Slavery Was a Discriminative Vice That Affected the Blacks and Scots in England - Research Paper Example

? Introduction Slavery was a major legal and moral vice in the west. Britain and other nations have record of chronology with slavery. Slaves were dominantly from African nations. The British and other colony nations would buy slaves from Africa1. Colonial subjects would therefore offer slaves to work in the industries of the superiors. At the slave trade, the colonialists would benefit immensely from the cheap labor. Slaves from Africa would serve in the industries of their masters. For instance, Britain industries would engross a majority of African casual laborers. Even after independence of their native countries, the slaves would still serve in the Britain industries2. This is an evident trend across majority of the western nations. Existence of these slaves brought subsequent generations that entailed racial and cultural diversity. This phenomenon has revealed trends of stereotypes and diversities amongst ethnic groups in society. Majority of the blacks still appear as slaves to the recent day3. Usherwood explores this trend in his article. He uses his legal expertise to advocate for complete abolition of slavery in western nations. Slavery is a historical phenomenon that manifests intense persistence in modern society. Slave trade and immigration from Africa was an antique event4. However, its ramifications are still evident in the modern day. The trends of slavery have survived antiquity and infiltrated to the current society. This is due to the political perspective of slavery. Most nations viewed slavery as a positive feature in society5. Therefore, policies would be implemented for the existence and advocacy of slavery. This would occur in the western governments due to their power over the colonial subjects. It would also occur in these nations due to the cheap labor6. These were major factors that posed a major difficulty in the abolishment of slavery. Therefore, slavery trends are still existent after the historical events of immigration and slave trade. The initiation of the slavery abolition was evident in a court of law. Lord Chief Justice ordered for release of slaves in England7. This would be a challenging process, but the legal system still pursued it. In this time, the legal system ordered all the slave owners to set them free and settle their compensations in harmony. This court order was not a congruent move with majority of the slave masters in society. Slave owners were not at will to release the slaves8. However, equal rights had gained ground and they required the masters to release the slaves. Due to the incongruence, the masters released the slaves with partial satisfaction of their agreement to compensate them. The slaves were released into the streets and they were not compensated for their services to their masters9. The law court could predict this trend, but it still pursued the order. Scots were major slaves in England. Therefore, England benefitted on services from both Africa and Scotland10. Through slavery, Scots and Africans served in the English industries and they would subsequently settle in the land. Many Scots and Africans attained citizenship after the declaration of slave liberty by the court of law. The affiliation between natives and the slaves was dominantly conflicting. There was intense hatred amongst the slaves and the natives11. In this scenario, the slaves were under intense psychological discrimination from the natives. The slaves always advocated for peace and equality in the society. The rivalry and hatred amongst the slaves and the natives brought negative ramifications within this society. Crimes with immense magnitude would occur due to the continued and elevated hatred in the England society12. Criminals would take advantage of the antagonism and execute diverse vices in the society. For instance, two journalists reviled Mansfield13. They only took advantage of the antagonism and conducted the crime. These criminals were aware that the investigations would not expose them, since the crime would be attributed to the social antagonism in England. Slavery was an intricate issue in the England society. In this case, it required ideal strategies and mechanisms for a complete abolition. Therefore, a single order from the court was not enough for a complete resolution and abolition of slavery in England. Mansfield was advocating for additional mechanisms and strategies for the complete culmination of slavery14. Major impacts of slavery were evident amongst the blacks. According to Mansfield, further strategies were recommendable for the liberty of the black populace within the England society. He defined a mere word from the court as absurd due to its inadequacy in resolving the slavery of the blacks. Mansfield defined the court order as a polite silence towards abolition of slavery15. Evidently, it was highly inadequate for the granting of utmost liberty to the blacks. Mansfield advocated for vigilance and execution of deeds that culminate the forces of slavery against the blacks. For instance, Mansfield facilitated the resettlement of a black infant. This infant was rescued from a Spanish vessel when she was pregnant16. Definitely, this communicated a message of equality and unison within the England society. Other England natives would abandon the infant or even discriminate her further. Mansfield had a different view towards the blacks and other immigrant slaves such as the Scots. Mansfield was vigilant to propagate racial liberty across the England society. Mansfield would surprise the natives with his attitude towards the blacks. England natives would consider blacks as untrustworthy and