The Importance Of Slavery As A Way Of Life

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Slavery as a way of life

Owned 106 slaves (Ron)

Owned 316 slaves (Ron)

Owned 187 slaves (Ron)

Owning slaves was a way of life in early America. During that time, agriculture was booming with the production of tobacco, cotton and food crops. The most profitable way to engage in these type of enterprises was with an inexpensive workforce. Even so, a great many Americans believed that owning slaves was contrary to the Declaration of Independence, even while owning slaves of their own. Thomas Jefferson owned slaves when all the while he worked at convincing his contemporaries that the inclusion of rights for all citizens should be upheld. Unfortunately, Jefferson owed money and could not directly free his slaves without consequences from his creditors. Despite the growing American Conscious against slavery, the practice continued. In his accepting his nomination to the 13th congress, Horace Mann declared, “To what bar of judgment will our own posterity bring us, what doom of infamy will history pronounce upon us, if the United States shall hereafter be found the only portion of Christendom where the principles of our own Declaration of Independence are violated in the persons of millions of our people?” (Mann) But, much like today, the commercial interests of the large plantation business men were not going to just willingly give up huge amounts of profit and possibly the entire business altogether in order to set their property free.

The political battle waged on with letters flying back and forth, editorials being published and songs written. In a poem The Hireling and the Slave written by William Grayson, the generosity of the slave master is extolled:

If harvest fail from inauspicious skies,
The Master’s providence his...

... middle of paper ...

...n

Do I believe that we are better off without the American Ideal of Slavery? Absolutely, without a doubt, we are a better collective person when we recognize that all are born entitled to certain rights and freedoms. Through the extraordinary efforts of a few courageous men and women, we as a society have grown in our ability to extend acceptance, peace and comfort to one another. Other nations are following suit and pretty soon all over the world, slavery will be a thing of the past. One could only hope and dream that one day, all sentient beings will be extended basic comfort and freedom from harm. When the human race evolves to the point that it recognizes that each and every living thing is not to be exploited for profit, then we all will be truly free. This is the right thing to do. The end to slavery and the expansion of civil rights are just the beginning.

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