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African American Slavery
A Brief Introduction
Global Dimensions
• Slavery was a “global . . .system that first
united five continents as Europeans traded
Asian textiles. . . for African slaves who
[were sent] to North and South America
[and] forced to produce sugar, coffee,
tobacco, rice, indigo and cotton.” David
Brion Davis, historian
Forms of Servitude
• Slavery- Slaves are
property to be bought
and sold at owner’s
whim--hereditary
• Serfdom- Serfs are
bound to the land and
sold along with it--
hereditary
• Peonage--Peons are
forced to work to pay
off debts; conditions
are such that release is
impossible and it
becomes hereditary
• indentured servants
must work for a period
of time to pay debt
--contractual
Origins of Slavery
• Most ancient
civilizations practiced
slavery.
• Developed once
people began to form
permanent agricultural
societies.
• Rationalized once
established.
• Sources of slaves in
ancient civilizations
– Conquest
– Piracy
– Purchase from
“barbarians”
– Natural increase as
children of slaves
inherited status
From Slaves to Serfs
• By 4th-5th century AD serfdom had largely
replaced slavery in Europe.
• Slavery was phased out in Europe by the
10th century, yet these same countries
would in a few centuries become those that
profited by African slave trade.
• Revived in 15th century by Portuguese for
plantations on West African coastal islands
End of Serfdom
• Peasant Revolt in 1381 ended serfdom in
England.
• French Revolution in France ended the
practice in 1789.
• Russian serfs were not freed until 1861.
Atlantic Slave Trade
• Some slaves from Africa were sent to Italy,
Spain and Portugal in the 1400’s but the
biggest market emerged in the New World,
first in the Caribbean, when attempts to
enslave natives proved futile.
• In 1619 first slaves brought to Virginia.
• In 1713 England won the right to supply
black slaves to the Spanish colonies.
Atlantic Slave Trade
• Source of slaves for revived slave trade was
Africa, where African kings and merchants sold
captives into slavery. The captives had been
captured by kidnapping or won in conquest.
• Slaves were traded several times within Africa
before being sold to Europeans on the coast.
• They did not see themselves as selling fellow
blacks but as selling strangers. Tribe, not skin
color, was the important thing.
Importation of Slaves
• About 10 million
slaves were imported
from Africa during the
430 years of the
Atlantic Slave Trade
• Only about 430,000 of
them were sent to
what would become
the U.S.
Other
U.S.
End of slave trade
• The slave trade means buying slaves in
Africa and transporting them to the
Americas.
• Denmark abolished the slave trade in 1792.
• England followed in 1807 and the U.S. in
1808.
• A good film on the fight to end the slave
trade in England is Amazing Grace
End of the slave trade did not
mean the end of slavery
• Existing slaves and descendants could still
be traded.
• Law was ignored and flouted until 1842
Webster-Ashburton treaty.
• We will watch Amistad, a film about a legal
case that hinged on proving the law against
the slave trade had been violated.
North American Slavery
How Slavery Developed in the
United States
Slavery in the Colonies
• In 1619, first blacks were brought in as
indentured servants.
• Efforts to make terms of servitude
permanent began early, and chattel slavery
was legalized in Virginia by 1660.
• Most colonies made slavery of Africans
legal by 1670; Georgia was the exception,
but legalized it in 1749.
Slavery in the States
• After American revolution many Northern slaves
were freed and the practice outlawed in several
Northern states.
• By 1804 all states above Pennsylvania had
abolished slavery.
• Many Southern states abolished the slave trade,
and made it easier to emancipate slaves.
• But by mid 1830’s the tide turned in the South
away from gradual abolition.
Slavery in the States continued.
• Constitution of 1788 helped to entrench
slavery in the South
– Recognized it by counting slaves as 3/5 of a
person for taxation and representation
– Guaranteed slave trade for 20 more years
– Provided for return of fugitive slaves making it
difficult to escape slavery just by going to a
free state.
