...within the society, mainly revolved around slavery. There were many obvious causes that led directly to war and causes that were hidden but impacted the nation profoundly. In the early eighteenth century, slavery became the most controversial issue in America,...
Words: 993 - Pages: 4
...African slavery is so much the outstanding feature of the South, in the unthinking view of it, which people often forget there had been slaves in all the old colonies. Slaves were auctioned openly in the Market House of Philadelphia; in the shadow of Congregational churches in Rhode Island; in Boston taverns and warehouses; and weekly, sometimes daily, in Merchant's Coffee House of New York. Such Northern heroes of the American Revolution as John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin bought, sold, and owned black people. William Henry Seward, Lincoln's anti-slavery Secretary of State during the Civil War, born in 1801, grew up in Orange County, New York, in a slave-owning family and amid neighbors who owned slaves if they could afford them, Abraham Lincoln himself and his family, when he lived in Pennsylvania in colonial times, owned slaves as well. African American life in the United States has been framed by migrations, forced and free. A forced migration from Africa—the transatlantic slave trade—carried black people to the Americas. A second forced migration—the internal slave trade—transported them from the Atlantic coast to the interior of the American South. A third migration—this time initiated largely, but not always, by black Americans—carried black people from the rural South to the urban North. At the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first, African American life is again being transformed by another migration, this time a global one, as peoples...
Words: 628 - Pages: 3
...American ship owners, farmers and anglers equally benefited from slavery. Slavery played a fundamental role in the escalation of moneymaking capitalism in the colonies (Harms p.1). The plantations from West Indies formed the largest market for American fish, oat, corn, flour, lumber peas, beans, and horses. New Englanders did not drag behind as they distilled molasses produced by slaves in the French and Dutch West Indies into rum. Most Africans were captured and sold to America to work as slaves. The trans-Saharan trade provided enslaved African labor work on sugar plantations in the Mediterranean (Pattison p.1). These slaves were very competent in their work, and this led to Brazil dominating in the production of sugarcane in 16th and 17th centuries. This led to the establishment of the earliest large-scale manufacturing industries to enhance conversion of sugarcane juice into sugar, molasses, rum as well as alcoholic beverages for the triangular trade. Slavery led to the success of many economic activities in the United States. For instance, the cotton plantation was part of the regional economy of the American South. In 1830, cotton was the most produced crop in the United States. U.S was competing for economic...
Words: 899 - Pages: 4
...known as a faith-based religion, were peace loving, anti-war, anti-slavery, pro-conscientious objectors and a non-tax paying faith-based religion that came to exist in the Eastern colonies of the America’s since 1680 until modern day. In 1740, many Quakers that were based in Philadelphia became a hotbed of anti-slavery causes and became the first state to ban slavery. One of the most famous actions of these Quaker Friends was the successful transfer of fugitive slaves via “Underground Railroad” from the slave states to both Union as well as Canadian cities from the hub city of Philadelphia.The goal of most slaves who attempted to escape their masters and plantation slave life was not seeking Canada but places of safety. This mysterious Underground Railroad was made famous by such previously fugitive slaves as Ms. Harriet Tubman and Mr. Frederick Douglass. These two black people as well as many others, were assisted in their escape from bondage by other blacks (free and post-fugitive blacks) and especially by influential anti-slavery and anti-war white people such as Quakers and other anti-war and Christian based faiths. Many of these groups were instrumental in providing ‘conductors’, station masters’ as well as money, clothes, horses, and transportation as well as reading and writing skills. It has been estimated 40,000 fugitive slaves utilized some aspect of the Underground Railroad from the bondage of slavery in the Southern States to a place of safety, right up to the end...
Words: 1623 - Pages: 7
...How Can We Reduce Modern Day Slavery Modern day slavery is growing at a rapid pace.We think that there is nothing we could do to stop it.Nearly 150 years later the fight to end slavery is barely on the road to stopping.An estimated 29.8 million people live in modern day slavery today.About 60,000 victims of slavery are enslaved in the U.S.The population of female slavery victims are 55%.Approximately 78% of victims are enslaved for labor,22% of victims are enslaved and wanted and used for sex.There are different examples of modern day slavery here are a couple of examples sex trafficking,forced and bonded labor,child labor,and domestic servitude.Modern Day Slavery is a growing epidemic.But now it is our job to open our eyes and realize it.We are the only ones that can put a end to it.Slowly but strongly we can stop this growing epidemic. Didn’t slavery end over 150 years ago?That is what we all thought.Today modern slavery is actually a growing epidemic that is capturing more people by the second.The legal form of slavery that took place in 1865 was eliminated (“ModernDaySlavery”).Though that stopped back then slavery that did not end the practice of one person forcing others to work.Now new forms of slavery have been taken place worldwide.The defintion of slavery that is happening now is working commercially or privately against a persons will and for the profit of another.The essence of this act antedated the United States to pick up the practice of...
