Racial Based Slavery

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Slavery has existed ever since the beginning of civilizations. Slavery started by the conquering of one tribe by another or poverty leading to servitude. However, the American type of slavery was unique to its kind. Only in America, the African American race was directly associated with slavery. Colonists abandoned the old ways of slavery—indentured servitude—and adopted the most recent version—racial based slavery. Colonists substituted this slavery because indentured servants could rise up in protest and cause significant damage to the plantation owners. On the other hand, if restricted from becoming literate and forming groups, African slaves were helpless against the wealthy land owners and through reproduction would supply a consistent…show more content…
George Fitzhugh describes negroes as a, “…grown up child, and must be governed as a child” (___) Whites profiled blacks as unintelligent, thoughtless, unqualified, and much more. One example of this racial profiling, Dr. Cartwright, explained the reasoning of slave disobedience. He introduced that the disease, dysaesthesia aethiopica, manipulated the slave’s brain causing him to disobey and create chaos around him. Cartwright elucidated that slaves only revolt when the master has not satisfied the slaves desires. Also, he condemned the two alternate extremes of dealing with slaves—treating slaves as equals and treating them cruelly. By associating slave rebellion to mental illness, Dr. Cartwright validated the beliefs regarding blacks’ inabilities to be enlightened and turned the blame of rebellion back onto the slaves. Alternatively, he suggested the key to maintaining submissive slaves was through providing the necessities and luxuries that suited the slave. Once satisfied, the slave would not be able to leave his master and would remain submissive. By identifying the black race as an incompetent and ineffective, whites could then agree that slaves need to be governed over through slavery in order to serve their role in…show more content…
After the Revolutionary War, some slaves were even set free from their masters or left America for freedom. If at this point in history, every slave owner abandoned their new creation of slavery and returned back to its original form, indentured servitude, then perhaps there would never have been a civil war. Unfortunately, at this point in the country, slavery had become so severe that the nation would eventually fight against its own flesh and blood. Clearly seen, slavery and its solution was a black or white issue. To restore unity to America, slavery would either be nationally practiced or be utterly obliterated. At last, this decision would be decided during the devastating years of the Civil

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