Essay: American Revotion
Door: Ido
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20 Maart 2016 | Ierland, Limerick
Als je de vorige post van een essay hebt gezien, dan weet je precies wat er gaat gebeuren. Ik plak hieronder mijn essay, dit maal over de Amerikaanse revolutie, en ga er vervolgens vanuit dat alle lezers in minuut 1 afkoppelen. Desalniettemin: Succes
The Contradiction between Slavery and Freedom
Freedom is one of the aspects on which the modern United States of America still prides itself, and many of its inhabitants consider freedom to be an integral part of the country. This concept, and even the country itself as it exists today are rooted in the War of Independence that took place in the late 1700s. However, this image of freedom might differ by quite an amount, depending on the point of view taken up when observing the matter. The most infamous example of this contrast in freedom is black slavery. At the same time that one of the nation’s most symbolic events went down with respect to freedom, black people remained enslaved and oppressed, sometimes even by the very men fighting for their own liberty on a different front. This essay will discuss this contradiction between the fight for American independence, and the enslavement of its black citizens. It will do so by examining the situation as it existed, the way that the former colony declared it to be, and a counterargument in favour of black liberty.
The presence of slavery is abundantly clear from a multitude of sources. One example of these is the work of captain John Smith, who discusses the arrival of slaves in Virginia . This business like account of, amongst others, the incorporation of slaves on a tobacco plantation describes their use and trade as the property of these plantation owners, and as goods to be traded between Governors, Captains and Officers. Even though this accounts dates back to the year 1619, slavery remained a driving element for the workforce needed to run such a plantation. Slavery was incorporated into society to such an extent that legislation even existed to keep this status quo intact. This is, amongst other acts and laws, exemplified by ‘An Act to Discriminate Between Africans and Others in Maryland, 1664’ . This act declared all children of slaves to automatically also become slaves, and all women who intermarried with a slave to join their husbands in slavery. One particularly well known activist and plantation owner was Thomas Jefferson. In Freehling’s essay on ‘The Founding Fathers and Slavery’ about Jefferson, Washington and other influential men of the American revolution, he argues that even though these men recognised the virtue in granting equal opportunity to all people, their actions spoke otherwise. Slavery at the point of the revolution had become such an integral aspect of society that abolishment of it would result in major consequences for the whole nation. First and foremost the fact that since slaves were considered to be property, their liberation would mean taking said property from plantation owners, for which they expected to be compensated. Even in the north, the ‘abolitionists’ found little support prior to 1776.
A very strong contradiction then arises between the situation in America as it existed, and the way that the leaders of the revolution declared the country to be. The prime document to look at is naturally the American Declaration of Independence : “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” A reader not familiar with the context of the time might deduce that the writer of this document sought equality and acceptance in this new society, and that these ‘unalienable rights’ would extend to all people in this society. The colour of a person’s skin or even their gender should not be of any concern, when reading this document entirely objectively. Reality, however, takes a far different turn when considering the circumstances of the very writer of this document as discussed in the previous paragraph, let alone his countrymen. While it is true that “If men were evaluated in terms of dreams rather than deeds everyone would concede the antislavery credentials of the founding fathers” (American Historical Review, 77, p. 342), one must keep an eye on the practical outcome of the revolution. Though the Declaration is not the only document displaying a clear contradiction between paper and practical society. In John Dickenson’s ‘Letters from a Farmer’ printed during 1767-68, he makes a case against the British oppression, as he feels states have started to ‘lose their liberty’. Towards the end of his letter Dickenson uses the following expression: “Slavery is ever preceded by sleep.”, yet the letters do not relate to black liberty in the slightest. This could very well serve as an example for the general attitude of the justification of black slavery.
On the contrary, a case can be made for other possibilities available to black people in the states of America. This point is strongly voiced by Ira Berlin in his essay ‘The Revolution in Black Life’ . He argues that, even though slavery was a pressing issue during the time of the revolution, the aftermath during the following years, leading up to the early nineteenth century, resulted in better circumstances and opportunities for negroes. British recruitment during the war and economical changes resulted in a growing number of black freemen. Churches and education for blacks began, and some were even able to gather some wealth. This, however, does not change the fact that at the time of the Declaration of Independence, black slavery was very present, even though the war in part contributed to its alleviation.
In conclusion, it can be observed that the liberties spoken of in the Declaration applied mostly to adult white males, as opposed to all inhabitants of the country. The war of revolution paved the way for a multitude of improvements on society in the 1800s, and thereafter, though at the time itself and during the period leading up to the signing of Jefferson’s work the American states were still unequal. The Declaration of Independence flies directly in the face of all the enslaved, hardworking people, labouring at the very same time that this document for ‘unalienable rights’ was finalised.
