Racial Slavery and the Development of Our Nation

The United States of America, a symbol for freedom and liberty throughout the world, was built upon the backs of millions of vulnerable slaves. By the time we became a country in 1776, slavery was engrained in many of our founding fathers minds as the source of economic wellbeing. Each state, community and individual had their own ideas about the institution and whether it was morally or constitutionally right. It is one of the highest debated topics in the history of our country. Slavery, controversial as it may be, was an integral part of the maturation of our young nation. Slavery has been in existence around the world nearly as long as humans have. But what developed in the New World was very different from what the rest of the world had seen. The plantation based slavery that emerged in America brought large numbers of workers owned and controlled by a single person, which raised the possibility of large scale rebellion. In turn, owners oftentimes enforced their strict authority with merciless measures. Eventually, the word “slave” would be directly linked with the color of one’s skin, which wasn’t exactly inevitable. The New World in the seventeenth century was a dangerous territory. Both the Native Americans and settlers were struck with diseases that tore through their societies. Despite the dangers they faced, many Spanish, French and English individuals braved the journey. England produced the largest number willing to emigrate due to terrible economic conditions at home. English settlers who could pay for their passage to America arrived as free persons and obtained land quickly. Those who could not pay their way entered in an agreement of indentured servitude. Indentured servants were much like slaves in... ... middle of paper ... ...r. Her situation was typical in the sense that her master abused her physically, sexually and mentally. But it was very atypical that her family was so near, and that her grandmother played a large role in their society, many times saving her from further abuse. Narratives such as this one did not play a large part in the downfall of slavery; it was not until decades later that works of this type would have a major place in mainstream media in situations like the Civil Rights Movement. “No pen can give an adequate description of the all-pervading corruption produced by slavery.” (Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, p.76) Bibliography Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, Brief 3rd Edition (W.W. Norton & Company) Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself, with Related Documents (Bedford St. Martin’s)