World History.The Effects of Slavery on Slave Owners - Essay Example

The Effects of Slavery on Slave Owners Although slavery was seen to have a number of ravaging effects on individuals and especially so the persons who were captured and sold into slavery, it was nevertheless also seen to have some critical effects on the slave owners as well. This paper seeks to attempt to try and validate the claims that although the entire commerce that was seen to exist between slave and master can essentially be considered to be a perpetual exercise exhibiting the most boisterous passions, with one part being marked by a degrading submission and the other being fundamentally characterized by unremitting despotism. In order for one to better understand the effects that slavery is seen to have had on the slave owners, it is important that one first grasps an understanding of what exactly is meant by the use of the term slavery. Slavery can be defined as being the condition or status of a given person where by the powers that are commonly seen to be attaching to the rights of ownership are seen to exercised. The person over whom slavery is being exercised is seen to be denied of all the basic human fundamental rights by the owner who regards the person as being mere property. Slavery was seen to have some rather wide ranging effects on the individuals who practiced it ranging from the people that actually capture the slaves and resell them, the merchants engaging in slave trade as well as the individuals that purchase these slaves and become slave owners. While engaging in slavery is seen to have caused a large number of the slave owners to become largely inhuman in their treatment of slaves, there was however a negligible number of individuals who were Slavery is seen to have caused some slave owners to become quite human in their treatment of other individuals as was seen by the account provided by Barbot (182-183) in which he points out that after having at one time received a whole family as salves on his ship, he endeavored to try and sell them all together to a single planter who was widely perceived to be quite considerable, this slave owners slave owner gave Barbot his word that he would also permit the family to settle together in some part by themselves. The humanizing effect of slavery that is seen to have caused some of the slave owners to become humane is also seen to be demonstrated by Prince (261) who provides an account of her good treatment by Mrs. Forsyth who she points out as having been to the West Indies and was quite accustomed to Blacks and actually happened to like them. Prince also points out that her initial owner Mrs. Williams was also quite kind-hearted and treated her in a good manner a factor that caused the slaves under her care to love and be extremely devoted to her. Slavery is seen to have caused some of the slave owners to ideally have a split personality in the manner in which they treated their slaves. Some of the slave owners were seen to treat their slaves in a wavering manner which saw them treat their slaves in a kindly manner while at other times undertaking to deny them this kind treatment. This is demonstrated by Mrs. Williams who due to the character of her harsh and selfish husband, was often seen to not dare show her usual kindness to her slaves when her husband returned to stay at home from his many overseas travels. This aspect is also demonstrated by the fact that although the English people in England had essentially abolished slavery and often treated blacks in a civil manner while in England, Prince (262) who is puzzled at just how English people can be able to go to the West Indies and start acting and treating their slaves in such a beastly manner. They disgrace their slaves as if they were just but mere cattle and often do not provide enough clothing to not only the children slaves but also the male and female slaves which serves to leave them disgracefully exposed. Slavery is seen to have had the effect of causing some of the slave owners to become dishonest in their dealing as pertaining to their salves. This is clearly demonstrated by an incident narrated by Prince (242), where after the cow had kicked the milking pail and spilt all the milk as a result of having been frightened by Captain I__’s, kicking of Prince in the small of her back that caused her to scream in agony, Captain I__ was all the more enraged regardless of the fact that the spilt milk was as a result of his own actions. He went on to continue beating Prince till she was unable to stand and he himself was completely weary. Another illustration of the dishonesty on the part of the slave owners caused by slavery is demonstrated by an incident involving the theft of food while Prince was working under Mr. D__. As a result of his being hungry, one of the slaves called Ben had stolen some rice and cooked it for his supper. However, this theft was duly found out by Mr. D__ who proceeded to lock the slave up all night and for the better part of the following morning without his giving the slave any supper. Ben tried to excuse himself by telling Mr. D__, his master, that his son Master Dickey was in the habit of stealing rice and rum every night. However, the future slave owner, Master Dickey, denied this claim although it was true, and went and took a bayonet which he used to stab Ben’s foot out of sheer revenge (Prince 246). Perhaps the biggest effect of slavery on the slave owners was to cause them to become quite cruel and indifferent to the treatment of the slaves and this can best be illustrated by the indifferent treatment that Prince received when she fell sick while working under Mrs. Wood. Although she had developed a case of rheumatism that was severely aggravated by any exposure to cold water, Prince was still required by Mrs. Wood to mercilessly do all the heavy laundry work in the house despite Prince developing painfully swollen joints that often necessitated that she sits down on the floor while doing the laundry work (Prince 256-257). The harshest illustration of the cruelty that was induced by slavery on the slave owners is seen by the case of how the slaves working form Mr. D__ were treated and the relatively very harsh working conditions that they happened to experience. The slaves were required to work from four o’clock in the morning till late at night. During this entire time, they were required to work under the hot sun while standing in salt marshes collecting salt, a fact that caused them to receive very painful boils that sometimes ate down to the bone and afflicted the suffer with a great degree of torment (Prince 243-244). Another effect of the slavery on the slave owners was that some of the owners became quite unreasonable and this was seen to especially be so in their treatment and handling of the slaves. This factor is clearly demonstrated by Mr. Wood’s refusal to grant Prince her liberty or to even allow her to buy it after having asked her to leave his house and find herself a new owner. Despite numerous interventions by lawyers trying to prevail with Mr. Wood to grant Prince her freedom, he was quite unreasonable and adamantly refused to grant it although he knew that she did not know anyone who could help her in England, and was separated from her husband who was back in Antigua (Prince 260). Conclusion The inhumane treatment that the slaves have received at the hands of the relatively tyrannical slave owners is clearly demonstrated by the accounts provided by Prince and Barbot. However, it should be noted that this was not the case as there happened to be a few scattered incidences where the slaves were seen to receive relatively fair treatment as a whole. Nevertheless, it is seen that the entire commerce that was seen to exist between slave and master can essentially be considered to be a perpetual exercise exhibiting the most boisterous passions, with one part being marked by a degrading submission and the other being fundamentally characterized by unremitting despotism. Works Cited Prince ,Mary. History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave. F. Westley and A. H. Davis Stationers' Hall Court. 1983. Print. Barbot, John. "The Slave Trader's View." Documents Illustrative of the History of the Slave Trade to America. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Institute. 1930. Print. Read More