Slave Life in the Americas - Research Proposal Example

Slavery in America was a legal practice in North America before formation of the United States in 1776. The practice existed more than a century. The prosperity achieved by the United States through the help of the unpaid labor of African Americans indirectly fueled in the industrial revolution and subsequent economic strength of the country. “That wealth created tremendous political power for slave holders and their representatives. African slaves brought with them their many cultures, languages, and values, which helped to shape America and its unique culture.

Enduring a brutally oppressive system, African slaves developed a deep commitment to liberty and became a living testament to the powerful ideal of freedom” (The Study of Slavery and Freedom in American History n.d.). Research Statement: Until a few years ago, end of slavery in United States was thought to be an initiative from the US part without any fight on the part of the African slaves. According to a historian, “African Americans were the only people in the history of the world.that ever became free without any effort of their own.

" But, reality was something else. The African slaves had to fight hard to set them free from forced acquisition as well as to resist enslavement. They opted for various strategies to achieve their goal: freedom and equality. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to find out how the African American slaves had struggled for their quest of equality. The enslaved Africans had faced many adverse circumstances, but yet stranded firm portraying deep courage to finally participate fully in all aspects of American life.

The study will investigate how the enslaved African’s struggled to overcome the immense odds. Research Questions: How slavery did it get so deeply rooted in America? How the African American slaves had struggled for their quest of equality and freedom? How slavery in America ended? Literature Review: Describing about slavery trade, the African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship says, “During the course of the slave trade, millions of Africans became involuntary immigrants to the New World.

Some African captives resisted enslavement by fleeing from slave forts on the West African coast. Others mutinied on board slave trading vessels, or cast themselves into the ocean. In the New World there were those who ran away from their owners, ran away among the Indians, formed maroon societies, revolted, feigned sickness, or participated in work slowdowns. Some sought and succeeded in gaining liberty through various legal means such as "good service" to their masters, self-purchase, or military service.

Still others seemingly acquiesced and learned to survive in servitude” (Slavery – The Peculiar Institution n.d.). Slave trading was granted to be a very lucrative business. But, European as well as American traders of human and their politician and businessman supporters did not anyway intend to “motivate the captives and their descendants to fight for full citizenship in the United States of America” (Slavery – The Peculiar Institution n.d.). But, as time passed, these slaves fought their fight for equal rights.

“When Thomas Jefferson penned the words, ‘All men are created equal,’ he could not possibly have envisioned how literally his own slaves and others would take his words. African Americans repeatedly questioned how their owners could consider themselves noble in their own fight for independence from