Running head: Midterm Essay 1

Midterm Essay

name

Excelsior College

Author Note

This paper was prepared for HIS325 African-American History, taught by Professor James

Holton, PhD
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Essay 1:

Early in the seventeenth century, African laborers were treated like European indentured

servants (Kelley, 2005, loc. 87). They were led to believe their children would gain their freedom

similar to their white counterparts. Africans realized their children would suffer the same fate and

live a life of servitude which created an abysmal reality. Slavery would be defined by skin color

allowing poor whites to escape its destiny. English colonists would characterize African slaves

as stupid and lacking character. One indication of the decline in race relations and increased

hostility were the laws created to ban marriage between Europeans and Africans (Kelley, 2005,

loc.1580). If blacks did receive freedom they were forced from the colony within six months due

to the financial burden they created.

The environments for slaves would become worst over time. As the slave population rose

in the colonies slave would outnumber whites. The shift from using indentured servants to

“chattel slavery” would increase. Landowners would require additional slaves for labor and they

would be brought to America in chains on slave ships. The American colonies were not the only

financial benefactor of slavery. European merchants would reap the rewards of human beings

sold into slavery. It is estimated that ten to twelve million African slaves were brought to

Americas (Kelley, 2005, loc.375). Slaves being brought to the Americas from Africa would

travel the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage became to symbolize the brutality in human

trafficking. Africans would be chained together to endure the hot and cramped conditions of the

slave ship. Olaudah Equiano an African sold into bondage recounts his tale of being captured
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and traveling the Middle Passage. Equiano would go on to become an abolitionist (Mullane,

1993, p.6).

As the colonies began to grow rapidly, they would require cheap labor. Owning slaves

would attract those seeking wealth and the wealth. Profits could be earned in the sale of a slave

and by increasing their operation. Southern wealth would be linked to the exploitation and

possession of slaves. The North would derive their wealth from free labor. The Atlantic slave

trade was crucial to those settling in America. The need for cheap labor overrode any hesitation

regarding the use of slaves. Slaves were employed in the fields and were the backbone of the

economic engine of the South. With the creation of the cotton gin, we would see the need for

slave labor intensify as more land would need to be harvested.

Americans would fight for their independence from England, the Declaration of

Independence stated, “all men are created equal” (Mullane, 1993, p.54) this would not be the

case for African Americans in the colonies. Unfortunately, some whites within the colonies

including Thomas Jefferson believed blacks could “never enjoy equality in a society that mixed

them with whites” (Middlekauff, 2005, p. 489). By the middle of the eighteenth-century slave

were seen only as property. The slave owners would come to understand the financial value of

their investments and would fight to keep Africans enslaved.

The impact of slavery on modern history is still felt today as blacks continue to fight for

equal rights and representation since being brought to America. The treatment of slaves by their

masters would lead to the destruction of the family unit. Women would have their children taken

away and sold. Husbands tore from their families. This trauma would haunt black Americans for

many years to come.

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Essay 2:

Many African-Americans attempted to adjust to their new lives in America. They would

create families in spite of the fear of being sold and separated from their loved ones. However,

some slaves did not conform to their situation and would lead resistance to the yoke of bondage.

In, 1522 the first slave rebellion would occur in the Americas (Kelley, 2005, loc. 986) and it

would only be the beginning. Slaves had at their disposal various forms of resistance such as:

running away, reducing the amount of work they produce; and leading a rebellion.

Slaves would run away from their slave masters for either short periods of time to avoid a

substantial workload or punishment. Others would run away for good with the hopes to never

return. The risk of running away was great, and punishment could mean death. But it was a risk

that some were willing to take. Freed or runaway blacks would conduct the Underground

Railroad with the assistance of whites. Some abolitionists would open their homes to the

runaway slaves as station stops on their way to the North or Canada. The most notorious

troublemaker for the slaveholding South was Harriett Tubman. Tubman would make many trips

back to the South to assist other slaves from fleeing their captors. She was given the nickname of

“Moses” for leading her people out of bondage.

Defiance by the slaves could result in harsh punishment. It was common for slaves to

botch instructions, break tools, or fake illness to avoid work (Kelley, 2005, loc. 1964).

Gabriel Prosser would lead a slave rebellion in 1739 known as The Stono Rebellion. They would

murder their masters in South Carolina in the hopes of reaching Florida. Nate Turner would lead

a rebellion in 1831. Turner “believed himself to be the deliverer” (Kelley, 2005, loc.4164) of the

slaves from bondage. He is described as “literate and self-confident” which is the opposite of

what whites believed African-Americans to be. He led approximately seventy slaves to murder
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whites in Virginia as they moved from house to house. Prosser and Turner rebellions can be

considered successful, as their slave owner could not prevent these attacks. The revolts would

lead to fear among whites of future uprisings. Due to the uprisings slaveholders were not allowed

to teach their slaves how to read and write (Mullane, 1993, p.52). Blacks could expect harsh

treatment if they did not act in a matter pleasing their slave owners. Religious services and group

gathers were banned among blacks, and they were being watched more frequently.

