Geographic News)

So were Southern plantation owners right? Was the future of the United States - and the survival of the colonies before that - critical enough to justify slavery? Obviously, we have decided as a nation - as late as it was - that slavery was an evil institution and a regrettable part of our past. So should slavery be remembered as a necessary evil? If so, then how can it we get past the fact that African slaves were forced against their will to be at the center of this horrible history.

Today you heard the horrors that Africans had to endure from the moment they were captured. Hopefully, for a few minutes you tried to put yourself in Kunte's shoes - as impossible as that is.

So after reading above about how important slavery was to the economy of our country's early years and after considering what we heard and felt in class, how do you think the United States would be different today if the slavery in North America never existed? Would there have ever been a United States? Would the United States have been better off without slavery? If we decide that slavery was important enough to forgive early Americans for, then we should consider what Lincoln said:
Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.
That probably a good test to apply to ourselves whenever we argue for anything!!

Remember, keep your comments and debate respectful. Be thoughtful!!

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that slavery was important to growth of the americas but we could have gone without it. If the people that were slaves were free they would have contributed to knowledge anyway. The plantation owners were selfish to use another persons hand to do his work. Slavery is something that we definately could have lived without.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with myself.

Anonymous said...

I think that slavery was an evil and hatred thing. But i also think that if we did not have slaves in the begining of the Americas our country would not have such huge population and our economy would not be as good. I think this because if we did not have slaves we would not have African Americans in the Country. And the economy would not be as good either because some colonist would have stopped growing crops and tobacco. If you agree or disagree with me tell me.

Anonymous said...

I disagree with Dyland. Even if we didn't have slave we would propably have a big population and if the plantation owners were so determined to live the good life and didn't wnat to do the work at least they could of hired someone to do the work for them. The way plantation owner and overseers treated the slaves was plain evil. they probaly didn't care how they felt they didn't even treat as kind as a pet.

Anonymous said...

I(disagree with Dylan) personally think that America would have been better off without slavery. Yes maybe our early history in the south would have been very different. If slavery was that important though to the colonies then maybe the owners could have at least paid the slaves and let them return to Africa etc. If slavery did not happen though, I think us today would not even think about this terrible act. We would probably not even care how people treated each other. so yes we could live without slavery,but if you think about it, it really shapes our lives and kind of how we treat others. The united states is better off without that incident overall. And i do not agree with Dylan, are economy would be just like it is now- in a recession!

Anna said...

I agree with Jayson that it was an important to the growth of the Americas, but i don't think we should have treated them the way the foolish/selfish/greety people did. They should have treated them with more respect. just because they were different doesn't mean that they are totally evil or horrible things, (like the way they seemed to be treated)

Kailey: what other reacorces would we have built off of???


p.s. i really dout that we could even imagine anything that they went through. People take for granted everything they get...

Unknown said...

I think that if they had stopped slavery that America would not be how it is today. I think it was wrong that just because they where black or African Americans meant that they had to be owned and hurt(wiped, chocked , etc.) I mean they had to be owned by someone instead of living a free life like the other people in America, and then when they got worn out their owners would just like set them free to live their 5 more days of living. I think that slavery was a major problem and a time that are country will never forget, but if slavery had not gone on we would not have the same economy and life in our country.

Anonymous said...

To look back at the dreadful periods in our history is not something everyone would be to happy about doing. But I do believe it's nesicarey, just to make sure we don;t make the some mystakes again.

It must have been hard for plantation owners to justify there use of slaves, and they must have streched the truth alot. The Southern Colonies might not have had the same type of economy (if any economy at all) if it weren't for slavery. But I don't understand how no one ever thought of how they felt. Did Colonial Americans even think of them as people... or just property. I have to wonder if anyone had any empathy for these por africans. If it weren't for Colonial American Slavery, there wouldn't even be african americans. That would be so much different. There would be no diversity of skin color.