Not all whites owned slaves
• 16% more than 2
slaves
• 9% 1-2 slaves
• 75% no slaves
• Approx. 2300 large
plantations with 100+
slaves
• 44,000 small
plantations 20-100
slaves
No slaves
1-2 slaves
3+ slaves
Most southern whites supported
slavery
• Plantation owners let small farmers without
slave use their machinery or ship produce
with their larger lots.
• They might hire part time workers from
slaves who were hired out by their masters.
• They feared competition from freed blacks.
• They feared revolts against white
supremacy if slaves were freed.
Slavery and the territories
• Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery in those
territories.
• Missouri Compromise of 1820 provided for
admission of equal numbers of slave and free
states from new territories (maintain status quo).
• Compromise of 1850 and Kansas Nebraska Act of
1854 had the effect of making all territories open
to slavery and forcing northern states to cooperate
in returning runaways.
End of Slavery in U.S.
• Abolitionist movements existed throughout
American history—esp. in 19th century
• Tensions increased over expansion of
slavery.
• In late 1850’s Lincoln and other Northern
opponents of slavery generally expected
gradual emancipation of slaves with some
compensation of owners.
End of Slavery cont.
• However, once Southern states succeeded
and war began, Lincoln freed the slaves in
the Confederacy with Emancipation
Proclamation of 1862 (effective 1863)
• After the war the 13th amendment of 1865
abolished slavery and all forms of
involuntary servitude.
Slavery and the Civil War
Slavery and the War
• “Of the American Civil War it may be
safely asserted that there was a single cause:
slavery.” James Ford Rhodes, historian
• “To strengthen, perpetuate and extend this
interest [slavery] was the [motive of the
secession]” Abraham Lincoln
• “Slavery is the heart of the matter in any
explanation.” Don Fehrenbacher, historian
Secession vs. War
• Slavery was the cause of the secession.
• Secession was the cause of the war.
• “The question is no longer about African
slavery, but whether we have a government
capable of maintaining itself.” Sen. Lyman
Trumbull in March 1861.
Slavery vs. States’ Rights
• The South fought for the right “to withdraw from
a Union into which they as sovereign communities
had voluntarily entered. The existence of African
servitude was in no wise the cause of the conflict,
but only an incident.” Jefferson Davis, President
of the confederacy in 1881
• This is a revisionist view. They wanted to
withdraw in order to hold onto their slaves as we
can see by comments at the time.
Conflicting comments made at
the time
• Secession is justified by the exclusion of
slavery from the territories which would
make “property in slaves so insecure as to
be comparatively worthless” Davis in 1861
• Slavery is “the immediate cause of the late
rupture and present revolution.” Stephens,
VP of the Confederacy in 1861
A Noble Cause?
• “It is not hard to understand the reluctance
of Southern whites to believe that the noble
cause for which their ancestors fought
might have included the defense of slavery.
That is why they have embraced other
interpretations of the origins of sectional
conflict.” James McPherson, historian
Alternative Explanations
• A favorite revisionist view was to depict the war
as a conflict between the agrarian South and the
industrial north.
• The southern way of life was depicted as gracious,
chivalrous, and honorable.
• Slavery was depicted as a mostly benign
institution necessary to an agricultural society and
in which slaves prospered under paternal care of
their masters. Next slide gives an example.
Agrarian South vs. Industrial
North
• “Slavery was part of the agrarian system,
but only one element and not an essential
one. . . .The fundamental and passionate
ideal for which the South stood and fell was
the ideal of an Agrarian Society, the old an
accepted manner of life for which Egypt,
Greece, Rome, England and France had
stood.” Frank Owsley, Historian 1930
Gone With the Wind
• “It is no coincidence that this interpretation
flourished during the same years that the
novel and movie Gone With the Wind were
becoming the greatest popular successes of
all time. History and popular culture . . .
marched hand in hand.” James McPherson
On Gone with the Wind
• “Lip service is paid to [slavery] having been
a horrible institution, but our cultural reality
belies such protestations as we renovate . . .
