The Effects Of Slavery On The Epps Family

During the beginning years of America, slavery was ever growing amongst land owning whites, along with free slaves. Northup was a slave whose master granted him freedom, but one night was tricked and taken back into slavery. When thinking of slavery one knows that it was brutal, but not the extent of it. Through Northup’s detailed accounts one can conclude that slavery was a dehumanizing institution. For slave owners family life was affected. The Epps family was affected by jealousy from the wife, children cared by slaves, and a drunken master. Northup states that Patsey one of Epps’ slaves was beaten by the mistress, even though once adored by her. Northup states that Patsey “if she was not watchful when about her cabin, or when walking in the yard, a billet of wood, or a broken bottle perhaps, hurled from her mistress’ hand, would smite her unexpectedly in the face” (134-135). Epps on the nights he drank would cause a raucous by either whipping the slaves just for fun, or by making the slaves dance with him all night. Education, literacy, and knowledge played an important role when it came to the dehumanization of slaves. If a slave was well educated he or she was seen as a threat in fear of revolt, and therefore beaten or resold. In other instances being educated and having
His hands were chained together, feet fastened together, and was beaten until he became silent or stated that he was not a free man. Those enslaves were impacted by taking families apart, harsh beatings, little to no food, and at times worm infested meat. The harsh reality being that free slaves were kidnapped and resold into slavery which was illegal, but only freed again if their old masters claimed them. Not heard of often were the non-violent masters, who believed just as Northup, that “those who treated their slave more leniently, were rewarded by the greatest amount of labor”