Essay on Slavery
The question of slavery has been under vivid discussion for many decades. The following research paper analyzes the following questions. What methods did slave owners use to maintain authority over their slaves and what arguments (legal, constitutional, economic, religious, etc.) did proslavery advocates use to defend the institution of slavery? The paper refers to the writings of a number of researchers who have made a significant contribution into analyzing the problem of slavery and all corresponding issues, including those speaking in favor of slavery as a historical phenomenon. The research paper analyzes the works of prominent investigators in the sphere of slavery providing detailed answers to the questions stated above.
Those speaking in favor of slavery claim that this institution has taken the best features of the social institutions in Greece, Rome or Medieval England. They proclaim slavery as an institution superior to the existing lust of “free society” to capital, equality and different freedoms that modern society has finally acquired through the ages. The society of the North claims that although their own anti-slavery system has failed, they do not deny this fact and admit that they are ready to build a new social system that would be better than both slavery and abolitionism[1].
In defense of slavery, Fitzhugh states that one of the ways by which slave masters encouraged their slaves and maintained their own authority among them was providing them with even better conditions than a contemporary employer offers to their workers. Thus, the slaves got the larger part of their labor’s results, while the slave masters got less[2]. This indicates a great difference between today’s free labor and former slavery, undoubtedly speaking in favor of the latter. Moreover, in contrast to contemporary “white slavery”, the black slave owners provided their slaves with a place to live, food, fuel and everything necessary for sustaining a life of a human being. These are some of the ways by which the slave masters encouraged their slaves and maintained a superior status among them. Fitzhugh argues that such system of labor is much better than the one modern society has nowadays, as in current times, laborers, though being free after the working day is over, are not free in the full meaning of this word as they have to care for their families and place of living[3].
In many aspects, slave masters treated their slaves in a humane way. Thus, all of them permitted and even encouraged marriage as a way of making slaves happier and enlightening their lives. Nonetheless, before getting married a slave ought to receive permission from his or her master and the slave was not allowed getting married with other than another owner’s slave[4]. In addition, it needs to be mentioned that in case of the black slave getting sick, his or her owner would not permit the diseased to stay at home, but order him or her to be confined to the hospital[5]. This is one more reason to advocate for slavery. Nowadays, it often happens that employees getting sick are not provided with any medical treatment, but left to getting cured by their own means. This aspect should undoubtedly be taken into account when speaking about slavery of the past. Among other privileges of slaves were the permission to go to Church on Sundays and receiving certain rewards for the job performed. The latter relates to various holidays and other significant events.
In addition, in order to make their slaves come to work at the designated time, the slaves were permitted to have little time to rest after hard work[6]. In this way, the slave masters wanted to make their workers come to work timely and be prepared for the following day of hard labor. This was one of the ways the slave masters made their slave workers obedient to them. However, despite this fact, it cannot be said that slaves were treated badly as they had everything they needed for living and did not have to scrape for living like modern people often do. Consequently, at the times of slavery, the rates of hunger and poverty were significantly lower, than nowadays.
In such a way, the black slaves had many privileges over the contemporary society living in the world of capitalism. One of the reasons to advocate for slavery is that unlike modern people, black slaves had all the comforts and necessities for leading a carefree daily life, even though they had to work hard. Nonetheless, with the ever increasing needs and wishes of contemporary society, it seems that having shelter, food and fuel would not be enough for modern people. That is why so many people consider the institution of slavery to be something frightening and tragic. The above stated facts on how slave owners treated their slaves should persuade everyone that in reality, black slaves can be called some of the happiest men in the world, unlike contemporary laborers who often lead an inconsistent life.
Furthermore, one more point of view in defense of slavery implies that black slaves had decent conditions for living a consistent life as they were not involved in any kind of arts as this was the responsibility of the whites. Unlike the Greek or Roman slaves, black slaves in America were not merchants and were not involved in any capital related transactions that again were all carried out by the whites[7]. This is how those advocating for slavery prove their position. They also claim that except lack of liberty, slavery as an institution can not be accused of any faults. In fact, black slaves are likely to have had much happier lives than contemporary people who often lack property and are deprived of many comforts that have been available to the black slaves. This is where mass hunger, poverty and other social tragedies of the modern world originate from.
Slavery can in many ways be perceived as a “positive good”[8]. J.H. Hammond proclaims slavery to be “the greatest of all the great blessings” admitting that without it, the rich and fertile soils of America would be given to US citizens in vain[9]. It was thanks to the black slavery that America has turned into such a powerful state in terms of agriculture and many other spheres of human life. He further states that there is not a happier and more satisfied class of people than slaves, as the slave owners provided their slaves with all the conditions necessary for living a fully decent life[10]. In such a way, slavery has many reasons to be defended by abolitionists who still continue to advocate for slavery and fight for turning back the labor system of the past.
In conclusion, it should be said that the way slave masters treated their slaves was in many regards humane. Having analyzed the writings of many researchers, it becomes clear that the abolitionist movement is something that should be given the right to exist. Despite many discussions of those who are against slavery, such social institution was in many regards a “positive good”. Although slave masters often used different kinds of punishments and sometimes treated their slaves in a non-humane way, still they used a number of humanistic methods of making slaves obedient to them.
The major point here is that unlike employees of modern days, slaves have been provided with all the comforts and commodities they needed for leading a carefree daily life. Thus, it can be said that the capitalist world of today deprives common people of many privileges available to the workers of the times of slavery. This point of view has been researched in detail by a number of investigators who provide much evidence in support of slavery. The above research observed a number of viewpoints of various researchers on the matter of slavery. It has given details as for the treatment of slaves by their masters and answered the question of what evidence those in favor of slavery provide in support of their viewpoint. Despite all the above-mentioned data, the question of slavery still remains under vivid discussion and needs to be further researched.
[1] George Fitzhugh, Cannibals All! Or Slaves Without Masters (Richmond, Va: A. Morris, 1857), 9.
[2] George Fitzhugh, Cannibals All! Or Slaves Without Masters (Richmond, Va: A. Morris, 1857), 15.
[3] George Fitzhugh, Cannibals All! Or Slaves Without Masters (Richmond, Va: A. Morris, 1857), 15.
[4] Wilentz, Sean, and Jonathan Earle, Major Problems in Early Republic, 1787-1848 (Houghton Mifflin, 1991), 216.
[5] Wilentz, Sean, and Jonathan Earle, Major Problems in Early Republic, 1787-1848 (Houghton Mifflin, 1991), 215.
[6] Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (The University of Chicago Press, 1784), 265.
[7] George Fitzhugh, Cannibals All! Or Slaves Without Masters (Richmond, Va: A. Morris, 1857), 22.
[8] Wilentz, Sean, and Jonathan Earle, Major Problems in Early Republic, 1787-1848 (Houghton Mifflin, 1991), 387.
[9] Wilentz, Sean, and Jonathan Earle, Major Problems in Early Republic, 1787-1848 (Houghton Mifflin, 1991), 405.
[10] Wilentz, Sean, and Jonathan Earle, Major Problems in Early Republic, 1787-1848 (Houghton Mifflin, 1991), 404.
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