slavery

Slavery dehumanized slaves. It deprived slaves of their basic self-determination. Children were separated from their mothers. This was the case for Fredrick Douglas too who was an infant, before he was sent away. He says "I do not recollect of ever seeing my mother by the light of day. She was with me in the night. She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep but before I wake she was gone" (Douglass 16). Slaves were treated as animals that are taken away from their mom when they're born. Slave mother couldn't even raise her child. Often slaves’ mother would have to escape just to visit her child. Instead, they would have the rights to be their children's' guardians and build a straight path for them. When slaveholders commit such injustice, they're depriving the slaves' quality of basic self-determination. Adding on, slaves weren't allowed to start their own family and as a result, they were in no circumstances to determine their own future. Not only slavery deprived slave of basic self-determination but also it deprive slave's physical deprivation. This is because when children were given food it kept slaves often in states of physical deprivation. As you can see in book "It was put into a large wooden tray or trough, and set down upon the ground. The children were called, like so many pigs, and like so many pigs they would come and devour the mush; some with oyster-shells, others with pieces of shingle, some with naked hands, and none with spoons. He that ate fastest got most; he that was strongest secured the best place; and few left trough satisfied" (Douglass- 37).This action taken by slaves owners kept slaves in a struggle for basic survival prevented slaves from developing connections with other. They would have to think about them because they don't have enough for themselves so they didn't had any time to think for other. This was a case for every slave so; their situation forced them to be self-centered. Slave owners treated these children as