Essay Sample on Slavery in America: The Removal of 6-7 Million Slaves

Introduction

The United States of America was one of the nations where slavery was highest in the colonial period. Africans were forcefully removed from their homes and subjected to forced labour. They worked on large plantations. Although the exact number cannot be concluded by the historians, about six to seven million slaves were removed from their homes in the 19th century (Schwartz and Marie 680). These slaves were among the healthiest and most intelligent men and women. Black slaves commonly referred to as the 'Negros' worked on sugar, tobacco, and cotton plantations of the white people. The impact of slavery is highly felt within the social system in the United States.

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The Experience of Slavery in the American Society

Before the 18th century, slaves were hard to acquire as they were transported in areas with high plantations. Thus, to meet the agricultural and domestic needs in white households, white people started practicing Indian slavery. It resulted in a situation where people of African descent were treated as goods and commodities. They were transported in barrels across the Atlantic Ocean. Every northern and middle colony was full of slaves for white people. By the 18th century, the white people became more and more convinced that Africans worked best as laborers for the white people. In this regard, more Africans were transported to the colonies to work as domestic and plantation workers. The laws of the colonies acknowledge that slavery existed to suit whites' best interest.

In the mid-19th century saw the plantation in South America gain more returns than ever. Consequently, more Africans were imported to the United States. Ideally, the slaves were not transported directly to the United States, they passed through the Caribbean. During this period, slavery had not widely spread through the north. Besides, the businessmen grew rich significantly from this vice. As a result, this business attracted more white people. Fundamentally, slaves were auctioned to the highest bidder. Most of them had owners and resided in the servant quarters and those without stayed in the plantations where they worked.

Ideally, men worked in the plantation as field workers and women as housekeepers. Women also maintained the compound, cooked, and cleaned for their masters. Both men and women were exposed to harsh conditions throughout the entire period. Men who worked in the field had clothing that could not cover their whole bodies. As such, they suffered from severe weather conditions during nights. According to historians, the slavery experience was equal for both genders (Wood and Marcus 228). Both men and women were subjected to gruelling labour and cruel conditions that interfered with both mental and physical conditions. Enslaved men and women were beaten harshly only to satisfy their master's needs regardless of age, health, and gender. Furthermore, the slaves were treated as properties to be used at the white man's pleasure. The slaves had been allowed to have families, but the white man could care less about how the families were to survive.

Their masters commonly referred to them as savages with no meaning or status in life. They mistreated black women by exploiting them sexually, and cruel punishment was inflicted when they disobeyed their masters (Charlton 8). Moreover, failure to execute duties as required attracted ruthless beatings, starvation and other forms of inhumane treatment. This period saw people of the African descent being treated as savages and worse than animals. They were overworked and disregarded. Also, they did not even enjoy decent social amenities. Most scholars define this period as an epitome of suffering and pain. It shaped the identity of the black community. The experiences created trauma that still resonates in modern society.

Although the slave masters encouraged marriage among the slaves, they sold them without hesitation. As a result, most people were separated from their families by sale and sometimes death. Any form of resistance was met by immense and indescribable brutality. Subsequently, most people opted to conform to the requirements. Nonetheless, as time went by, there developed a group of brave individuals who were ready to stand up to the white man. However, the resistance subjected them to more torture than any other slaves.

Through the slave trade, racial segregation emerged. The black community was viewed as inferior and undeserving. As such, they were treated with malice, a factor that brought about division and immense hatred between the whites and the blacks. The masters treated the African slaves with hostility and cruelty that no human beings could withstand. They regarded the black community as savages and treated men, women, and children equally. Children were given duties only grown men could do, and severe punishment was inflicted on those who resisted the colonial laws.

Small children were separated from their families, whereas the masters kept the infant as they sold the mother leaving them with no moral support. Typically, allowing the black slaves to have families was a way of creating cycles to provide labour (Schwartz and Marie 681). Older adults who could no longer provide good services were cooking meals for the abled slaves. The majority of the elders died as a result of poor conditions and brutal treatment. The slaves were underfed, a factor that prompted them to steal food from their masters. However, being caught resulted in severe punishments.

Slaves were managed by an overseer whose work was to get the most out of them during working hours. Often due to complaining, the overseer was usually replaced with a driver who was promised better privileges by the masters (Frederick 56). Drivers were mostly hated by the rest of the slaves, a factor that brought about violence among the slaves. Typically, Africans who worked at large plantations experienced harsher conditions than those that worked around the houses.

