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Essay On Slavery

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Slavery has long inspired controversy among historians. Many have different views on slavery whether it was slaves lived under kind masters, or slavery was a brutal system that drove slaves into constant rebellion, but neither viewpoint is accurate although both contain some truth in it. Many masters wanted to earn profit off of slaves no matter what because some masters were kind causing the slaves to develop genuine affection for their owners. Although slaves had affection for owners they did not even question themselves when deciding to desert to Union lines when northern troops descended on the plantations during the Civil War. The experience of slaves working on cotton plantations in the 1830s and 1700s differed because of reasons unrelated to the kindness or brutality of masters. More of reasons like the plantation system, the work and discipline, the slave family, and the longevity, health, and diet of slaves. The maturing of the plantation system caused slavery to change significantly between 1700 and 1830. Importation of slaves from Africa had been abolished in 1808. In 1700, the typical slave was a man in his twenties, recently arrived …show more content…

The law did not recognize or protect slave families. Buying and selling slaves disrupted attempts to create a stable family life. Marriage of a slave woman did not protect her against the sexual demands for her master. Sometimes targets for the wrath of white mistresses were slave children of white masters. Slave work kept mothers from their children while spouses were always at risk to be sold. Broad kinship patterns had marked West African cultures, and they were reinforced by the separation of children and parents that routinely occurred under slavery. Slaves often created “fictive” kin networks. They helped to protect themselves against the disruption of family ties and established a broader community of

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