Summary Of Edmund S. Morgan's American Slavery American Freedom
In the rather controversial novel American Slavery American Freedom, Edmund S. Morgan addresses the paradox that not many Americans are aware of which is “the marriage of slavery and freedom” in American history. What Morgan makes a point of showing is that around the time of 1624 the colonists and Indians were still having problems dating back into the times of the Roanoke colony. In this time the colonists time did not believe that the Indians were capable of doing simple tasks, let alone being in charge of key substances that were imperative to the colony thriving. Morgan makes it clear that because the colonists did not trust the Indians the economy in Virginia ran low on labor. This brought on the ideology of having servants, but once
this began to go downhill because the price of land increased which made it difficult to pay the servants the colonists had to find alternatives. Around this time it was also the beginning of people acknowledging their racial views. This idea that somehow whites were more deserving and entitled then African Americans began. This was when the transition from servant to slave began in Virginia.
Something that Morgan touches on that isn’t written in many textbooks is that although Virginia was one of the first states to talk about freedom and was the home of where the Bill of Rights and Constitution were written it was a well known slave state. For example, our founding fathers who preached the meaning of freedom were slave owners themselves. Which personally made me feel that they were one biggest hypocrites in history. The reason I say this is because it is known that George Washington, a general who helped America gain their independence from Great Britain preached the meaning of freedom, and spoke about how Britain needed to be stopped. When in reality he himself owned around 292 slaves. I understand that in this time things were different, but at the same time I feel like at any point in time it should just be known that enslaving human beings is morally unethical.
I felt that Edmund S. Morgan made it a point to share that people like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, etc. owned slaves to further prove his statement in which alluded that the idea of slavery and freedom all come from a similar place which I feel is what he meant when he said “the marriage between slavery and freedom.”
this began to go downhill because the price of land increased which made it difficult to pay the servants the colonists had to find alternatives. Around this time it was also the beginning of people acknowledging their racial views. This idea that somehow whites were more deserving and entitled then African Americans began. This was when the transition from servant to slave began in Virginia.
Something that Morgan touches on that isn’t written in many textbooks is that although Virginia was one of the first states to talk about freedom and was the home of where the Bill of Rights and Constitution were written it was a well known slave state. For example, our founding fathers who preached the meaning of freedom were slave owners themselves. Which personally made me feel that they were one biggest hypocrites in history. The reason I say this is because it is known that George Washington, a general who helped America gain their independence from Great Britain preached the meaning of freedom, and spoke about how Britain needed to be stopped. When in reality he himself owned around 292 slaves. I understand that in this time things were different, but at the same time I feel like at any point in time it should just be known that enslaving human beings is morally unethical.
I felt that Edmund S. Morgan made it a point to share that people like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, etc. owned slaves to further prove his statement in which alluded that the idea of slavery and freedom all come from a similar place which I feel is what he meant when he said “the marriage between slavery and freedom.”