I believe slavery was wrong and I don't understand how anyone ever allowed it. I'm not even sure where the idea came from... But that was the past, and we can;t change it now. All we can do now is look back on it and make sure it doesn't happen again.

**%#^@&!#@$&$!**

Unknown said...

i also kindly agree with Oisin. I also think that if slavery had never existed, then (like what kayley said) we would probably never be even talking about it or even blogging about it. but it did happen. we could have dealt without slavery couldn't we? i mean the plantation owners could have hired their nieghbors or thier fellow friends to HELP them in planting their crops instead of using useful money to buy a person instead of buying feed for their cattle or food for thier families. another thing I would like to piont out from kayley's blog is that she said it shapes our lives and how we treat others. here is a challenging question i ask: would have the blacks be treated differently in the '50s and '60s if slavery had never accurred? its sad to think how many families were taken from their [sirene] homes and packed together on a ship for days or even months, then once they reach land, half of them are alredy dead and the rest are happy at first but then they are torn apart from thier friends and family to be whipped and eventually crippled by a white man. the thought of that just makes me SICK!! i would have hated to be in one of those slave's shoes; i can't imagine the hardships they went through. then after about 20 or 30 years, their master lets them got when they are about half dead and ready the die. to me that is very cruel. i am an animal lover and i care about the cruelty of animals, butt humans are animals too and i care if they are emotionally or physically hurt no matter what custom they follow or the color of their skin.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Dylan. Slavery was an evil and hatred thing. But it was important to the growth of the americas. We definitely should have treated the slaves better. I cannot imagine being a slave for a lifetime. Mr. Veliz's actment on Tuesday made me understand that as well as this summary. I dont think that people should be traded from across the world like a piece of property. I believe that now we can speak up for ourselves and back then we should have been able also. Enslaved Africans should not have been used as collateral in all kinds of business transactions.
I am aware that without slavery a bunch of events that happened in the past would have changed our world today. If you agree or disagree with me let me know.

Anonymous said...

Slavery was an important factor to the growth of our country, as jason said. I do not believe that we could go have gone with out it, Although I am glad Lincoln abolished it. did anyone forget 1626, when people died? That could have been avoided by slaves... I AM NOT FOR SLAVES. I disagree with slaves now but I do think they were important.

Tell me if you agree or disagree with me

Anonymous said...

I think that slavery shouldn't of happened but since it did we should be glad that it still doesn't go on today. Slavery( in my opinion) shaped America and how we act now. Just think, if slavery never happened then(like Kayley and Heather said) we would treat eachother differently, we would also not have some of the same freedoms that we have today. I don't think we would get along, also everyone wouldn't care about one another.
I think it totally matters that we study things like this because if we didn't then we wouldn't know how the slaves felt being a slave. It is important to know all about the history even if it is very sad and inhumane. The slave plantation owners were wrong because you should treat people kindly and not like property. Everyone deserves the same rights no matter their race, culture, or ethnic group.
The slaves didn't deserve what happened to them, getting torn apart from family and unwillingly getting sold to other slaveholders, but thats history and we can't go back and fix the bad things that happened otherwise the U.S. wouldn't be the same. So I think the U.S. would and wouldn't be better off without slavery because it shaped the U.S. but the slaves shouldn't of been treated like the way they were. Basically I agree with everyone for different reasons.

Anonymous said...

If slavery never existed in North America, every last one of us would probably be lazy. Without the slaves the United states would have never been the same. As I never said '' without the past there is no future.'' Without slavery the United states eventualy would have been here. The United States wouldnt have been better off without slavery. Without slaves, all of those lazy people would probably had died. The United states population would have been lower, which means some of those important people today, may not have ever been born. Slavery links to alot of things that we dont even think about. I agree with everyone who will say that slaves did have an impact on the future, of right now.

Anonymous said...

Tell me if you agree or disagree with me so I can write some more and prove my point.

Unknown said...