Words: 745 - Pages: 3
...His ideals represented the American spirit and many people held him in the highest regards. He was a strong opponent of slavery, and believed it to be a threat to the new nation. By incorporating that all men were equal into the declaration, he showed that he believed they should all be free as well. However, he also felt that the institution of slavery should be dealt with democratically. Mr. Jefferson helped pass legislation he anticipated would bring emancipation. By doing this he gave citizens the opportunity to choose to end the practice. He did not want to force a law onto citizens who depended on slavery. Southern states rejected the notion of emancipation, because they required slave labor to tend their crops and maintain plantations. Jefferson worked in Virginia to reduce crops that relied on slaves to harvest and maintain. In doing so...
Words: 1463 - Pages: 6
...Human Trafficking: A Hidden Disease. Human trafficking has never been widely acknowledged in the United States, as many view the issue as an international problem. Human trafficking comes in two ways, international and domestic. International trafficking can be forced child labor or prostitution, whereas domestic is, for the most part, child prostitution (Levy). Close to twenty-seven million people are trafficked in the world, around 14,500 are brought to the United States from other countries (Buffett 116). Meanwhile, many children living in America are taken off the street and forced to become something most people could hardly comprehend. This issue is coming from all sides in America,...
Words: 600 - Pages: 3
...forcing these sides ever further apart, sped up by the catalyst of slavery, the North and South could be described as not even one nation anymore. Yet despite these clear differences historians such as Bruce Cotton have stated that these current issues should not mask there deep uniting factors that made America such a powerful country. Their shared history, language and federal government, when considered, should outweigh these recent issues that were separating America in 1850. However as the civil war has shown these links were hidden behind the three main issues, of social, slavery and economics, dividing America in 1850. The view that the North and South was more united than divided is quite an invalid view because of the three main factors and the fact that the uniting factors could no longer hold America together. One of the key factors dividing the North and the South is the economical differences. The industrial difference is not actually a real dividing factor as both the North and the South started to industrialise and continued in agriculture, both just did such jobs on different scales than each other, with the South focused on cotton and sugar plantations with around 80% agriculture and the North focused on industry, such as factories, however the North still around 40% farm land. This shows us that industry was actually a support to the view that they were more united and not an argument for division. Yet economics continued to drive the two sides apart, with...
Words: 1394 - Pages: 6
...Project 3. The theme of slavery in the WPA interviews a. Interview with William Ballard b. Interviewing Walter Calloway c. Born in slavery: Mary Reynolds 4. Conclusion “Yes Lawd! I have been here so long I ain't forgot nothin'. I can remember things way back” Matilda Hatchett 1. Introduction Slavery has always been the most shocking phenomena of our world. Slavery, by itself seems very unnatural and provokes mixed feelings from the heart of each person. Some people are descendants of those who used to be slaves years ago. Some faced “slavery” even in the contemporary times. And some people just simply do not understand the possibility of one human being considering another human being its slave. Slavery, by definition, is the first historical form of exploitation, under which a slave along with different implements of production becomes the private property of the slave owner. So, in other words slavery converts an individual human being into a “thing” or even some kind of consumer item. This phenomena has done a lot of harm to million of people, taking away lives and destroying the fate of the people who could have been happy. What does a contemporary person know about slavery? The answer will not be very profound. Nevertheless, there is still much to say about it and a lot of thing to recall. It is common knowledge that slavery was eliminated with the end of the Civil War. The South was released from the burden that made the slavery to stop and that started...
Words: 2036 - Pages: 9
...beginning of Fredrick Douglass’ famous speech, he’s embarrassed to be asked to speak about our nation’s Independence Day, the Fourth of July. At one point he questions, “Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here today?” (pg.503). Douglass requests his audience to be patient and respectful toward him, for he has endured as a former slave. Through much of the first half of the speech, Douglass describes how our fathers must have felt in 1776. Most were still loyal to Great Britain. The public didn’t know which side to take and if taking one, would seal their fate. Douglass is clearly speaking to a crowd of white and black citizens, by constantly reiterating that he respects the men that brought our great nation together. However, during the speech, he suggests that disastrous times are ahead if things don’t change. The United States are still a young nation that may not be forever. There’s a hidden anger during Fredrick Douglass’ speech of America. After quoting a passage from the Declaration of Independence, his view on the Fourth of July is obvious. “Resolved, That these united colonies are, and of right, ought to be free and Independent States” (pg.500). He continues to say to the people, you were granted freedom and you reap the fruits of their success. “The Fourth of July is the first great fact in your nation’s history” Douglass says (pg. 500). To a slave, there’s no independence and there’s no country they could call their own. Although...
