Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the South According to the historical excerpt, "A Planter Instructs his Son," the Southern attitude towards slavery was considerably more complex than a modern reader might hope to believe. Rather than simple hatred of African-Americans, the author of this treatise evidently viewed his slaves, not as the subjects of simple racist vehemence, but as economic entities that were necessary for his survival and the survival of

Slavery in America -- Three Compromises, All Compromised Wrong -- the Three-Fifths Compromise, the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and the Compromise of 1850 "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men were created equal" -- except for Black American men, of course, who are only 3/5ths equal, according to the Constitution of the United States. The ringing words about equality, penned by Jefferson, a guilty-minded slaveholder sound far less

Slavery as Removing Humanity: Toni Morrison's Beloved Set in the time of slavery, Toni Morrison's Beloved explores how the institution was not only physically abusive, but also emotionally and mentally damaging to those forced to endure a life of servitude. Slaves were treated as property and thus had their humanity ripped out of them under extreme circumstances. Slavery does not just lock up the body; it also locks up the mind

Slavery and Caste Systems When Repressive Policies Linger Slavery in the United States, apartheid in South Africa, and the Indian caste system are now all illegal. However, this does not mean that the consequences of these systems of violence against people have vanished. This paper examines the ways in which these three systems continue to affect the lives of people today, even (as in the case of American slavery) the system itself

Slavery The emancipation of slaves did not lead to the dismantling of the underlying structures of slavery. Its most formidable social, economic, and political institutions persisted in spite of federal legislation following the end of the Civil War. Limp federal legislation enabled the racist social and political climate in the American South to fester, depriving all Americans of the opportunity to experience a "more perfect union." The PBS documentary Slavery by

Slavery in America The Beginning of Slavery The first year that African slaves were brought to Colonial America was reported to be 1619 (Vox, 2012). The ship that docked at Point Comfort, in Jamestown Virginia, was owned by the Dutch. The Dutch crew was said to be starving and they wanted to make a trade with the colonists -- slaves for food, Vox explains in The New York Times-owned publications About.com. There