Free Essay

Slavery in America

In:

Submitted By iceman12
Words 343
Pages 2
African American Slavery

In this essay I am explaining why the African American has more African-ness the Nigerian Americans. I will examine the origin and the different aspects of the African American culture. I will also examine how the African culture is so rich in the American world and changed many aspect of the everyday life in the new world. Slavery predates back to the 18th century from when African Americans were enslaved. People of color were bought, sold, and used to work on farms, and in the household of their white masters. The progression of African American culture has progressed by leaps and bounds since the1800’s. It took a long time for slaves to be given their freedom. Although they were free, the reconstruction plan was a starting point, which in turn allowed former slaves to become freedmen. Freedmen who were allowed to own land and become upstanding citizen just like their white counterparts. The freed slaves went on to become prominent business owners and family men. They were still some racists who were appalled that they were allowed to go free. Slaves were not allowed to learn how to read and therefore could not read the bible. It was a way for the salves masters to protect themselves from the slaves getting a silly notion of equality from the bible. Religion became a big issue within the African American community. Black churches were established to allow them to come, worship, and not be segregated from their white counterparts. Even during slavery, they would sing their songs while working hard in the field, praying to god he would see them through their trials and tribulations. Big afros and bell-bottom pants were in style during the 1900’s. It was a symbolism of how proud these men and women were to be African American a way for them to represent their African culture. Black hairstyles transcended across race lines with white women sporting big hair. In the 1990’s having, straight hair and mini skirts were in style. Whether it was by...

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Slavery in America

...Slavery shaped every facet of the daily life of those living in the old south and even those living in the Northern Stares. Focusing primarily on the Old Southern States it is easy to see that slavery heavily affected the social, economic, religious, and political aspects of old southern life. To begin, the economic effect that slavery had on the southern states were numerous. Slavery allowed for enormous profits to be made by the America. The free labor used to pick cotton and other crops made it very profitable for the plantation owners and the owners of factories in the northern states. Another economic effect was the development of the south. Because slavery made it so profitable to continue an agricultural society, the south found very little use for industry and following the example set by the North. The social effects of slavery were also varied. One of the most important was the structure of society. The South was primarily agricultural because it was so profitable. It was therefore not necessary to develop an industrial base for society. Another social effect was the racism created by slavery. This contempt created between the races was a result of the institution of slavery. The effects of this racism were perpetuated throughout society for a very long time and are seen in our not too distant past. Religion was also affected by slavery. The result of slavery on religion was the creation of new beliefs and traditions. The slaves in the south were exposed...

Words: 3104 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Slavery in America

...Name Instructor Subject Date Slavery in America from Beginning to the end The commencement of slavery Buell gives the an analogy of a modern day kidnapping in an effort to give light to what the slavery experience really felt like (Buell 4). The slaves were led; huddled together in chains like a group of animals and matched through strange lands to the docks, where they would be kept in the lower deck all through the journey in the high seas. Upon arrival they would be relieved to see light, only to be taken to an auction and sold to the highest bidder (Buell 4). This was the beginning of the life of a slave and it would be the end of their freedom as they would now be owned by a master who determined under what conditions they lived. Language was a major issue to the African slaves on the onset of slavery. One would find that the people they were grouped in did not speak the same language and as such, this was a plus for the slave owner who knew that without communication, all the slaves would do was work (Buell 4). The living condition for the slaves was pathetic. They would live in a small room with no furniture and in case one got to have a family, they would live in the same quarters with the whole family. Slaves worked for long hours and ate little food. In the south, their main work was in the plantations. Some of the harvests from these fields were used for the masters’ home and the rest was for sale (Norton and Katzman 113). There were...

Words: 1800 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Slavery In America

...Although slavery is in the past, the majority of Americans today can agree that it was an unjust time. The way the African slaves were being treated was morally incorrect and the mandatory movement of the Indians was brutal. Laws were being placed on slaves to keep them as “the inferior race,” rather than let them strive and live the life they choose. As so, the United States was built on Democracy, and in a Democracy, people have the freedom of speech and to be a part of their government. However, the freedoms that were given to the minorities was not living up to par with the definition of Democracy. It was eroding the real Democracy and rather putting in place a group of selfish settlers that only wanted gold and glory. The treatment...

