Constant Victims Of Slavery
In hopes of acquiring deserved freedom, slaves had the right to kill their masters. But while justified, violence was futile, leading to execution rather than freedom.
Constant victims of injustice, slaves were dehumanized and dominated by their master. They were unable to conduct their own actions without the permission, incapable of traveling without slave passes, and often separated from their family. Slaves were treated as livestock and traded at their master's will. Masters regarded their slaves as animals, children, and property, refusing to acknowledge them as equals. Dehumanized and made inferior, slaves had the right to kill their master to secure fundamental human rights. Furthermore, slavery constantly exposed slaves to harsh and
fatal conditions. Slaves worked tirelessly on plantations and were punished for slow or unsatisfactory work. Slaveowners could whip their slaves mercilessly and even to the death. Moreover, women were vulnerable to sexual abuse and rape; many bore their master’s children and received hostility from their mistress as a result. While some slaves had sympathetic owners, they were still vulnerable to the possibility of cruel treatment: all slaves could be readily traded to a brutal master. In order to ensure their safety, slaves had the right to kill their masters. Rather than accept cruel injustice, it was rational for slaves to act, even violently, against their masters in this inhuman institution.
While slaves had the right to kill their masters, doing so was unadvisable: violence rarely led to freedom and often led to death. In Southern society, the planter elite held all political and economic power; killing a slave owner was an act of resistance that threatened their authority. Resistance, in general, was cruelly and even sadistically punished. Masters stressed their dominance by whipping, mutilating, and burning slaves. Slaves who killed were usually executed, unable to experience any real freedom before death. Nat Turner’s rebellion caused around 50 white deaths; the slaves involved were added to the rebellion’s death count. In fact, revolts were often thwarted and punished before commencement. Slaves involved in Denmark Vesey’s planned revolt were detained and executed before the revolt could begin. Although justifiable, violence brought slaves not to freedom, but to their deaths.
Violence also led to harsher restrictions and worsened racial relations. Revolts like Turner’s and Vesey’s brewed paranoia among slave owners who feared losing their dominance. Masters paid stricter attention to their slaves and implemented stricter regulations, punishing their slaves more harshly to enforce their superiority and quell resistance. Revolts inspired tighter control over slaves and stricter slave codes, limiting individual freedoms even further. Violence also contributed to the racist notion that Africans were barbaric savages, worsening racial relations. Southern slave owners assumed that Africans were inferior beastlike beings due to their different culture and religion. This view helped slave owners justify bondage and violence further suggested that slaves needed "taming". Even if violence ensured freedom for some, it worsened conditions for slaves who remained in bondage. While slaves had the right to act violently against their masters, fatal consequences made such actions futile.
Rather than violence, more inconspicuous methods of resistance, such as fleeing, were far more successful. Less combative actions ensured greater chances of survival. Violence directly threatened the authority of slave owners and incited harsh punishment. Violence was often unsuccessful and made the conditions of slavery harsher and more restrictive. While slavery was an unjust atrocity that warranted violent action, violence against masters was often done in vain.
Constant victims of injustice, slaves were dehumanized and dominated by their master. They were unable to conduct their own actions without the permission, incapable of traveling without slave passes, and often separated from their family. Slaves were treated as livestock and traded at their master's will. Masters regarded their slaves as animals, children, and property, refusing to acknowledge them as equals. Dehumanized and made inferior, slaves had the right to kill their master to secure fundamental human rights. Furthermore, slavery constantly exposed slaves to harsh and
fatal conditions. Slaves worked tirelessly on plantations and were punished for slow or unsatisfactory work. Slaveowners could whip their slaves mercilessly and even to the death. Moreover, women were vulnerable to sexual abuse and rape; many bore their master’s children and received hostility from their mistress as a result. While some slaves had sympathetic owners, they were still vulnerable to the possibility of cruel treatment: all slaves could be readily traded to a brutal master. In order to ensure their safety, slaves had the right to kill their masters. Rather than accept cruel injustice, it was rational for slaves to act, even violently, against their masters in this inhuman institution.
While slaves had the right to kill their masters, doing so was unadvisable: violence rarely led to freedom and often led to death. In Southern society, the planter elite held all political and economic power; killing a slave owner was an act of resistance that threatened their authority. Resistance, in general, was cruelly and even sadistically punished. Masters stressed their dominance by whipping, mutilating, and burning slaves. Slaves who killed were usually executed, unable to experience any real freedom before death. Nat Turner’s rebellion caused around 50 white deaths; the slaves involved were added to the rebellion’s death count. In fact, revolts were often thwarted and punished before commencement. Slaves involved in Denmark Vesey’s planned revolt were detained and executed before the revolt could begin. Although justifiable, violence brought slaves not to freedom, but to their deaths.
Violence also led to harsher restrictions and worsened racial relations. Revolts like Turner’s and Vesey’s brewed paranoia among slave owners who feared losing their dominance. Masters paid stricter attention to their slaves and implemented stricter regulations, punishing their slaves more harshly to enforce their superiority and quell resistance. Revolts inspired tighter control over slaves and stricter slave codes, limiting individual freedoms even further. Violence also contributed to the racist notion that Africans were barbaric savages, worsening racial relations. Southern slave owners assumed that Africans were inferior beastlike beings due to their different culture and religion. This view helped slave owners justify bondage and violence further suggested that slaves needed "taming". Even if violence ensured freedom for some, it worsened conditions for slaves who remained in bondage. While slaves had the right to act violently against their masters, fatal consequences made such actions futile.
Rather than violence, more inconspicuous methods of resistance, such as fleeing, were far more successful. Less combative actions ensured greater chances of survival. Violence directly threatened the authority of slave owners and incited harsh punishment. Violence was often unsuccessful and made the conditions of slavery harsher and more restrictive. While slavery was an unjust atrocity that warranted violent action, violence against masters was often done in vain.