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19th Century Slavery

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The process by which slavery became the prominent feature of the United States was very gradual and complex. During 19th century, the availability of ample slave laborers was used as a comparative advantage to help prosper the United States economically. Slaves were dominantly used to grow commercial crops such as: sugar, rice, tobacco, and cotton to help expand the economy abroad. The services of slaves were highly enjoyed by both the southern and northern slaveholders, yet they were denied the status of admissible culture. Slaves were vital contributors of American economic success in the 19th century. Slaves were constantly oppressed and tortured by their masters that prevented them from climbing the ladder of success and social classes. In addition, the slaveholders often broke the ties between many slave families through violence, sexual harassment, and the selling of family members to different plantations. This essay will vividly describe the hardship of the slaves in the 19th century. During the 19th century, female slaves experienced both physical and mental hardships. According to the narrative of Frederick Douglass, female slaves were often the prays of slave masters. Many slave masters used female slaves as their mistress. They used them for their physical pleasure at their will. Such female slaves were victims of greater hardships and physical torture. Their mistress often hated them for providing sexual pleasure and having multiple mulatto babies with their master. These female slaves could hardly do anything to please the mistress. The mistress “is never better pleased than when she sees them under lash, especially when she suspects her husband of showing his mulatto children favors…” Moreover, many female slaves went through mental hardships once they were separated from their children. It was a common practice exercised by many slaveholders,

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