I think that slavery was extremely important to the existence of our country today. If the farmers were so lazy that they needed slaves to do all of their work for them then if there weren't any slaves there wouldn't be any trade and people would have suffered. I am not saying that having slaves was a good thing, it was a terrible thing that our early people made the choice of doing instead of working themselves, and the way that these other human beings were treated just was not something that should of ever happened. I believe that the success of the south, with all of their cotton and everything else that the slaves helped with is something that has shaped us as a country.

Unknown said...

I agree with Brian as well, these slaves were terribly mistreated. Being shipped across the ocean in that environment, with waste everywhere, dead people all around, and getting whipped for no reason. I don't think that these men who were trading these Africans as if they were just items and didn't think that they didn't have feelings, or emotions. The worst part was probably separating families, and young children from their mother.

Anna said...

i know we are disscussing about slavery now, but nothing we say will effect it, unless one of the people who liked slavery becomes president or sumin. slavery did help what we have in america today, we all should think slavery is wrong because dissagree with what many mean whites did to the african americans.

Anonymous said...

Ok first of all i disagree with Jayson and Ana



I think if slavery did not happen in the first place their would be more growth in the Americas

1. the plantantion owners would have to have big families to support plantations
2.I think in africa people would come in more numerous amounts knowing it was a free country
3. plus if they were slaves in america most likely they wont have as much kids because their are probably not as much options


##### think about it more numbers with out slavery ... most likely

Anonymous said...

OK also for the record


saying slavery was an evil and hatred thing (like Bryan and Dylan said) makes no since! sorry i just had to mention that-saying hatred in that statement is incorrect

you would say slavery was an evil and hateful thing

comment on my other entries!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Jayson, that slavery was important with the growth of our country, but I dont think that the Africans should have been treated as bad as they were. They were VERY mistreated. I think that it is horrible the way they were treated. It made he whites' think that they were better than the blacks. I dont think that slavery was fair to the Africans.
Slaves also helped with the growth of the econmy because they worked so much in the fields of the plantations. I think they helped us a lot in that way.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Jayson, that slavery was important with the growth of our country, but I dont think that the Africans should have been treated as bad as they were. They were VERY mistreated. I think that it is horrible the way they were treated. It made he whites' think that they were better than the blacks. I dont think that slavery was fair to the Africans.
Slaves also helped with the growth of the econmy because they worked so much in the fields of the plantations. I think they helped us a lot in that way.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Shane, Oisin, Sierra, and Jayson. I hope we dont make the same mistake again.

Demetrius Jones said...

Slavery was horrible. Slaves had many hard times when they got whippings or had to ride on a nasty ship scrouched up with thousands of people. Slaves were treated like property and a slave they never had a say in anything.The slaves were only free to do what the master said do. Slavery is definately something that I hope this country never repeats again

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I agree with Demetrius, but I doubt slavery will happen again since people arent as lazy now.

Demetrius Jones said...

Slavery was horrible.The slaves had to endure many hardships, which included beatings by the slave owners. They were taken from their homelands, stripped of their freedom, and were treated like property. No one should have had to endure this type of torment. Slavery is definitely something that I hope this country never repeats again.

Unknown said...

I complately agree with Demetrius. i hope our country (or any other country) never repeats slavery. slavery was a terrible thing. if slavery were to repeat itself in our country, would be totally agianst it(unless i was forced to). another thing i dont agree on is treating the blacks as property instead of understanding their feelings and their hardships. I also agree with jayson. slavery was something we could have live without. the stupid plantation owners could have got up off their butts and worked instead of goof off by getting drunk and playing cards. if i had lived in the 1600s and the 1700s and i had bought a slave, i would have treated them better than probably my neighbors who would have whipped them and maybe even hit them over the head with whatever they had in their hand. i am also glad that slavery doesnt exist now. i ask myself: would my parents have used money to buy a person or would they have used the money for something else? i dont even know if any other countries that are in the process of slavery right now. are there?

