The Development and Expansion of Enslavement and Colonization
The two articles "Enslavement, Settlement, and Empire" and "The Outskirts of our Happiness" examine how enslavement and colonization developed and expanded throughout history. The papers discuss the growth of slavery in America, though one article blames it on racial prejudice and the other disputes this view.
The Influence of African American Slaves and European Empires
African American slaves and European empires had a significant influence west of the Appalachians in the 1700s. The rapid colonization by European countries is largely to blame for this spread. The result of this settlement was slavery. Nicholas Guyatt presents the rush for colonization as the spreading of civilization. The Greeks and the Romans had opened up northern Europe through similar tact, and the Europeans were keen in advancing this cause to other parts of the world (Guyatt 987). The colonies spread forth past the Caribbean seas. However, the Greek and Roman powers utilized their colonization as a tact to acquire resources and new markets unlike the European powers which colonized for civil and religious freedom, especially for the English colonies (Guyatt 988). Therefore, colonization was perceived as an act to gain religious and civil freedom while spreading civilization.
Racism and the Solution of Colonization
In "The Outskirts of our Happiness," racism is clearly depicted, although it was used as a means to end violence between the different races. Daniel Webster hinted nothing on racism against the non-white population in North America (Craig 176). Colonization was seen as a potential solution for the problem of race. The whites were expected to spread their civilization across the neighboring communities. The idea of benevolent colonization was presented. The Africans and the Indians could become transformed after adopting the European civilization, thereby creating their version of the American civilization (Craig 178). All races were to be presumed equal. However, this is not the case. "Slavery, Settlement, and Empire" presents slavery institution as a uniquely American occurrence. The independent European empires and settlers created a slavery empire to satisfy their economic ambitions. The slaves were turned into human labor for the plantations in the western settlements (Craig 205). Exploration and the westward expansion created more lands necessitating the increase in this institution. Therefore, slavery is closely associated with the westward expansion, and only served the economic interests of the white settlers.
Similarities in the Expansion of Slavery
Similarity between the two articles exists in the expansion of slavery. Both attribute the expansion of slavery to the colonization by the European powers. The United States might have emerged as an independent state, but a major percentage of the native population had been turned to slaves. "Slavery, Settlement, and Empire" provides the dynamics, geography, and the periodization of the slavery's growth in the American interior. For example, the initial expansion and growth of slavery in the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio regions are greatly fueled in the period between the Seven Years' War and the Louisiana Purchase amid the conflicts between the European powers (Spanish, French, and the English) (Craig 176). "The Outskirts of our Happiness" presents the application of behavioral theories in the expansion of slavery. Civilization and savagery were instances perpetrated by experience, rather than race (Guyatt 987). Any person placed in the right environment and conditions can transition easily from one state to another, from hunters and gatherers to modern civilizations. However, this change can only be enabled if the early settlers empowered the local residents. The early settlers should have encouraged and provided for the native and African settlements in the historic America. They would have attained similar civilization and be welcomed back. This was not the case in prehistoric America as the indigenous tribes and the African settlements were subjected to involuntary servitude.
Works Cited
Craig, H.J. "Slavery, Settlement, and Empire: The Expansion and Growth of Slavery in the Interior of the North American Continent, 1770-1820." Journal of the Early Republic 32.2 (2012): 175-206. Print.
Guyatt, Nicholas. "The Outskirts of Our Happiness": Race and the Lure of Colonization in the Early Republic." The Journal of American History 95.4 (2009): 986-1011.