Although slavery was cruel, some people made arguments in support of slavery. People argued that people from Africa were born to be slaves as per the order of the universe; the argument goes on saying it's wrong to interfere with the slave trade. Others argue that all the black community is inferior and that they deserve to be enslaved. These arguments have brought about racial abuse among some groups of people in society. They have resulted in a society that despises and mistreats minority groups. Ideally, scholars maintain that arguments for slavery resulted in the emergence of a society that ignores the human rights of some groups, a society that disregards human dignity.

Legacy of Slavery Today

Slavery brought a lot of harm and damage to Africa as a continent since most of the healthiest and intelligent Africans were all dragged along to the slave trade. Moreover, most Africans who were removed from their homeland suffered greatly from this since no family was present for moral support. Fundamentally, slavery diminished the dignity of the black community. In this regard, Fredric Douglas maintains that the fourth of July represents the positive values that the African American community has always been denied. Ideally, American society celebrates various values during their Independence Day. They include equality, fraternity, liberty, citizenship, and freedom. Besides, this celebration can be considered paradoxical (Fitzhugh 787). This factor is because slavery saw the black community exploited mercilessly. Being sold as a commodity stripped them of their human dignity. As a result, American Independence Day could be regarded as a reminder of their position as second class citizens who were denied some of the most basic human rights.

African American society has always been regarded as an inferior race. The slavery that was in Africa was not the same as the one practiced in the United States. Nonetheless, slavery in the Americas saw Africans being treated like animals. They were denied an identity and exploited in all ways. In spite of the exploitation, the religious doctrines at the time did not attempt to abolish oppression. In this regard, Douglas argued that the Christian doctrine at the time failed to uphold human dignity for all. It was an outright implication that the African American society was an inferior race that was not entitled to the same rights as the white society. Slavery created a demented identity for the black community. It represented the perspective that society was divided into inferior and superior races.

Every aspect of slavery was brutal and ruthless. Slaves lived under constant fear of their masters. From forced labour to flogging, slavery was a damning experience that still resonates in the minds of the African American society. Fundamentally, it represented the perspective that the black community will always be in the lowest tier in the social system (Slavery and Abolition 740). The mistreatment and exploitation that they experienced signified the perspective that they were an inferior community whose position was insignificant in the social hierarchy. Charlton retells a tale of his experiences as a slave. From his perspective, it is evident that slavery was ruthless and will remain imprinted in the lives of many people. It defines the African and American society and will always remain part of their identity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the experiences of the black community during slavery are brutal. They represent a society that does not value the rights of some people. From the torture to forced labour, African American society is defined by slavery. The damning experience has had unforgettable impacts that still plague American society today. Slavery and slave trade set a tone for inequality in society. This period represented the notion that some of the positive attributes that the American society stood for did not apply to some people. People were treated depending on their skin colour or the relationship they had with their masters.

In general, slaves were treated inhumanely, with whippings, executions, and whippings, and rape is common among women. Despite the abolition of slavery in the nineteenth century, more people are enslaved in the modern world than during the few centuries of the slave trade. Despite the slavery journey being troublesome most of the time, the slaves still had hope that better days awaits them. Since slavery could not come to an abrupt end, the slaves had to keep fighting as they waited for change to occur. Finally, the day to day struggles we endure should act as a reminder of how often those struggles were in the past.

Work Cited

Blum, Edward J. "' It Is True in More Senses Than One, That Slavery Rests upon Hell!' Embodiment, Experience, and Evil in African American Discussions of Slavery and Slaveholders." July 2017: 301-303. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/691810?mobileUi=0&

Frederick, Douglass. "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July". July 5, 1852: 56. Web. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/

Fitzhugh, George. "Cannibals All! Or, Slaves without Masters" Excerpts from Chapter 1. (1857). 787-788.

http://americainclass.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Fitzhugh-excerpt.pdf

Charlton, Lewis. "Sketch of the Life of Mr. Lewis Charlton, and Reminiscences of Slavery" (2000): 2-10. Web.

https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/charlton/charlton.html

Schwartz, Marie Jenkins. "Child Slaves In The Modern World." Slavery & Abolition 34.4 (2013): 680-681. Web. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0144039X.2013.847582?journalCode=fsla20

Wood, Marcus. "Slavery In Small Things: Slavery And Modern Cultural Habits." Slavery & Abolition 39.1 (2018): 227-228. Web. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0144039X.2018...