Slavery During a Period When it Became the Best Business in the World - Research Paper Example

Slavery in Texas History has written various grievances, enormous strives and complicated struggles of enslaved individuals during a period when slavery became the best business in the world, especially in America. Common among the people in the past, African-Americans or Native Africans were the favorite slaves bought by wealthy Caucasians. Furthermore, the radical change of division between the abolishment of slave trade and the continuous support of slavery by those who deemed it important resulted to Civil Wars; with the aim of fighting what not only for freedom but also for legal citizenship. Various historians attempted with great struggles in obtaining the details on how these enslaved people comprehend the limitations and scopes of their affective and social worlds, thus, trying to provide the integral view to both the evidence that the enslaved achieved for a long waited time to simply acquire citizenship with intense environment which repressed the rights they naturally possessed. Also, most of the historians discussed the ongoing local and racial tension through a paternal viewpoint and with the influence of Christianity. The establishment of African enslavement has popularly performed in the 19th century. During this remarkable period, the United States of America considered the possession of humans as assets, movable objects personally owned and rightfully handed over to anyone deserving under concrete laws. As assets, slaves became properties in their individual lifetime with not even a single legal chance to achieve or even receive freedom. They possessed no rights, thus, could be sold, bought, hired, mortgaged, passed on to heirs, and be given out at any time. This has been a clear implication on how history crafted laws not only for the enslaved person but also for the owner. (Campbell, 2010) As one of the owner’s property, slaves had difficulty in implicating laws with regards to trading since they were humans who possessed individual affection and would interact with others in the society. It was one of the challenges met by court personalities, especially when they saw that slaves like people, also had personal needs which were not easy to be disregarded or be forgotten. On the other hand, the enslaved person, although has similarities with other objects in possession, contained also differences far from the other properties owned by the owner. One similar fact that could be understood from slaves and other objects was that they were part of the business that needs to do the things in order for the activities of each individual’s daily living to work. Nevertheless, the major difference between the slaves and the other objects in possession was that they had their own sense of direction. Unlike other objects, they were properties who possessed personal discretion in doing things between right or wrong. They can do anything they would want, to work or not, to feed or kill, but with various corresponding sanctions and punishment. However, the absurdity of slavery did not end there with an undeniable fact that they also possessed a heart that could be broken down whenever things were not made correctly, a tear to shed when they feel hurt and pain to be felt whenever they ought to be. Keeping the slaves responsible for the crimes they have committed was only a part of the wide range of statute and case laws when it comes to slavery acknowledged by people. Some historians also claimed that there were various views about slavery in different parts of the country. Such as in Texas, specific laws and regulations were being created in the 19th century concerning these issues. However, majority of the historians chorused in claiming that slaveholding society in the specific period of American history did not recognize the human nature and concept of the slaves with a strong contention that they were nothing but any other possession. The race responsible for instituting slavery in Texas was the Anglo-Americans in 1820s. They had brought slaves from Mexico, who had been freed from the Spanish regimen, but did not include the bylaws and rules from the Free State (Sarcedote, 2005). The immigrants were from southern states that have brought in legal framework about the topic. The arrival also included the promulgation and creation of rules regarding slavery. One of the most familiar names in slave history of Texas is Stephen F. Austin. He was the first Anglo impresario in Texas and the author of the criminal and civil laws popular in their colony. In his rules and laws, he was able to create five articles with regards to the possession and trading of slaves in Texas. This has been one of the rules which protected and valued slavery in the society. One of the rules he has made was about stealing of slavery and encouraging the slaves to be free as sanctioned through monetary fines. Whenever the slave stole a property, he will be punished through lashes not unless the owner will take action which includes paying 300% worth of the stolen item. In his rules, he has provided recognition of two important things: first was the sanctity of slave ownership, and; second was the recognition of the slaves’ human nature. The Texas revolution in 1835-1836 has contributed much to the laws governing slavery and ownership in the republic. The Constitution annotated that people who were slaves prior to entering the boarders of Texas and remained to be slaves thereafter will continue to be in the state of servitude only if they were able to be legally and rightfully claimed by the owner under the grounds dictated by the law. Then after, the congress passed various laws which had upheld the systems of immigration and slavery in the state to bring justice and equality in handling slaves. There was even a move that slaves will not be included as part of the forced payment to address debts and concerns by owners. This has slowly revolutionized the minds of slave owners and the slaves themselves. However, despite the existence of laws, these were not concretely followed in Texas. Free slaves or Negroes were still being haunted by the laws of slavery when they commit mistake. Once they help other slaves to be free and get caught, they were at risk of losing their freedom and be a slave again in the hands of the White Americans. The implementation of a system of laws needed to continue slavery in Texas required a definite and special legal provision to address the behavior with the presence of the free blacks. The idea that Africans were created inferiorly from the Americans became a key defense of slavery, however, the Negroes who lived successfully still thought and viewed that the compelling argument and statement that Black people were still part of a whole property was still existing. They feared that those who were free may influence and encourage other slaves to move out and find freedom in some other places. This had resulted to the rearrangement of the Constitution in 1836 that free Blacks who wanted to live in the Republic of Texas will only be successful in doing so, provided that they will be able to obtain consent from the Congress. This has also been aided by the rule that no one could be able to remove a slave from the lands of the Republic of Texas unless proven with enough evidence that the rightful owner, under the circumstances provided by the law, will be able to present various requirements pertaining to the aim. There were some Black Americans who managed to stay in the Republic of Texas through the legislature’s consent. Others who have successfully stayed with in the limits and boundaries of the place and did not have enough consent were able to do so through various tactics which were considered to be a crack in the society. However, the freedom was not absolute. This was due to their lack of citizenship despite their residences in the area. They even have faced significant oppressions and unequal treatment from the other certified citizens of the Republic. This can be true to their actions that whenever they commit problems, they were still bound in the context of laws applied to the slaves. One specific example that can look upon into was the case of Frank, a Galveston slave who broke into a clothing store and made his way to the ships in the port of Texas that was heading to Boston, Massachusetts (Shelton, 2007). Later on, the rightful owner, George Delesdenier, realized that Frank disappeared and tracked down the possible ways where he went and the places he might be in. With the aid of the harbor master, they had found the slave hiding in a cargo inside a ship. It was later discovered that 4 free African-American crew from Massachusetts influenced Frank to do his actions and promised him their aid. The four seamen were then imprisoned, and convicted of threatening servile insurrection, which was the highest offense that will be given to those who have committed against the slavery’s institution. They were required to pay a fine of $850 in 5 days or be slaves again. This was how the system worked in the early times that despite the possession of freedom by the free slaves, they are still bound to become slaves when faced with serious actions. On the other hand, these changes brought significant opportunities for the slaves to experience a better life unlike the other places in Texas. In Galveston, being a seaport of the state provided a chance for the slaves to work in various opportunities which were not offered in other areas or cities. The slaves in Galveston worked as part of the crew on lighters or ships that ferried cargoes to the wharves. They also had a chance to work on the wharves, trying to drive drays going to and coming from the ships to their corresponding warehouses, cotton presses and other ships. They were also able to empty and fill the cargo holds of coastal and seagoing vessels that could be found at the port. However, conflicts aroused as slaves were trying to decide hiring their own time and having their own way of living arrangements. This was due to the slaves choosing on whom they would want to work with and by how much they would want to be paid. Ordinances have been passed forbidding these salves to be hired at large without the consent of the rightful owner. This action was made in order to stop the growing will of the slaves to choose their own schedule and time. Further change happened in 1861 when Texas decided to join the rest of the states of America to form a Confederate state. This was the White’s hope in creating a new nation where freedom was more experienced and problems were being solved while industrial revolution progressed. However, the changes in the law of slavery were not as big as they have ever thought it could be. In fact, there was nothing but one was changed and that was the prohibition of voluntary emancipation of the slaves under any circumstance. They looked after liberation hoped by the slaves was overthrown by a much force of might and power created under the Confederate. There have been more oppression, and inequalities did not only persist but worsened, though, high hopes were still upheld in the hearts of the slaves. Amidst the ongoing battle between slavery and freedom in Texas, affections were concrete which ironically did not separate the facts of life but bonded two individuals closer. One concrete case that could be analyzed is John C. Clark’s rightful heirs and properties. He died in the era of the existing Civil War and left any will for his properties. It was discovered that Sobrina, a slave of Clark had sexual relations with him that was testified as a living like husband and wife scenario. Distant relatives of Clark from different other states came to claim the left properties of the man. Most of these people claimed to be the rightful owners of the things left where in fact they were unable to communicate with the deceased in his entire lifetime. Ten years after his death, three of his adult children filed a motion to obtain legal ownership over the properties left by their father. However, the only problem was that they existed in the time where in black is black and white is white. This has challenged the court to determine the legal action to do and partly decided to sell all the properties left by Clark and deposit it in the public funds for government usage. This decision however faced various oppositions from all kinds of races involved and was left unresolved by the court. It took years before the court was able to finally decide on the case of Clark. They were considering the various claims of Clark’s children, despite the questionable color and race of the rightful owners of the properties. Various accounts contributed to the continuing trial of the property wherein people claimed that Clark and Sobrina had a happy life. Some concerned American citizens were questioning this claim since they viewed sex committed by the White to the Black slaves were nothing but rape without affection and attachment. (Gillmer, 2003). In 1865, the Confederate was defeated which ended the slavery in Texas. However, prior to the said fall of the Confederate, various problems concerning the liberation of the slaves aroused. In 1863, a Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation tried to end the slavery case in the country as well as in Texas. Consequently, few chances of slavery were still traced and visible up until the fall of Confederate. Emancipation of the slave in Texas finally happened in June 19, 1865 where in the courts decided to end the pending cases concerning slavery after their institution were eradicated in its existence. (Regumer, 2005) These were the significant historical accounts that could be looked into the slavery in Texas. If viewed in the contemporary times, it would be seen as an inhumane act and stroke of fate. At the present times, slavery is considered to be non-existing in the state of Texas, or even in the country as a whole. The mere thought of it is also being hindered and halted by the governing bylaws of the new United States of America. Although a pressing conflict with regards to instances concerning racial discrimination still exists, it is far way similar than those of slavery. Although ugly in freedom’s sense, the slavery in Texas paved ways on effecting various importance and implications in the contemporary times. The slaves who worked hard and were considered to be properties before were now one of the primary contributors why the state and the whole country are progressing back to the top of world economy. This period in History is not just insignificant for the country; rather, it is a good basis and groundwork in building human rights laws and citizenship strengthening orders that will help in governing the true freedom of America. These are but pieces of real and true facts but when placed together to form the puzzle, true and rightful freedom is nothing else but known in all over Texas and in America. Works Cited Campbell, R. B. (2010). The Laws of Slavery in Texas. University of Texas Press. Gillmer, Jason A. (2003). Base Wretches and Black Wenches: A Story of Sex and Race, Violence and Compassion, During Slavery Times. p. 1501 Rugemer, E. B. (2005). The Problem of Emancipation: The United States and Britain’s Abolition of Slavery. PhD diss., Boston College. Sacerdote, B. (2005). Slavery and the Intergenerational Transmission of Human Capital. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 87, 2, pp. 217–34. Shelton, R. S. (2007). Slavery in a Texas Seaport: The Peculiar Institution in Galveston. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group. Vol. 28, No. 2 p. 155-168 Read More