Words: 867 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Slavery In America

...Introduction By the 19th century, slavery had become entrenched in the culture of the United States. Slaves toiled endlessly in the southern states and yearned for their freedom. They learned from various insurrections that violent resistance (such as Nat Turner’s rebellion in 1831 ) usually resulted in death. People needed to figure out more secretive, and thus, safer, ways to fight back against their white owners. However, without organization, it was impossible for larger numbers to escape. Abolitionists (people who believed slavery should be outlawed) in the North and South needed to work together to provide a way to move more slaves from plantations to free states. These people established a series of places and a system of codes designed...

Words: 1983 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

The Progression Of Slavery In America

...Slavery in America began when the first African slaves were transported on a Dutch boat toward the North American settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. After the slaves were transported to Virginia, slavery spread all through the American countryside. The first African Americans that arrived in Jamestown in 1619 on a Dutch trading ship were not slaves. They served time as indentured servants until they completed all of their duties. Indentured servants were the first to meet needs for labor. The servant worked for four to five years in the fields before being granted freedom. The Crown rewarded planters with 50 acres of land for every person they brought to the New World. Africans were the immigrants to the British New World that had no choice on where they were sent. Despite the lack of a slavery in England, slavery gradually replaced indentured slaves as the main income for plantation labor...

Words: 919 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Slavery In Southern America

...Between the lush geography, the improved economy and the slaves themselves, the wealth of the South depended on the efficiency of the plantations. The spread of slavery created lots of impacting factors. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of a ‘slave’ is someone who is legally owned by another person and is forced to work for that person without pay. Slaves were typically from a variety of different tribes, who spoke all different languages, but the most retained were those of the black race. Slaves lived a rough life and if you got lucky, your plantation was beautiful and your master was kind. Plantations varied within their location, size and geography type and because of this, they were all unique in their own way, creating a structured and impactful time in America....

Words: 1863 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Slavery in Latin America

...For a long time it was widely assumed that southern slavery was harsher and crueler than slavery in Latin America, where the Catholic church insisted that slaves had a right to marry, to seek relief from a cruel master, and to purchase their freedom. Spanish and Portuguese colonists were thought to be less tainted by racial prejudice than North Americans and Latin American slavery was believed to be less subject to the pressures of a competitive capitalist economy. In practice, neither the Church nor the courts offered much protection to Latin American slaves. Access to freedom was greater in Latin America, but in many cases masters freed sick, elderly, crippled, or simply unneeded slaves in order to relieve themselves of financial responsibilities. Death rates among slaves in the Caribbean were one-third higher than in the South, and suicide appears to have been much more common. Unlike slaves in the South, West Indian slaves were expected to produce their own food in their “free time,” and care for the elderly and the infirm. The largest difference between slavery in the South and in Latin America was demographic. The slave population in Brazil and the West Indies had a lower proportion of female slaves, a much lower birthrate, and a higher proportion of recent arrivals from Africa. In striking contrast, southern slaves had an equal sex ratio, a high birthrate, and a predominantly American-born population. Slavery in the United States was especially distinctive in...

Words: 562 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Tread Of Slavery In America

...Slavery in America started when the first African slaves were kidnapped to the North American colony of Jamestown Virginia in 1619. Native Americans population was decreasing because of disease and war. Americans were full of opportunities to make money. Gold, Silver and other minerals could be mined, & tobacco, sugar and other crops could be grown on plantations. They would need laborers and natives were dying out so the Europeans soon realized that they had access to another cheap labor of work, which was called the African slave tread. Why was the slaves taken from Africa? They was actually kidnapped and enslaved to labor in plantation in the Caribbean and American. Most of the enslaved people work in mines and on tobacco plantations...

Words: 376 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Abolishing Slavery In America

...The phenomenon of slavery in America eventually evolved to such an extreme extent that the institution and its aftermath created many years of discrimination and the dramatic split of social classes. Although America thrived economically due to slave labor when it was established, without the Abolitionist Movement, it is unlikely that individuals in our society would have the equal rights and freedoms that they enjoy today. From the 1600’s to the 1800’s, the original intention of slavery was to build economic prosperity for the new nation; however, the abuse that slaves endured eventually transformed slavery into America's greatest nightmare. Previously, in 1619, in America, slavery first began when 20 African slaves were put aboard a Dutch...

