Slavery In Antebellum America

Based on the evidence, it is clear that the slavery system should be abolished across all fronts while creating a support system for the freed slaves. Slavery in the Antebellum Americas was a forced system of labor that began roughly in the 1610s and was abolished by Congress in 1865. Slavery began when added labor was needed within the colonies and soon the practice skyrocketed as more slaves were stolen from their homelands during the Middle Passage, which was a significant part of the slave trade where African slaves were stolen and densely packed onto ships to sail across the Atlantic. As slavery boomed according to consumer needs, slave rebellions become prominent as hundreds fought for their freedom. This horrible institution has stolen
Some of those who would defend slavery have argued that slaves are inferior as one Senator Hammond states, “In all social systems there must be a class to do the menial duties, to perform the drudgery of life. That is, a class requiring but a low order of intellect and but little skill… Such a class you must have, or you would not have that other class which leads progress, civilization, and refinement.” However, numerous times throughout history, in not only species, slaves have proven themselves to be our equal in every way. Take, for example, the illustrious Frederick Douglass, a former slave himself, who went on to become one of the greatest statesmen this nation has seen. He challenges the institution of slavery with his very existence, reputing statements of bigotry with,“You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man.” Slaves are humans just as we are, they bleed as we do, they walk as we do, they love as we
Even the author of this document, Thomas Jefferson, once stated that in regards to slaves, “If there’s a God for this, we’re going to pay”. Even our heroes know this practice is wrong and must be ended. Others would state that our forced migration of slaves was good practice, such as Calhoun, who would“ hold that in the present state of civilization, where two races of different origin, and distinguished by color, and other physical differences, as well as intellectual, are brought together, the relation now existing in the slaveholding States between the two, is, instead of an evil, a good - a positive good.” As if, the degradation and cruelty that has been forced onto the slaves is a way of bringing two groups “together”. The inhumane treatment of the slaves is the greatest crime in American history. We may have richened the diversity of our nation, but we have killed and maimed and mutilated an entire race of our same species to such an extent that is unforgivable. Nothing about slavery has ever been a positive good, there may be unintended benefits, but never shall positivity ever be used to describe this terrible treatment of