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Example research essay topic: Men Women And Children Slave Catchers - 1,889 words

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A person who is held in bondage to another; one who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who is held as possession; one who has no freedom, but who is and services are wholly under the control of another", this is the definition of a typical slave. What comes to your mind when you hear the word slave? What do most people picture in their head when they hear the word "Slave"? Most people automatically see different color when the word slave is mentioned. People in this society don't recognize or acknowledge people for who they are, but what they do. Stereotyping is just in peoples nature, it is easier to label some one by class, than by strength of character.

Stereotyping, is how people describe each other. A Seven-Eleven owner is automatically Indian, a Mexican must be a gang member, a rich black person is for sure a drug dealer, a Persian must own a gas station, and the list goes on and on. For the same reason, when people hear the word slave, they picture a big, muscular, charcoal colored African, working in a field somewhere in the south under the control of a white man. Slaves and slavery has been around for ages, way before America was founded. But a new form of slavery emerged with the discovery of the New World.

There is many different aspects slavery, and each of these topics had its own effect on the history. Womens role in slavery, Plantation slavery and the Underground Railroad are a few topics that are extremely important in the history of slavery. What role did women play throughout the years? Slave families had a tendency to be unstable, due to the nature of the institution of slavery. Masters could sell members of the family away if they desired, or could separate the family on the plantation, making them work in different areas. Despite this instability, the family tended to be a central part of a slaves life, it gave them something to hold on to.

Women played a significant role in the development of this family. Slave owners often did not differentiate between genders on the field, and thus the women often ended up working alongside men in fieldwork. However, within the slave community, there was a difference. The men usually did the chores such as trapping and hunting animals for food, while the women did more of the domestic duties. While these domestic duties tended to add more work to the slave womens day, the domestic work was a way for women to rebel against the master to a degree. Women did these work to keep themselves and their families healthy, and would on occasion help a runaway slave by providing for him or her.

These responsibilities were in some ways a joy to slave women, since they offered a degree of personal fulfillment. One slave women, Mary Colquitt, remarked that her grandmother and mother had often stayed up late sewing clothes for the children, saying, Dey done it cause dey wanted to. Dey wuz working for deserves den. (Jones, 29) Ironically, this work caring for themselves and their families also benefited the slave owners, since healthy slaves meant that the masters could get more work out of them, and thus make more money when the crops were harvested. The family was important to most slave women, and they had ways of making sure that they stayed together, though these werent foolproof.

A women assigned to the Big House when the rest of her family was on the fields could rebel, thus making a mistress life miserable by literally doing nothing. This would often cause the mistress to send the women to the fields, which is what she wanted anyway, so she could be with her family. (25) Another way a young women slave could make it possible for herself to stay with her family was by getting pregnant at an early age. Masters refrained from the selling of women that demonstrated fertility, because they would be able to get larger labor force from these women. Also, slave families with young children were more likely to be kept together. In these ways, women gained some control over keeping their families together as a unit. Women slaves also represented an authority figure within their families and communities.

Wives were often able to provoke otherwise non-aggressive husbands into acts of rebellion against the master. In addition, mothers often educated their children, teaching them how to sew or do other household chores that they would need to be able to do for their families. Elder women often held important positions within the community as well. These women often learned herbal medicine, and were viewed as the 'doctors, which was especially important since the white doctor did not visit often. Ned Chaney said of his Granny Silla, "Ever " body set a heap of sto' by her. I reckon, because she done 'cumulated so much knowledge an' because her head were so white. " (40 - 41).

Female slaves understandably did not want their children to become slaves, if it was possible at all to avoid it. Thus many women tried to escape with their children. Some felt that they'd rather kill their children than have them become slaves. A good example of this is Margaret Garner. She and her husband and children escaped with a group of other slaves in the winter of 1856, when the Ohio River was frozen over. They made it to the other side of the river (into freedom), but there their pursuers caught up with them.

When it became evident to Margaret that they would not remain free, she attempted to kill her children and herself. She slit the throat of her little daughter, but was restrained before she could complete the task. She was then returned to her master, after a Commissioner decided that she was still legally a slave, but she drowned in a Not only did the women fall victim to slavery, but also the African men who were shipwreck while being sent back to Kentucky. Not only did the women fall victim to slavery, but also the African men were shipped over from their mother country to work the fields of the New World. The warm climate, boundless fields of fertile soil, long growing seasons, and numerous waterways provided favorable conditions for farming plantations in the South (Foster 63). The richness of the South depended on the productivity of the plantations (Katz 3).