backward persons17. This was contrary to the perspectives of Mansfield. Mansfield would view the blacks as trustworthy human beings. They deserved equal attention and regard with other persons within England. Due to this view, Mansfield would initiate and propagate equality that would give regard to the blacks18. This perspective had a major impact in the contribution of slave liberty. Slavery abolishment therefore entailed deeds that were motivated by Mansfield’s view. The concern of the blacks in the England society brought much attention to the authorities. The public in England realized the suffering of blacks as an accident19. There were diverse cases of intense discrimination reports by the blacks. During their slavery, they would highly be manipulated and discriminated by their masters. They were viewed as commodities rather than human beings. The initiation of slavery abolishment derived its momentum from a case reported by a slave. This slave was harshly beaten by his master and fled into the streets20. He collapsed, and then he was taken to hospital for treatment processes. In his stay in the hospital, the slave manifested slow recovery. Nevertheless, he fully ultimately recovered after close attention in the hospital. After observation of this case, Mansfield oversaw the legal procedures of the case and launched an equality campaign21. He advocated for the abolishment of slavery in England. His ultimate objective was a reconciled community in England that engrossed persons with diverse ethnicities. Mansfield did not fear the ramifications of the liberation to the free slaves22. Abolition of slavery was his major priority. The British Empire engrossed the existence of diverse social classes. The society entailed a major feature of social stratification. There were high class persons, who would fabricate rules over the land. They were owners of property across the British Empire23. Evidently, these were immensely powerful persons within the society. The low class was also existent in the British Empire. This class entailed persons with low income. They largely exhibited squalid lives in the British Empire. Most of the persons in this class were the black and Scot slaves within the British Empire24. The extremely antagonistic classes in the society manifested a form of rivalry. The rivalry attributes to the difference in interests amongst the social clusters. Property owners have the need to continually oppress the low class. They also have an objective to maintain their status in society. Slaves and the rest of the lower class have a contrary interest. They advocate for equality and utmost grant of their rights in the British Empire. Evidently, both groups have conflicting interests. Slaves especially from the black race were subject to intense discrimination before the leaders and the natives25. The rich and the native whites would celebrate the existent disparity amongst them and the slaves. They would utter their celebration remarks in the presence of the slaves. Therefore, the black slaves were under intense psychological torture, as they were manipulated by the natives and the rich26. This is an evident breakdown of the psychological experiences of the slaves in the British Empire. The leaders and natives used them as mere tools. Literature was a major source of entertainment and education in the British Empire. The society derived diverse attitudes and ideas from literary genres. The British would also draw an immense extent of aesthetics from literature. Therefore, literary genres would communicate social messages as they also entertained the British. Drama was a major literary genre in the British Empire. For instance, Oroonoko was an eminent play in the reign of the British Empire27. This play featured a slave protagonist who was employed by a British master. The master of the slave raised the level of his glass in case of the success of a revolt. This revolt would be from the slaves. The master’s name was Mr Johnson in the play. Francis Barber was the name of the slave28. Evidently, the play posted a prediction of liberation of the slaves. This play would have a direct affiliation and linkage with Mansfield’s advocacy towards slave liberation in England. Therefore, forms of literature would predict and convey messages that would advocate for slavery abolition29. Mansfield’s reign entailed the presentation of the slaves in the jurisdiction30. Parliament would address issues of slavery through their jurisdictive representations. The jurisdictive strategies of the slaves would represent their needs in parliament. In this case, the representation in Parliament brought much advocacy for the liberation of the slaves. Mansfield would assert that the representations were basic and necessary for the sake of the slaves31. He considered the slaves as humans who deserved their rights. Abolition of the representations would enhance the vulnerability of the slaves within England. Existence of the parliamentary representations propagated the abolition of slavery in England32. Non-conformists and Quakers advocated and propagated the slavery abolition processes within England33. These factors had a major contribution in the slavery abolition procedures in England. Conclusion Slavery was a discriminative vice that affected the blacks and Scots in England. The blacks and Scots faced much psychological torture from the England natives. However, slavery recorded a culmination due to diverse factors. The reign of Mansfield and the roles of the Non-conformists as well as the Quakers enhanced the abolishment of slavery in England. Work cited Usherwood, Stephen. “The Abolitionists’ Debt to Lord Mansfield.” History Today 31.3 (March 1981): 40-45. Read More