Slavery in the United States
Slavery may be described as a type of slavery in which victims are not paid equally for their services. Slaves are usually considered the private property of their rulers, but they (servants) are not supposed to participate in any action aimed at empowering themselves. Slavery was legitimate and generally recognized prior to the adoption of the American Constitution. The bulk of the casualties were African Americans who had been transported from Africa. Although in the United States, slaves were sent to their masters' farms in states such as Virginia, where they planted crops such as tobacco and cotton. As a result, the owners of the factors of the production deemed the slaves as a crucial asset in their wealth creation objective, hence, the main reason why they vehemently opposed the illegalization of the trade. However, even though they played a key role in the economic welfare of their masters and the American society at large, the slaves were subjected to immense inhuman treatment to the extent that most of them ultimately succumbed to death. As demonstrated in this paper, the slaves were denied equal access to education with the Americans, they lived in deplorable conditions, used as a means of providing cheap labor, and were denied the chances to take care of their families, which led to the breakdown of most African American families.
Cheap Labor and Exploitation
On their arrival in the United States, the slaves were used as a means of providing cheap labor to the American masters who owned large tracts of land. It is important to note that most of the masters hailed from the southern states as the area had rich agricultural lands, hence, denoting that farming was the main economic activity of the southern states. Nevertheless, the slaves were only being exploited as they were not given any wages as compensation for their hard labor. Equiano claims that 'many times have I seen these unfortunate wretches beaten for asking for their pay,' which denoted that the slaves were not paid after carrying out the duties assigned to them. The slaves were also required to work for long hours in the tobacco and cotton plantations, which significantly increased the agricultural production of the southern states, hence, boosting their economic welfare. In addition, the masters were also in a position to pay their taxes on time after the sale of these valuable crops. Additionally, production of crops like cotton and tobacco is relatively labor intensive and various technological means used in some key activities – for instance, harvesting – had not yet been designed. Therefore, slaves were deemed as a perfect solution to this issue because the masters did not need to incur extra cost in their farming activities as they owned the slaves, which imply that they were not obligated to offer them any pay. Even in cases where a slave was offered a salary, it was not enough to cater for their needs. Wilson gives the example of Mag who was paid a meager salary for her services, hence, making it impossible for her to purchase food. Therefore, it is evident that the slaves were highly exploited as they did not receive a proportionate compensation for their labor services.
Disintegration of African American Families
The disintegration of the African American families was another negative experience the slaves were subjected to. The essence of the family can never be underestimated as it enhances the growth of the society but also provides love and care for its respective members. However, this was not the case for the black American families who were slaves in the United States. Wilson illustrates a case of a lady who 'was deprived of parental guardianship, far removed from relatives, she was left to guide her tiny boat over life's surges alone and inexperienced' (Wilson). Parents and the senior members of the society are obligated to provide guidance and counseling to the young ones so that they (the children) grow up in a morally and virtuous manner. By doing so, the offspring feel loved and gain a lot of insight on how to approach some of the challenges they may encounter in their lives. As a result of slavery, the bond between the children and their parents (or older societal members) was broken, which eventually led to the disintegration of the black American families. Wilson suggests that some of the African American children were recruited as slaves at a relatively young age after getting them away from their parents, hence, depriving them of parental guardianship. As aforementioned, families also cushion their progenies from any external threat – for instance, rape. Equiano notes that he had witnessed various atrocities being met on the slaves. He claims that the whites committed shameful acts such as raping African girls who were not even ten years old (Equiano). Unfortunately, no African American male was allowed to have any sexual affairs with a white woman. He also gives the example of a black man who was killed in Montserrat for having a relationship with a white lady – who was a prostitute. Equiano is of the opinion that the limitation of the black men from having affairs with the white ladies was a justification that the African Americans were inferior beings, hence, the reason why the whites could rob underage African girls of their innocence (dignity).
