American Anti-Slavery Group, Essay Example

It appears that slavery is a huge issue not only as a historical event, but also as a system, which somewhat applied in the social life of certain countries. In the beginning, English colonists relied on white servants and used them as a work force, but in the late seventeenth century they started to feel shortage of servants and decided to enslave Africans. As a result, American colonies faced three different systems of slavery. In Maryland and Virginia slaves were raising tobacco and corn, thus working under gang system.(Fogel, 36) In the South Carolina Georgia slaves raised rice and indigo, thus complying to the task system. Furthermore, in the North the predominant number of slaves was engaged in farming and stock rising on Long Island and in southern Rhode Island and New Jersey.

However, there is currently no consensus on what a slave was, as well as the accurate definition of slavery. Nevertheless, slavery provided a negative impact on each and every individual who was actually a slave. A slave could be associated with a property, owned by someone else, thus he belonged to that person and served him. In fact, slaves had absolutely no rights and were completely dependent on their masters, who could do with them whatever they wanted. Slaves could not take decisions and participate in other social and political activities, for their abilities were limited directly by the owner’s preference. The master could decide everything in the slave’s life, like what he will eat or drink, when and to who he will speak, when and whom he will marry, and more. Moreover, everything that a slave had produced belonged to the owner as well, for a slave lived and worked for the owner and not for his own development.

The origins of slavery in North America were tightly related with racism, which must be examined as a mentality defined by the oppressor. Thus slavery must be studied as an institution, in terms of its connection with racism. Consequently, the racist views that came from European’s inclined predisposition against African Americans was a proof of a race based slavery that existed in North America starting from the 17^th century. “Massachusetts became the first English colony in North America to recognize slavery as a legal institution in 1641.”(Stuart and Herrick, 15) Therefore, in order to establish such a strong institution as slavery that oppresses individuals, the oppressor has to perceive the slaves as less than human, thus building his judgment on racial differences. African Americans were brought by force in North America in absolute terror and morbidity. As a result, it was all about this selfishness and racist disposition that led to race slavery in the North America.

Back in 1903, W.E.B. Dubois argued that “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line, the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea”.(Kaplan, 176) I think that by the color line he meant the line that ensured the best job openings and positions in the country for one group of individuals, while refusing them to different one, thus setting certain barriers through law and private organizations, like businesses and lots of unions who rejected membership and jobs to those who stand on the other side of this color line. Moreover, this line would decline jobs to people standing on one side of ‘citizenship’ and border. Thus, a retreat to ‘citizenship’ appears to be a neutral way to deny rights, having long racist tradition in America. The usage of ‘citizenship’ implies the same ‘line’ which differentiates people by color and race, limiting their social and political rights.

The end of Civil War marked a new era in human relations as all people were finally considered equal on the territory of the United States. White citizen started to consider the rights of minorities. Black people and women gained an opportunity to live and work with no fear of exploitation and injustice. Though the attitude of white people towards African Americans still remained preconceived, Civil War was a milestone in development of American dream.

Though slavery is always associated with the past exploitation of black people and medieval society, the situation has changed slightly. In fact, it has just obtained another shape only. Human trafficking, illegal child labor, prostitution, exploitation of women in the Asia are forms of modern slavery in the United States and abroad. According to the XIII Amendment of the US Constitution, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” (US Constitution Online) Since slavery as a legal form of servitude was abolished, a promotion of equality took place. The ideas of human equality, which were fought for at the end of Civil War, are now thought in all educational institutions, highlighted in mass media, and promoted by government officials. Therefore, it has been assumed that slavery was eliminated in modern society. According to statistics published by American Anti-Slavery Group, approximately 27 million people in the United States are exposed to harsh conditions at workplace and work under the threat of beating for no money. (AASG)

Readings in class have shown the attempts of people and their efforts to eliminate such problem as slavery during the years of Civil War. Nonetheless, students have also understood that the problem was not removed. Though abolition of slavery was a great step forward, we are facing the same problem now. Moreover, the size of the revolutionary activity was also overestimated. In fact, scientists have identified numerous cases when the facts were falsified in mass media. For instance, “most textbooks state “Jackie Robinson was ‘the first black baseball player ever allowed in the major leagues.’” But he wasn’t. Students are given ‘the unmistakable [impression] of generally uninterrupted progress to the present’.”(Loewen 167)

Another reason we are so unaware of slavery is that in our attempts to build perfect society, we sometimes tend to neglect the problems that surround us and tend to suppose that everything is going good. Idea of human equality and perfect US society based on fairness and justice are promoted in mass media. Both young people and adults suppose that slavery no longer exists as it is usually perceived as an exploitation of people by a rich landowner.

Works Cited

American Anti-Slavery Group. 2009. Slavery Today. June 1, 2009. <http://iabolish.org/slavery_today/index.html>.

Fogel, Robert. The Slavery Debates, 1952-1990: A Retrospective. LSU Press, 2003.

Herrick, John, and Paul Stuart. Encyclopedia of social welfare history in North America. SAGE, 2005.

Kaplan, Amy. The Anarchy of Empire in the Making of U.S. Culture. Harvard University Press, 2005.

Loewen, James. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. Simon & Schuster, 2007.

O’Meally, Robert, and Frederick Douglas. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Spark Educational Publishing, 2005.

US Constitution Online. 2009. The United States Constitution. June 1, 2009.  <http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html>.