Slaveholders in American knew of the Haitian Revolution and feared if slaves in America

were successful in their rebellion the country would be changed. The Haitian Revolution was

part of a series of events that lead to how the Western world would view “government, society,

politics and individual freedom” (Kelley, 2005, loc.3462). Toussaint L’Ouverture was of a “mild

disposition”. However, he would become an instrumental part in the revolution. His ability to see

“interracial cooperation” would become an asset to his cause of freedom. He would demonstrate

that slaves were intelligent. The creation of Haiti was a by-product of the greatest slave uprising

in history.

Throughout the history of the United States, African-Americans have resisted the

institution of slavery. Slaves were able to use their beliefs and religion to create a unique culture

which would sustain them through tough times.

Essay 3:

The Revolutionary War began as a battle for independence. America desired equality

and freedom from England. The Declaration of Independence is grounded on “natural rights”

and the belief that all men are equal (Brown, 2012, p.118). The framers believed that all men

were created equal and with “unalienable rights” that no one could take away. Everyone had the

right to “Life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The fight for independence was a
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contradiction, as slaves would not be given the same freedom. Nor would slaves be seen as

citizens. America would seek it freedom from England but not the freedom of men and women

in the country. Blacks would assimilate the religion of their country and play a significant role in

the “social and cultural life of the country” (Kelley, 2005, loc.128).

Thomas Jefferson, while a slave owner did believe that black people should be free.

However, he did not think the two races could “live in the same government” (Kelley, 205,

loc.2766). The South would see slavery as a positive good, and its churches would preach this to

the congregation. The evangelical movement would raise questions about the institution of

slavery. The Evangelicals of the “Baptist and Methodist denomination’ were considered to be

radical in the belief of ending slavery (Kelley, 2005 loc.2226). The Great Awakening would see

blacks and whites unite in religion and shine an even bigger light on slavery. Abolitionists united

with blacks to end slavery in America. The incessant and violent agitation of the slavery

question” had stirred “vague notions of freedom” among the slaves and created a climate of fear

in the South (McPherson, 2010, p.147).

After the Revolution, slave states did not progress as the North on education or

production. The North’s economy would become focused on the industrial manufacturing.

While the economy grew in the South, agriculture was still "as labor intensive in 1860 as it had

been in 1800" (McPherson 27). The South would look to expand slavery due to its dependence

on slave labor. Cotton was king and the invention of Eli Whitley’s cotton gin, would make

cotton profitable (Kelley, 2005, loc.3605) for the planters and the country. This invention would

change the lives for blacks living in America. It took manpower to plant and harvest cotton.

Slaves were also responsible for maintaining the plantation, cultivating other crops such and rice
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and tobacco. Their works seem never to end thus creating a greater need for slaves in the South.

The North built factories, and people began to live in more urban settings. As the “North hurtled

toward a future of competitive, meritocratic, free-labor capitalism, many Southerners responded

with distaste and alarm” (McPherson, 2010, p.27). As the atrocities of slavery were exposed to

those living in the North, the support for the institution began to die.

The Revolution would impact African-Americans in both negative and positive ways.

Slaves would find the Methodist religion more appealing because of its method of outreach.

Blacks, like Richard Allen, would go on to create churches. Free blacks would rise in population

in the northern states. However, all blacks were not free and did not receive the promise of the

Constitution.

Essay 4:

Slavery is often discussed and debated as one of the prime causes of the United States

Civil War. The North and South had many skirmishes over slavery that led to war. The Missouri

Comprise of 1820, Missouri was admitted as a slave state and Maine a free state. The 36⁰30

parallel line separated North and South. 1831 Nat Turner’s Rebellion, The Mexican War, The

Wilmot Proviso, The Comprise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act, and other conflicts. We see both

sides become greatly divided over slavery.

The North would not openly call for the destruction of slavery. They feared slave labor

would impact jobs in the North. Others felt that blacks were inferior to whites. People of the

North could tolerate slavery but did not want to see the institution expand. Antislavery leaders

believed blacks should be free not only in the North where slavery started to die out but also in

the South. They called for the complete abolishment of slavery. Frederick Douglas and others
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knew the war would bring the destruction of slavery. “Our union friends say the [y] are not

fighting to free the negroes…we are fighting for the union..very well let the white fight for what

the[y] want and we negroes fight for what we want…liberty must take the day” (Kelley, 2005,

loc.4831).