Words: 1828 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Slavery in British America

...October 9, 2014 HIS 2111, Instructor Wells Short Paper Assignment Slavery in British America This paper is about slavery in British America over time. I am going to talk about how slavery evolved, differences across regions and across all colonies, and factors that contributed to hardening of the line between slavery and freedom. Slavery was used by all great powers at that time (England, France, Spain, Netherland, Portugal…). In this big region of both Americas and West Indies, slavery was something as common as freedom is common today. Basically from Canada to Brazil there was some kind of slavery. Most of the slaves were imported from Africa especially in British mainland colonies, but there were a lot of Indian slaves as well in West Indies. Slavery was different between the regions in New World. For example slavery in Barbados was different as in New England, in Barbados there was plantation based slavery but in New England there were only few slaves that helped their masters with some minor work at their houses. Even between British mainland colonies there was difference in slave societies. First British mainland colonies did not heavily relay on slaves, because they had a big migration from Europe. People came from all over Europe, most of them came as indentured servants. For free passage over Atlantic they gave their rights to people that paid for their voyage. They obligated that they will work for free, some amount of time, for free trip and free land after...

Words: 881 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Essay On Slavery In America

...The commodities they produced provided the foundation of the development of America’s economy and structured was by enslaved Africans and African Americans, African Americans reclaimed their freedom, but the weight of slavery’s history was not easily obliterated, as slavery continued to cast a long shadow over the state. Blacks have endured poverty and discrimination into the twenty-first century. The legacy of Slavery has been a part of American history since the very beginning Americas sold slaves and purchased them without fear of violating either the laws as they were expendable tools for their own means and benefits They were forced into labor and treated like property. The main reason and purpose of slavery were for profit. Slave...

Words: 1129 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

White Slavery In America

...Maria Huerta Bruce Franklin HIST:2023 12 July 2015 Slavery was something that started when African Americans were brought into America as slaves. They were brought into America as if they were animals because they were chained up and were thrown in water if they died on the ship that took them to America. Slave trade left many people with good profits, as well as whites who bought slaves because they would put slaves to work on the fields from real early in the morning till whites said its enough. Whites did not care they would also put women to work in the fields, as well as men. During these hardship moments African Americans tried staying positive by singing and dancing to songs they knew. They also met in a place to talk to other slaves...

Words: 505 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Slavery In America Essay

...History of Slavery Establishments of slavery in ‘America.' In the mid-seventeenth century, European pilgrims in ‘North America’ swung to ‘African’ slaves as a less expensive, more copious work source than contracted hirelings (who were, for the most part, poorer Europeans). After 1619, when a ‘Dutch’ ship brought 30 ‘Africans’ shorewards at the British province of “Jamestown, Virginia”, subjugation spread all through the American settlements. Despite the fact that it 's hard to give precise figures, a few antiquarians have evaluated which slaves around 6 to 7 million were transported to the New World amid the eighteenth century alone, denying the African landmass of a few of its most beneficial and ablest men and ladies. In the seventeenth...

Words: 1537 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Slavery In Colonial America

...Fredrick Douglass experiences as a salve were very different in comparison to the slaves in the earlier colonial labor period. These differences can be defined in terms of Slavery, Plantation, and Trade. Slavery has been a part of the American revolution from the beginning. First slaves/indentured servants happened to arrive in Virginia. Most of the people coming to America came in search of trade or else to improve their life and get benefits by earning money. The slaves did not come on their own instead they were forcibly bought here to work. . During the Colonial period, there were to kinds of people working in the crops. One of them being the black people who were forced to work as slaves and the other being the white people, who were called...

Words: 999 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Slavery In Colonial America

...As Colonial America commenced, a wide labor force became a necessity in order to progress economically through developments such as the mass production of tobacco. During this period, no slave laws were set in place, which caused Africans to be treated as indentured servants, in which they too were given similar freedom dues as white folks. Between 1640 and 1660, however, racial slavery developed into a legal reality in Virginia. While interracial marriage or sex was banned and would result in banishment, as time progressed, laws changed, resulting in imprisonment and children were being subject to servitude. The ambiguous status of mixed race children shifted from the early Virginia laws which did not stipulate the child’s status, whereas the shift in laws later mandated that children were to serve according to their mother’s status revealing that the intent of these laws was to secure the ruling class’ desire to obtain as much labor as...

Words: 743 - Pages: 3