Paper Topic:

History essay

Slavery

In to understand racism in the antebellum south , it is necessary to look at the background that produced slavery . The economic system of the South was based on agriculture which was not possible without the assistance of the laborers . The non-availability of cheap labor and impractibility of the wage-earner system led to the adoption of the institution of slavery . The Negro slavery was introduced in the new world for the first time in 1619 when a Dutch vessel sold twenty one Negro slaves to the colonists of Virginia . The tobacco growing

colony found the Negro slave to be cheap , most dependable and efficient . As a result soon the system was adopted by other colonies . This led to slave trade and the European private individuals engaged themselves in this trade . In 1649 there were only slaves but within next two decades their number rose to 2000 in the state of Virginia

So economic compulsions interpreted the relationship of slavery as a master-slave relationship that was further rooted into the social and intellectual life of America . Later on it was structured into the legal system . In the whole scenario , slaves acted as economic instruments and this subordination was characterized only by commercial necessities Some scholars are of the view that slavery was not a matter of economics or expediency but it was rooted in the values system of Catholic population of South

The slavery , though beneficial to the planters , had its evils and was considered to be inhuman . In a society which stood for equality , freedom and democracy , slavery was considered a blot . A society which professed the ideals of freedom , equality and democracy , the institution of slavery was considered a blot . These sentiments found their way in the Declaration of Independence , `North-West Ordinance ' and the `Constitution . Consequently some of the humanitarians started questioning the right of one group of human beings to hold others as slave . The surge of abolitionists in American history and their passionate movements in the early 18th century was the next turn in the story of American slavery . Revolutionary Americans (1750-1815 ) were among the first people in the world to condemn slavery . In 1775 , Quakers founded an anti-slavery society . In 1785 , another society the New York society for Promoting Manumission was founded which soon spread to other states

The abolitionists were of high moral character , anti-institutional and mortified . American abolitionism can not be compared with the same movements in England and as in a country like England , institutions were strong and men could hardly avid thinking and acting institutionally . Whereas in America , there was not even a single institute of that caliber at national that could determine the slavery issue . So surge in abolitionism was a natural outcome of this situation .No doubt , the abolitionists were insulted , attacked and persecuted , but they carried on their activities . All these actions and reactions did arouse the conscience of the people and in the north they stood up to defend them . The Abolitionists followed different methods , which resulted...

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