Several incidents shed light on slavery and its pernicious effects such as the Dred Scott

decision “southern opinion upon the subject of southern slavery . . . is now the supreme law of

the land” (McPherson 111). With this verdict, no states would be considered free as slave

owners could take their “property” with them. The release of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, written by

Harriett Beecher Stowe would highlight the issue of slavery. She personalized the struggle of the

slaves creating empathy among those in the North. Lincoln is rumored to have said to Stowe

upon meeting her in 1863, “So you’re the little woman who wrote this book that made this great

war!” (Kelley, 2005, loc.4566).

Lincoln did not advocate ending slavery during his race for the Presidency. His opinion at

the time was similar to others who opposed slavery but did not consider blacks to be equal to

whites. After Lincoln’s victory, he would face opposition from the South leading to the first shots

fired on Fort Sumter in 1861. There would be many battles fought between the North and South.

The battle of Antietam would lead Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, providing

freedom to slaves in the Confederacy (Kelley, 2005, loc.5008). Lincoln had no power to free

slaves since it would require a change to the Constitution. Also, he did not want to anger the

Border States such as Maryland who still owned slaves. Lincoln began to pave the way for

emancipation of all slaves.

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The battle of Gettysburg would be the most decisive battle of the Civil War. The

Gettysburg Address was written by President Lincoln would seek to unite the country. His

speech would change the tone of the war and leading the Union would be fighting for freedom

with newly freed slaves.

Essay 5:

The history of the United States would have been different if newly freed blacks were

given the land promised to them in March of 1865. In the same year, the Freedman’s Bureau

would be created to assist newly freed slaves and poor whites. Through the Bureau, blacks could

lease tools, land, and obtain food until they could get on their feet. The blacks who lived on Sea

Island were able to prove they could be self-sufficient. Black believed freedom and land

ownership were linked. A minister would respond to the question of what freedom meant to him,

“freedom, as I understand it, … is taking us from under the yoke of bondage, and placing us

where we could reap the fruit of our labor, take care of ourselves and assist the Government in

maintaining our freedom” (Kelley, 2005,loc. 5033). The failure of the government not to keep its

commitment to provide every male citizen with land; would forever feel the sense of “betrayal.”

President Andrew Johnson hindered the process of Reconstruction after the Civil War.

President Johnson’s goal was to admit the South as quickly as possible to unite the Union. He

fought the Radical Republicans on several measures created to increase the freedoms and rights

of the newly freed slaves’ again. President Johnson would not grant land to the former slave

owners and tools to work the land in the hopes it would be theirs to own. Instead, he returned the

land back to the original owners (Kelley, 2005, loc.7094). The position of Johnson and some

whites in the North was that land confiscation was “too radical”. This decision would force the

Freedman’s Bureau Agents to explain to blacks that they would not receive the land promised.
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Instead, they would be presented with labor contracts. Blacks were reluctant to enter back into

an agreement with their former slave masters. However, they were poor and had to work. The

South would then institute the “Black Codes” which punished blacks if they were not working

for a white person.

While blacks sought out fair wages, some would work on farms and be provided a share

of the crop or part of the proceeds once the crop was sold. Sharecropping established a way for

freed blacks to make a living with little supervision from a white overseer. Blacks could spend

more time with family and allow their children to attend school (Kelley, 2005, loc.5518).

Sharecropping could have an adverse impact since blacks purchased all the items they required

from the plantation store such as food and clothing; possibly putting the sharecropper into debt.

During Reconstruction, blacks would experience the racial tension in the South as some

could not see them as their equal. The Elections of 1868 would see the Ku Klux Klan terrorize

and murder blacks and Radical Republicans. The KKK and other groups had the ability to

suppress the votes of blacks in the South. Civil Rights for blacks in the United States would be a

concern for the next hundred years.

The country did not prepare adequately for the clothing, housing and feeding of a race of

people. The slaves were free; however, no one knew how to handle the situation. Decisions

regarding where the newly freed slaves would work and live were not made. The government

failed to protect them from the abuses of the KKK and other organizations with the same

mindset. The poor planning and management of Reconstruction would lead W.E.B. Du Bois to

describe Reconstruction as a "splendid failure."

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References

Kelley, R., & Lewis, E. (2005). To make our world anew: A history of African Americans to

1880 (Vol. 1). New York, New York: Oxford University Press

Middlekauff, Robert (2005). The glorious cause-the American revolution 1763-1789. New

York, NY. Oxford University Press

McPherson, James M. & James K. Hogue. (2010). Ordeal by fire: The civil war and

reconstruction, McGraw-Hill, Fourth Edition.

Mullane, D. (1993). Crossing the danger water: Three hundred years of African-American

writing. New York: Anchor BooksMcPherson, James M. & James K. Hogue. (2010).

Ordeal by fire: The civil war and reconstruction, McGraw-Hill, Fourth Edition.