Gracie Blaschke, Staff Reporter
Mon. 10/24/16
January 1, 1863- This date should ring bells in many heads, as it is the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. But many still do not fully understand this time, which is why we need to pass on information of this event that ultimately divided our nation.
Slavery began in America to aid in crop production, which at that time was just beginning. The first slaves were brought over to the American colony of Jamestown. These African slaves were brought over to replace servants because the slaves were cheaper, and there was a higher supply. Slavery was used over the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and they ultimately provided a foundation for our economy. The agrarian south had great conditions for farming, which caused the farming industry to go up. With inventions like the cotton gin, this economic boom solidified the importance of slavery to the south. The slave trade began, and while some slaves were treated better than others, many slaves were treated as an equivalent to the scum they scraped off the bottom of their owner's shoes. …show more content…
Slaves had many positions on the traditional plantation.
Some slaves worked out in the field doing farm work, while others worked in the house as chefs, and maids. Other slaves were sometimes held close to the master, and did very little work. When the issue of morality arose, the South's argument for slavery was that the slaves were essential to the economy. The huge plantations needed many workers to keep business up, and running. The South's economy depended on slaves for production of crops. Without the slaves, the economy would ultimately suffer in the
south.
"Nothing fills me with deeper sadness than to see a Southern man apologizing for the defense we made of our inheritance. Our cause was so just, so sacred, that had I known all that has come to pass, had I known what was to be inflicted upon me, all that my country was to suffer, all that our posterity was to endure, I would do it all over again."
President Jefferson Davis, C.S.A.
This created controversy in our country. People were on many different sides, which produced major conflict. This fighting led us into civil war, and halved our country. Our country was on its end, and finally, the people came to a solution: the Emancipation Proclamation.
The anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation should be celebrated all over the country. This issue divided us against ourselves, brother against brother. The date is an important one, and one we should never forget.