Words: 444 - Pages: 2
...“Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar is poetry in relation to feeling trapped in your emotions an choices. Dunbar used the caged bird to create a correlation between his parents life in slavery and what he learned from them regarding his parents life. The use of singing within the poem is a way to represent feelings of sadness, pain, aching, and anger. This poem can be relevant today because of people feeling trapped in their choices and their circumstances. The singing correlates with today's way of life by showing what the author is telling us what is hidden but we pretend it is okay. “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou adds to “Sympathy” by explaining both sides of the whites and blacks. When she uses the words caged bird, she...
Words: 266 - Pages: 2
...hardship journey throughout the novel “The Color Purple” has similar attributes as the ones in the novel by Harper Lee, “To Kill A Mockingbird”. Both of the female protagonists have similar personalities. They learn to be strong for themselves and other people. “The Color Purple” and “ To Kill A Mockingbird” both have dynamic characters that have similar ways of becoming stronger as a person and becoming a better human being. One of the major similarities between both the novels is the setting the books are in. Both are set in the deep South.”To Kill A Mockingbird” was set in Alabama, while “To Kill A Mockingbird” was set in Georgia. The year would be around the 1930’s. The time where slavery was very much going on. A difference that Scout and Celie was they were both on different sides of slavery. Scout was white, while Celie was black....
Words: 834 - Pages: 4
...The Dark Side of Chocolate is a documentary about the continued allegations of trafficking of children and child labor in the international chocolate industry. Cocoa plantations in Ghana and the Ivory Coast provide 80% of the world with chocolate, according to CorpWatch. Chocolate producers around the world have been pressured to “verify that their chocolate is not the product of child labor or slavery. The filming started in Germany, where Mistrati asked vendors where their chocolate comes from. They then flew to Mali, where many of the children are from. Next, they explored the Ivory Coastwhere the cocoa plantations are located. The film ends in Switzerland where both the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Nestle headquarters are located. Much of the footage in this documentary is recorded using a secret camera located in a bag Mistrati carries with him. The documentary was released in 2010, first in Denmark, and later in Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, and Norway. A team of journalists investigate how human trafficking and child labor in the Ivory Coast fuels the worldwide chocolate industry. The crew interview both proponents and opponents of these alleged practices, and use hidden camera techniques to delve into the gritty world of cocoa plantations. While we enjoy the sweet taste of chocolate, the reality is strikingly different for African children. In 2001 consumers around the world were outraged to discover that child labor and slavery, trafficking, and...
Words: 684 - Pages: 3
...The Civil War, one of the most taught pieces of American History, didn’t just have an effect on our country, it had an effect on our literature too. This was due to the fact that the Civil War was something big happening for the United States, the fact that everyone had a different perspective on what was truly going on, and that after the war had ended it was the rise of the beginning of realism. The effects that the Civil War had on the literature of America was both short and long term. During the war people were able to write down everything they did, saw, or felt so the world could understand the hidden pains and suffering; this period had a major impact in American literature. April 12, 1861, the day the war had officially...
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...Book Report Gienapp, William E., Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America; Oxford University Press. New York, 2002. This book is a glimpse into Abraham Lincoln’s political career and personal life. His personal life was much hidden from the outside world, and his feelings and personal affairs were kept out of public scrutiny. He was neither a great husband nor a father, but was considered to be one of the greatest presidents this nation has ever seen. Lincoln was a very conservative man, and managed to provide leadership in both the political and military strategies. He is considered the man who shaped change in our nation, which led to many controversial issues being solved. It took a man of great strength and courage to lead and control the nation during this very demanding time. He was the right person at the right time. President Abraham Lincoln was born in Nolan Creek, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809. In 1811, his father moved to Indiana due to problems with land titles and to get away from slavery. However, his reason was that slaves competed directly for work opportunities for his father. Lincoln’s formal education was limited due to availability. In his later teen years he began to read anything he could. His first brush with law came in the form of a book entitled “The Revised Laws of Indiana.” In the pursuit of a career, Lincoln arrived in Springfield, Illinois in 1837, where he began his new life as a lawyer. Lincoln held that democracy was the most important...
Words: 1275 - Pages: 6
