Slavery The Peculiar Institution Essay Research Paper

Slavery: The Peculiar Institution Essay, Research Paper

The Peculiar Institution

When the Africans came to America, a new culture began to develop;

African-American culture, the culture of the slave. All aspects of life for these imported

people began to change in many ways. In this essay we will follow the migration of a

slave to an American home, and their home, family, and work lives.

Slavery was well known in many areas of Africa, including eastern Nigeria, the

Gold Coast, and western Angola during the 1600.s, where the people were forced to

cultivate land. From these and other areas, about ten million African slaves were

kidnapped, usually from peaceful tribes because members of warrior tribes defended

themselves to the death, and forced to march to the Atlantic Coast, which, at times, was

over one hundred miles. Those who were too weak to keep up were murdered (.The

March to the Coast,. p. 1). Once to the coast, the slaves were kept in dungeon-like pits

until they could be packed on the slave ships. Sometimes they had to spend months

chained up in these confinements (.The Slave Pits/Dungeons., p. 1).

The voyage from Africa to the Americas across the Middle Passage was a

nightmare that had to be endured for months at a time. The intense pressure to obtain the

greatest profit out of the trade, no matter what cost to the slave, forced traders to allow

inhumane conditions. Slaves were wedged on the lower decks of ships like logs and were

chained together. There was almost no room to sit, stand, or lie down. the space given to

an adult male, five and a half feet wide by sixteen inches in width, was no larger than a

grave. The slaves often slept on their sides, their naked bodies fitting together in a

spoon-like fashion. They were allowed on the deck for a few minutes a day for fresh air

and exercise, which was usually just jumping at their masters instruction. The holds were

dark, filthy, slimy, and they stank of human waste. The food quickly spoiled and the water

became stagnant. Slaves who felt sick were simply tossed overboard to prevent an

epidemic ().

Once on American soil, slaves were herded to a stockade to be sold. There they

thoroughly examined by eager merchants and purchased. During these slave auctions,

families were torn apart, mothers separated from children, husbands from wives. The

auctions were so unpleasant that white women were rarely found in the area. The .black

horses., as they were often called, were then taken to their new homes (John W.

Blassingame, p 15). Upon arrival, the slaves had to sign a contract no less than six pages

long. The rules and expectations were clearly stated in these documents. If the slave

refused to sign, they severely beaten. Most of the slaves could not read, but quickly

signed to prevent flogging.

Where the slaves were sent, their looks, sex, and the season determined what types

of work they would do. Men and women that were sent to a plantation would probably

work as field hands, sowing, maintaining, and harvesting sugarcane, corn, cotton, tobacco,

or other crops. Field hands would rise before sunrise, prepare their morning meal, feed

the livestock, and then rush to the fields by the time the sun came up. At sunset they

would retire from the fields to their homes, or to other chores (John W. Blassingame, p.

155).

A few slaves sent to a plantation, mostly children, the elderly, and the attractive,

would work as domestic servants (.Slavery in the U.S.., p.1). These slaves were better

dressed, fed, and often favored, but were no happier with their position than field workers.

Domestic servants ran errands, worked as gardeners, cooked and served meals, cared for

livestock, cared for the masters children, wove, spun wool, did the marketing, cleaned the

house, churned the milk, and did many other tasks. These slaves had no regular hours,

and had the discomfort of constantly being under the watchful eyes of the owner (John W.

Blassingame, p.158).

On smaller farms, farther north, slaves often had a more personal relationship with

their master. They often worked aside their master. Domestic slaves were treated almost

like family.

How the slaves were treated depended on the master. If he saw blacks as equal,

then he might befriend his slaves, or possibly free them. He may have just needed help on

the farm and would have hired out if it had been more economical. A cruel master may

see them as cattle that must be whipped into shape. For the most part, the basic needs of

the slaves were met, no matter the feelings of the master. They had shelter, food, and

clothing even if it was just a minimal amount or of poor quality (John W. Blassingame, p.

159).

Slaves were punished for things like disobedience, attempted runaway,

non-submission, dissatisfaction, learning to read or write, stealing, drunkenness, fighting,

working too slowly, or attem

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать