Slave Experience in North America - Essay Example

Slave Experience in North America By May 9, Although slavery in North America is a practice that happened many years ago, this topic today still remains of great importance, and it is presently addressed with a high level of controversy. This is mainly because of the way this was conducted. Most importantly, the nature and effects of slavery of the people of black descent in North America is a highly controversial topic of study in all of the American history. Although most scholars have gone out of their ways to study the topic of slavery in North America, these have recorded varying information concerning the nature and implications of slavery in North America; therefore, a high level of disparity exists in their different researches. The implications and nature of slavery in North America can be better understood by focusing and researching on the different experiences of slaves in the region. However, most scholars have deliberately failed to employ the different documented records of the experiences of slaves. Nonetheless, each black family of different social groups, which was involved in slavery, has their own opinions and views about the whole practice.1 However, researchers in the study of slavery in North America have neglected the testimonies of various past slaves. Therefore, using different documented records, including slave narratives and interviews, this paper will explain the slave experience in North America. Slavery for the black men and women in North America was a devastating experience for both of the genders. First, both black men and women slaves brought to North America were forcefully taken out of their homes. Therefore, this had separated them from their families, which they would never see again. All slaves in North America were subjected to similar treatment, regardless of their gender. Therefore, both men and women were forced to perform hard and grueling tasks, which were highly mentally and physically demanding. The slaves were also regarded as property, therefore were not entitled to any form of rights. Male slaves were more in number compared to the female slaves, since these were considered stronger, thus capable of many heavy tasks. Therefore, while males were assigned jobs such as carpentry and blacksmithing, most of their female counterparts worked in the agricultural fields and were also assigned other jobs such as cooking. The gender divide was not respected in slavery. Motherhood was debased for all the female slaves. While motherhood and reproduction was highly upheld in the slaves’ homeland prior to their slavery, in slavery, this was regarded beneficial to the slave masters, since it led to the multiplication of their number of slaves, thus increased labour supply. The masters also exploited the black women slaves sexually, since their spouses could not offer protection to them. Nonetheless, slaves responded differently to their slavery situations. Women had to persevere in slavery for the sake of their children, as the African nature emphasized the role of a mother as a caregiver, thus they sacrificed their comfort for the sake of their loved ones. On the other hand, most male slaves considered escape as the main solution to run away from slavery and protect their ego and masculinity.2 In the early 20th century, most journalist and writers showed interest in the topic of slavery, and therefore wished to debunk the various incidences and experiences, which comprised the practice of slavery. Therefore, between the years 1936-1938, journalists and writers in the United States embarked on the task of looking out for former slaves in different states, and interviewing them, in order to reveal and learn about the slavery experience in North America. In their interviews, the journalists and writers interviewed close to 3,000 former slaves. However, most of the interviewees were those born in the last period of slavery and others during the period of the civil war. Nonetheless, these provided first-hand accounts of the experiences, which slavery presented them in the farms, cities, and in plantations, where they worked as slaves. These narratives of the slaves are important today, as they help us peer into what slavery in North America entailed, and how it felt to be a slave, as well as how the slaves survived in their environment.3 Nonetheless, different slaves had different experiences in their lives as slaves, including how their masters treated them. For instance, an interview with a former trade in the year 1937 revealed her experiences in slavery, which were a mixture of both positive and negative experiences. The former slave was a female in aged 101, and lived in Alabama. In the interview, she revealed that during slavery, she had served as a house servant to her master, and lived in the same house with other female and male servants. However, as a slave, she had found her master to be a kind person, who rarely mistreated them. Among all the slaves, the master had trusted her to an extent of leaving her in charge of all the houses’ keys. Her work was restricted in the home compound, as the master did not plant anything on his land during her time as a slave. She therefore, did laundry for her master’s family and took care of the children. Overall, this former slave did not experience a cruel master, and therefore, her only trouble was her being forced into slavery, leaving her family and loved ones behind. 4 In another interview, a former male slave was able to recall most of the instances and experiences of slavery. He was born in a slave family, although he remembered how his siblings were sold off to other slave masters, leaving him alone. He explained how at ten years, he was involved in demanding tasks in the fields. Although their master treated them well, he highly overworked them. In addition, their master provided enough food for them to eat. However, the master had hired an observer, who whipped them whenever they failed to adhere to the master’s commands. This former slave also remembered nostalgically how this spy had whipped a thirteen year old, and left her for the dead. This former slave also claimed that their master cared for their spirituality. Therefore, while the master and his family attended church service, he would send a preacher to preach to the slaves in the plantations. He also claimed that the slaves were not allowed to go to school. Only the whites and their children went to school while the slaves were left to work on the fields, even though they had a desire to attend school. However, his freedom from slavery came during the wartime, when most of the property of his master was destroyed, and he had to give them up.5 In one slave narrative, the life of one Thomas Jones in slavery is described. This former slave had been in slavery for forty-three years. Like the others, he was born to slave parents, but managed to escape from slavery at the age of forty-three. In New York, is where he published his narrative, with the aim of collecting funds for the purchase of his son’s freedom. In his memoir, this former slave emphasized the effects of slavery on his physical, emotional, and psychological state. He was forced to part with his wife, which highly disillusioned him. In addition, the fact that his whole family, including wife and children were made slaves also undermined his masculinity.6 On the other hand, a former slave named Frederick Douglass wrote his narrative in the year 1789, revealing his life as a slave, and what other slaves went through during slavery. He was a slave since his early years, and was treated in the most brutal way by his master. In his narrative, he explains that slaves worked for six days in a week, from dawn to sundown, with some in homes and others in the fields. They were poorly housed, since they lived in shacks, and had no sufficient clothing, as most owned one pair of clothes. With regard to foodstuff, slaves ate the least expensive meals such as corn meal, which were different from their masters’. The masters hired overseers, who beat up slaves when they did not work to the expected capacities. Some slaves who attempted to escape were chased and beaten up when caught, while those who tried to fight their masters were killed. Douglass in his narrative also explains that slaves who did not escape adopted various strategies to resist slavery. For instance, some could feign sickness; others would destroy their tools deliberately, while others pretended not to understand their masters’ language. One major aspect that is evident in Douglass’ narrative is the split family. Most slaves were considered as property. Therefore, these were at the disposal and mercy of their masters thus, could be sold off anytime. This therefore, separated most slave families. A husband, a daughter, wife, or son could be sold off, leaving behind the rest. However, Douglass also explains that not all slave masters were brutal. A small number of the masters were kind to their slaves, allowed them to learn to read and write, and freed them at a particular period. Additionally, although slaves were forced out of their homeland, they were able to practice their culture in slavery. Some created artworks, and sang their cultural music.7 Nonetheless, slavery was a practice that undermined human rights. This is because, as seen from the narratives and interviews of slaves, they were treated by their masters as objects and property. Although some slave masters were kind, this does not exclude the fact that they viewed their slaves as their property. In addition, the brutal masters too were wrong in treating their slaves with utter brutality. As observed, most slaves were also denied education, which is considered a basic right today. Slavery can be considered the root of discrimination and racism, as slaves were treated in a differential manner, since they were of a different race and region. From the different slave narratives and interviews, it is possible to learn the slave experience, which includes master-slave relationships, slave family, religious and cultural aspects of slaves, different forms of slave resistance, brutality on slaves, escape strategies of slaves, and the overall nature of slavery. Although slaves were objectified and served as a source of comfort for their masters, these narratives and interviews are a proof that despite their challenging life experiences, slaves and the black people have struggled to maintain their integrity, culture, and humanity in society today. Works Cited Berlin, Ira, Many thousands gone: The first two centuries of slavery in North America, London: Harvard University Press, 1998. Douglass, Frederick, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845. Viewed 9 May 2013 < http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/dougnarrhp.html> Jones, Thomas, Experience and personal narrative of Uncle Tom Jones: who was for forty years a slave. Also the surprising adventures of Wild Tom, of the island retreat, a fugitive negro from South Carolina ([1854?]). Boston: Skinner, 1854. Viewed 9 May 2013 < http://archive.org/details/experienceand00jones > Rose, Willie, A Documentary History of Slavery in North America, New York: University of Georgia Press, 1999. The American Slave, Supplement Series 1, (n.d): 13-16, Viewed 9 May 2013 The American Slave, 6 (n.d): 51-54. Viewed 9 May 2013 < http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/callowa1.html> Read More