With the invention of the cotton gin, expansion of the country occurred. This called for the spread of slavery (Foster 64). Their white owners controlled slaves, owned by one in four families, from birth to death. Black men, women, and children toiled in the fields and houses under horrible conditions (Katz 3 - 5). The slave system attempted to destroy black family structure and take away human dignity (Starobin, 101). Slaves led a hard life on the Southern plantations.

Most slaves were brought from Africa, either kidnapped or sold by their tribes to slave catchers for violating a tribal command. Some were even traded for tobacco, sugar, and other useful products (Cowan and Maguire 58). Those not killed or lucky enough to escape the slave-catching raids were chained together (Foster 64). The slaves had no understanding of what was happening to them.

They were from different tribes and of different speaking languages. Most captured blacks had never seen the white skinned foreigners who came on long, strange boats to journey them across the ocean. They would never see their families or native lands again. These unfortunate people were shackled and crammed tightly into the holds of ships for weeks. Some refused to eat and others committed suicide by jumping overboard (Foster 63). When the ships reached American ports, slaves were unloaded into pens to be sold at auctions to the highest bidder.

One high-priced slave compared auction prices with another, saying, You wouldnt fetch bout fifty dollars, but Im wuth a thousand (Foster 67). At the auctions, potential buyers would examine the captives muscles and teeth. Men and womens bodies were exposed to look for lash marks. No marks on a body meant that he or she was an obedient person. The slaves were required to dance or jump around to prove their limberness. Young, fair-skinned mutt aloes, barely clothed and ready to be sold to brothel owners, were kept in private rooms (Foster 62).

It was profitable to teach the slaves skills so that during the crop off-season they could be hired out to work. Although they were not being paid, some were doing more skilled work than poor whites were. The better-behaved slaves were allowed to be carpenters, masons, bricklayers, or ironworkers. The construction of bridges, streets, canals, railroad lines, public buildings, and private homes was made possible by using slave labor (Cowan and Maguire 54). Slaves had no rights. This was done to keep them from revolting against their masters or attaining too much power (Katz 4).

They were not allowed to communicate with each other or have meetings of any sort. To leave the plantation, a worker was required to have a pass signed by the master and overseer. Slaves could not own property, although some masters authorized it. Knives, guns, or any kind of weapon was not allowed. Forced separation of family members was a constant, dreadful threat (Foster 72). It was de sales thing dat ever happen to me, one slave recalls of the sale of her sister, whom she never saw again (Foster 72).

Blacks received harsher criminal sentencing than whites, regardless of the crime (Cowan and Maguire 51). Marriage between slaves was not legally recognized, but owners encouraged it because a more stable environment was created. Married couples with children were less likely to attempt escape. Unfortunately, there usually was not a suitable mate choice among the slaves, so most remained single (Starobin 127). Rebel slaves would recruit Indians, poor whites, and anti-slavery persons to attack all white men, women, and children (Starobin 123). These uprisings occurred with at least one major revolt per generation (Starobin 98).

They would set fire to buildings; while the whites were extinguishing the flames, angry slaves would assault them from behind (Starobin 126). Owners were forced to sleep with one eye open in case the large masses of slaves decided to upraise (Foster 81). On a smaller scale, slaves expressed their hate by refusing their duties, performing slow and sloppy work, sabotaging machinery and tools, and resisting the white culture forced upon them (Starobin 98 - 99). Some attempted to run away. They sought refuge in mountains and swamps. Professional slave catchers used bloodhound dogs to track down runaways.

Very few runaways escaped to freedom. Captured slaves would be beaten, burned, or killed as an example to other slaves (Foster). Whipping was the most commonly used form of punishment for disorderly slaves (David 68). Rewards were handed out to the fastest and most productive cotton pickers. One might receive extra food rations or a new set of clothing. Overwork pay was another favorable prize, but few slave owners used this method (Starobin 7).

A slave was considered lucky if he got to be a house servant. House servants were considered the aristocrats of slavery (Ploski and Williams 1...


Free research essays on topics related to: domestic duties, slave owners, men women and children, slave catchers, poor whites

Research essay sample on Men Women And Children Slave Catchers

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