Denial of Equal Access to Education
In addition, the slaves were denied equal access to education like the other members of the society. Woodson comes up with the concept of the 'Mis-education of the Negro,' which depicts that the African Americans rights to education were greatly limited. According to Woodson, mis-education of the African Americans is 'hinged on the education system's failure to present authentic Negro History in schools and the bitter knowledge that there was a scarcity of literature available for such a purpose' (Woodson). Therefore, it is evident that the African children who had the opportunity to learn could not learn about their culture or their origin. Besides, the educational system was designed in such a way that only the literature available in the schools gave insight into the Whites' culture, hence, ignoring the black Americans' practices and way of life. Additionally, Woodson notes that 'most history books gave little or no space to the black man's presence in America' (Woodson), thus, justifying that the literature taught in the American schools had no regard for the African Americans in whatsoever case. Woodson argues that even if some of them made casual references to the black Americans, they depicted the Negros as illiterate people who could only be assigned to the subordinate roles in the society. The literature books also denoted the African Americans as uncivilized people who would only become enlightened after becoming exposed to the American society through slavery. According to Woodson, the Negros could not be admitted into some American schools as a result of racial prejudice. Even in the educational institutions where the black Americans were admitted, they were not taught or given a fair recognition while in the classrooms. The African Americans – even those in the institutions of higher education – were also not given any chance to participate in the co-curricular activities their schools engaged in. Learning about one's culture is crucial since it enables one to identify his society's beliefs, values, and practices. Unfortunately, the American schools denoted that the African culture is inferior since it related to people who were not civilized, hence, there was no justification why it ought to be integrated into the American curriculum. Therefore, the black Americans were forced to ape the American culture, which was deemed as the superior one.
Living in Deplorable Conditions
The African Americans were also forced to live in deplorable conditions, which posed an imminent threat to their health welfare. The Library of Congress points out that the interviewers who collected information on the nature of the slaves' lives not only interviewed them (the slaves) but also 'took photographs of informants and their houses' (Library of Congress). The main importance of taking such photographs would be to demonstrate the awful conditions the slaves lived in. Unlike the masters who live in apartments, the slaves live in huts that are made by erecting stakes on the ground and crossing them with wattles. The roofs are made of reeds while their 'seats are a few logs of wood' (Equiano). According to Equiano, the living conditions of the pregnant women – who were slaves – were not any better since their huts were always open sheds (Equiano). The huts were also constructed on moist places, which posed a significant danger to their health as their probability of contacting a wide range of ailments was relatively high for being exposed to damp air for quite long (Equiano). Equiano notes that subjecting the slaves to such deplorable conditions was not only a strategy of reducing their overall number of live births but also a technique of increasing their mortality rate.
Conclusion
To sum it all, slavery was legal in the United States before the ratification of the new constitution, and it was largely practiced in the southern states. The slaves offered cheap labor, which was important in the production of cotton and tobacco. However, despite their crucial contribution to the economic enhancement of their lords, they (the slaves) were subjected to immense cruel treatment. As illustrated above, they were not offered a favorable remuneration for their labor services, thus, making them incapable of catering for their daily needs. The slaves also lived in deplorable conditions, which increased their risk of contracting various diseases. For instance, the expectant women lived in damp places, hence, making them more prone to diseases like pneumonia. In addition, the slaves were taken away from their families, which led to their (families) disintegration. As a result, children could no longer receive the necessary care and affection from their parents. Besides, the slaves were not given an equal education opportunity with their white counterparts. As Woodson points out, the black Americans were not allowed to learn about their culture while in American schools, and they were also barred from taking part in the co-curricular activities offered in the educational institutions.
Works Cited
Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus vassa, The African, Written By Himself. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15399/15399-h/15399-h.htm, 2005.
Library of Congress. Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives From The Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938. https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/about-this-collection/, n.d.
Wilson, Harriet. Our Nig. http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/584/pg584-images.html, 2011.
Woodson, Carter G. History is A Weapon: The Miseducation of the Negro. http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/misedne.html, 1933.
