United States History Pro-Slavery Slavery was one of the biggest impacts that happened during the eighteen and the nineteenth century. The word slavery is defined as a person who is the property of another person. It was can also be define as a great contribution to the United States. There are many different races of slaves and servants in America, but Africans Americans were the ones who had the worst discrimination. The failing of indentured servants was main reason slavery became inevitable.
Slaveholders did not consider morality because they were only viewing it from an economic point of view, rather than a humanitarian. Any rights or freedom that the Africans Americans had was beginning to crumble down they were the inferior race, and were the most popular choice because they provided cheap labor. Slaveholders also known as masters were the ones who had control over the slave’s life they set rules and laws that had to be adhere or punishment would be the consequence. Southern states were most dominated by slavery because of the many plantations that needed to be maintained.
Black Slaves were the ones who run the plantations with their master’s orders. As author Eric Foner explained it has been said that in the South as a whole, slaves make up one-third of the total population and the cotton-producing states of the Deep South, around half. Slavery was rapidly expanding westward and its population was also growing and even reaching the millions. The invented of the cotton gin in 1793 which was invented by Eli Whitney played a major role in expanding slavery. People in the south had different opinions on the ways a slave should be treated.
There was a vast majority of people who believed slaves were nothing and they are just regarded as property and not people. Yes slaves were forced to serve at their owner’s will and it sometimes happen through violence but there were a couple of writers, authors, and slave owners who believed that if certain standards were met by the slaves then it would not seem wrong to have them working for you. During the eighteen century people had views and feelings towards slavery and wrote about their ideas on how it was an effective way to build a country, and how it created free labor.
A wealthy Louisiana slaveholder named Bennet H. Barrow was one of many southern planters who published an article on what are the best ways to manage a slave. In his writings he discusses that if you treat a slave with kindness you would see a better effective workplace. Barrow came up with a number of strict rules that he had for his slaves and he would advise other slaveholders to follow. He drew up these rules to show what masters expect of their slaves. These rules were what a slave had to do and what not to do; they were made to show how a master would be able to get their slave to do what they want.
Some examples of the rules were, No Negro shall be allowed to marry outside of the plantation, leave the place at any time without his permission. In his writings he also talks about the difference between a slave and a free laborer. With a laborer he performs a task and pays a certain amount for performing the task and when done he just leaves, Barrows has no claim on him. A Slave if Bennet supplies him or her with necessities, takes care of them when they are sick, pays for expenses and lets them stay until they are old “am I not entitled to an exclusive right in his time? ( Foner 206). These are Barrows words from his writings and he felt empower to make sure he had complete authority over the lives of the slaves he had. He was not the only man who had such a strong influence with his writings, George Ftizhugh. George Fitzhugh was a Virginia writer and he talks about a “free society” (Foner 207) that owners and slaves share an interest. He talks about how slave have no competition to get a job unlike the free laborers. How a master pays the slave an allowance even when he is sick for the fear of losing the slave.
If the slaves are being fed well and if they are happy with their situation then nothing is wrong. A slave might argue such as Jacobs that if the rules were not followed then death would be upon them. Harriet Jacobs was a slave who wrote a memoir called Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and it explains all the troubles she went through and how hard it was for her and her family to have a free life. She would argue that when he master would treat her with kindness it was because he wanted to have a relationship with her. Jacobs memoir shows that even if she follows er masters laws and rules like Barrow mention, the master-slave relationship would not be as happy and have a better effective workplace. Harriet tried to comply with her master’s rules and he ruined her life. Her master was named Dr. Flint and at first he never touched or hurt Jacobs but when he found out she was pregnant by another man other than himself, his feelings towards her completely changed. He offered her a way to get the baby out and she said no. When she finally had the courage to escape she hid for seven years in small tiny quarters.
She risks her life and the lives of everyone that helped her. Her dream was to migrate to the North were it was said to be a better and safe place for slaves. Jacobs argues that just because you follow certain rules that the masters give you it does not mean that they should have the right to treat you with no respect. She writes that her master did help her when she was ill and would take care of her and was being well fed did not mean that she was happy with her life. In her writing she did talk of nice slaveholders who were not like her master.
This slave owner was a friend of her grandmothers and wanted to help Jacobs. Not every slaveholder was a mean person; there were some who treated their slaves with respect and dignity. Bennet H. Barrows, George Fitzhugh and Harriet Jacobs were people who had different views on slavery and had their reason for it. The main thing slavery did bring out was the rise of liberty and equality of America. Slavery did lead up to cheap and free laborer and it may sound off but it helped the United States become a better and stronger country.