Tot het eind gelezen? Ik heb trots, goed gedaan!
Hier is een beloning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APoCpZOrI4w
The Contradiction between Slavery and Freedom
Freedom is one of the aspects on which the modern United States of America still prides itself, and many of its inhabitants consider freedom to be an integral part of the country. This concept, and even the country itself as it exists today are rooted in the War of Independence that took place in the late 1700s. However, this image of freedom might differ by quite an amount, depending on the point of view taken up when observing the matter. The most infamous example of this contrast in freedom is black slavery. At the same time that one of the nation’s most symbolic events went down with respect to freedom, black people remained enslaved and oppressed, sometimes even by the very men fighting for their own liberty on a different front. This essay will discuss this contradiction between the fight for American independence, and the enslavement of its black citizens. It will do so by examining the situation as it existed, the way that the former colony declared it to be, and a counterargument in favour of black liberty.
The presence of slavery is abundantly clear from a multitude of sources. One example of these is the work of captain John Smith, who discusses the arrival of slaves in Virginia . This business like account of, amongst others, the incorporation of slaves on a tobacco plantation describes their use and trade as the property of these plantation owners, and as goods to be traded between Governors, Captains and Officers. Even though this accounts dates back to the year 1619, slavery remained a driving element for the workforce needed to run such a plantation. Slavery was incorporated into society to such an extent that legislation even existed to keep this status quo intact. This is, amongst other acts and laws, exemplified by ‘An Act to Discriminate Between Africans and Others in Maryland, 1664’ . This act declared all children of slaves to automatically also become slaves, and all women who intermarried with a slave to join their husbands in slavery. One particularly well known activist and plantation owner was Thomas Jefferson. In Freehling’s essay on ‘The Founding Fathers and Slavery’ about Jefferson, Washington and other influential men of the American revolution, he argues that even though these men recognised the virtue in granting equal opportunity to all people, their actions spoke otherwise. Slavery at the point of the revolution had become such an integral aspect of society that abolishment of it would result in major consequences for the whole nation. First and foremost the fact that since slaves were considered to be property, their liberation would mean taking said property from plantation owners, for which they expected to be compensated. Even in the north, the ‘abolitionists’ found little support prior to 1776.
A very strong contradiction then arises between the situation in America as it existed, and the way that the leaders of the revolution declared the country to be. The prime document to look at is naturally the American Declaration of Independence : “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” A reader not familiar with the context of the time might deduce that the writer of this document sought equality and acceptance in this new society, and that these ‘unalienable rights’ would extend to all people in this society. The colour of a person’s skin or even their gender should not be of any concern, when reading this document entirely objectively. Reality, however, takes a far different turn when considering the circumstances of the very writer of this document as discussed in the previous paragraph, let alone his countrymen. While it is true that “If men were evaluated in terms of dreams rather than deeds everyone would concede the antislavery credentials of the founding fathers” (American Historical Review, 77, p. 342), one must keep an eye on the practical outcome of the revolution. Though the Declaration is not the only document displaying a clear contradiction between paper and practical society. In John Dickenson’s ‘Letters from a Farmer’ printed during 1767-68, he makes a case against the British oppression, as he feels states have started to ‘lose their liberty’. Towards the end of his letter Dickenson uses the following expression: “Slavery is ever preceded by sleep.”, yet the letters do not relate to black liberty in the slightest. This could very well serve as an example for the general attitude of the justification of black slavery.
On the contrary, a case can be made for other possibilities available to black people in the states of America. This point is strongly voiced by Ira Berlin in his essay ‘The Revolution in Black Life’ . He argues that, even though slavery was a pressing issue during the time of the revolution, the aftermath during the following years, leading up to the early nineteenth century, resulted in better circumstances and opportunities for negroes. British recruitment during the war and economical changes resulted in a growing number of black freemen. Churches and education for blacks began, and some were even able to gather some wealth. This, however, does not change the fact that at the time of the Declaration of Independence, black slavery was very present, even though the war in part contributed to its alleviation.
In conclusion, it can be observed that the liberties spoken of in the Declaration applied mostly to adult white males, as opposed to all inhabitants of the country. The war of revolution paved the way for a multitude of improvements on society in the 1800s, and thereafter, though at the time itself and during the period leading up to the signing of Jefferson’s work the American states were still unequal. The Declaration of Independence flies directly in the face of all the enslaved, hardworking people, labouring at the very same time that this document for ‘unalienable rights’ was finalised.
Tot het eind gelezen? Ik heb trots, goed gedaan!
Hier is een beloning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APoCpZOrI4w
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