Anonymous said...

I agree with anyone(Kayley,Marra, etc.) who said that without slavery the America's would have more growth. This is because slavery (if it didn't happen) had an impact on AMerican people and if they wanted to move to AMerica.
I agree with Jayson and Sierra because slavery did affect and shape, the U.S.
Whether slavery did or didnt' ever happen the world would have changed. West Africa might have a bigger population then it does now and maybe. I think that the U.S. would have developed the same time as it did with slavery. SLavery was cruel, and shouldn't of ever happened but it did shape the world.

Anonymous said...

Also I agree with Heather because slaves shouldn't have been treated like property. The plantation owners should have respected them. I don't think we could of lived without slavery (as cruel as it sounds) because it shaped the world. I also would've treated my slaves better and probably would've freed them. I would totally of respected them.

Anonymous said...

I don't know about all of you guys, but I think that we wouldn't have a good economy. i still think slavery was the most cruel thing to be leagal that America has ever seen. I think we wouldn't be at the statis as we are today. I totally agree with everyone that slavery was inhumane as illegal things. I COMPLETELY agree with heather and EVERY word that she said. I think that in the ships were nasty. Rolling around in vomit, pee, and other substances I do NOT want to mention on this blog or mr. veliz would probably scold me for saying. But I think that some slaves would have survived if they did know how to captin a ship, or other navigational skills.

Unknown said...

Great comments and discussion.

Whatever side you come down on as to whether slavery was a necessary evil in building this nation (or whether it made this country what it is today), it is interesting to see how someone like Jefferson handled the issue. Jefferson was probably the most eloquent voice for freedom and liberty, yet he owned slaves until his death. You could certainly find other examples like this among our early leaders.

In his first draft of the Declaration of Independence he condemned the English crown saying that the crown "has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere." Jefferson is charging the English crown with promoting slavery in the colonies.

Sounds like the words of an abolitionist (someone that felt slavery should be ended), but is in conflict with how he handled his own role in slavery as a slave holder. I sure some of these early leaders viewed slavery as the necessary evil, or at least something that could not be ended while trying to establish a new country.

Anonymous said...

I really didnt feel like reading what Mr. Veliz wrote but then again I didnt want to be lazy. I agree with Jayson because we could have gone without slavery but the slave owners were selfish, those lazy people, if we were all slaves what would we do? The answer: nothing, the slaves were all scared of what they would get for being bad, but what would really happen: they would get beaten anyways. So if I was a slave I would probably try to escape. I mean even if I got killed I wouldnt really care, it would be better than working everyday. The slve owner probably wpuldnt kill me because he needs me, without me he'd be dead in two days.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the majority of you guys. Ecpecally Dylan slavery was bad but was also very important at the same time. The slaves were treated very badly too though. So I gues i agree with Oisin partly aswell. I totally agree with Brandon too he is so right (Good thinking). Slavery is something that we should look back on even it bothers some because if we don't we'll make the same mistake and wind up with wars all over the country and leave us vonerable to another terrorist attack.

P.S. What's up with disn' Dylan so much DOG

Anonymous said...

Guys you can agree or disagree with me on this one; even though slavery was terrioble and hurt many peole, like my mama always says, " Everything happens for a reason." And it's the reason for what we have to day which is good.

Feepert said...

I'm sorry for leaveing this so late, The dance and i was sick on thursday.

Post: I think slavery was what made our country what it is today, it may of been evil, but it would change the future if someone changed slavery. I personally think we should all remember slavery as one big mistake, so we don't have slaves in the future. As i learn from mistakes, i think others should too.

Unknown said...

hey yall! it's kelly from F prd (which btw "rocks Mr. Veliz's sox off) and i just wanted to say hi!!! and that i have way too much time on my hands... lol!

lyl KAK

Morgannxrq said...

Tell me if you agree or disagree with me so I can write some more and prove my point.