Slave plantations [and] turn an apologia like
Gone with the Wind into a cultural icon.”
Gloria Naylor, novelist
Representations of Slavery
• The nostalgic view in “Gone with the
Wind” is one representation of slavery in
American culture, but American literature
of the 18th
, 19th
, 20th
and 21st century is full
of many more valuable and honest
representations. Exploring these is the focus
of this course.

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Introduction for the Literature of Slavery

  • 1. African American Slavery A Brief Introduction
  • 2. Global Dimensions • Slavery was a “global . . .system that first united five continents as Europeans traded Asian textiles. . . for African slaves who [were sent] to North and South America [and] forced to produce sugar, coffee, tobacco, rice, indigo and cotton.” David Brion Davis, historian
  • 3. Forms of Servitude • Slavery- Slaves are property to be bought and sold at owner’s whim--hereditary • Serfdom- Serfs are bound to the land and sold along with it-- hereditary • Peonage--Peons are forced to work to pay off debts; conditions are such that release is impossible and it becomes hereditary • indentured servants must work for a period of time to pay debt --contractual
  • 4. Origins of Slavery • Most ancient civilizations practiced slavery. • Developed once people began to form permanent agricultural societies. • Rationalized once established. • Sources of slaves in ancient civilizations – Conquest – Piracy – Purchase from “barbarians” – Natural increase as children of slaves inherited status
  • 5. From Slaves to Serfs • By 4th-5th century AD serfdom had largely replaced slavery in Europe. • Slavery was phased out in Europe by the 10th century, yet these same countries would in a few centuries become those that profited by African slave trade. • Revived in 15th century by Portuguese for plantations on West African coastal islands
  • 6. End of Serfdom • Peasant Revolt in 1381 ended serfdom in England. • French Revolution in France ended the practice in 1789. • Russian serfs were not freed until 1861.
  • 7. Atlantic Slave Trade • Some slaves from Africa were sent to Italy, Spain and Portugal in the 1400’s but the biggest market emerged in the New World, first in the Caribbean, when attempts to enslave natives proved futile. • In 1619 first slaves brought to Virginia. • In 1713 England won the right to supply black slaves to the Spanish colonies.
  • 8. Atlantic Slave Trade • Source of slaves for revived slave trade was Africa, where African kings and merchants sold captives into slavery. The captives had been captured by kidnapping or won in conquest. • Slaves were traded several times within Africa before being sold to Europeans on the coast. • They did not see themselves as selling fellow blacks but as selling strangers. Tribe, not skin color, was the important thing.
  • 9. Importation of Slaves • About 10 million slaves were imported from Africa during the 430 years of the Atlantic Slave Trade • Only about 430,000 of them were sent to what would become the U.S. Other U.S.
  • 10. End of slave trade • The slave trade means buying slaves in Africa and transporting them to the Americas. • Denmark abolished the slave trade in 1792. • England followed in 1807 and the U.S. in 1808. • A good film on the fight to end the slave trade in England is Amazing Grace
  • 11. End of the slave trade did not mean the end of slavery • Existing slaves and descendants could still be traded. • Law was ignored and flouted until 1842 Webster-Ashburton treaty. • We will watch Amistad, a film about a legal case that hinged on proving the law against the slave trade had been violated.
  • 12. North American Slavery How Slavery Developed in the United States
  • 13. Slavery in the Colonies • In 1619, first blacks were brought in as indentured servants. • Efforts to make terms of servitude permanent began early, and chattel slavery was legalized in Virginia by 1660. • Most colonies made slavery of Africans legal by 1670; Georgia was the exception, but legalized it in 1749.
  • 14. Slavery in the States • After American revolution many Northern slaves were freed and the practice outlawed in several Northern states. • By 1804 all states above Pennsylvania had abolished slavery. • Many Southern states abolished the slave trade, and made it easier to emancipate slaves. • But by mid 1830’s the tide turned in the South away from gradual abolition.
  • 15. Slavery in the States continued. • Constitution of 1788 helped to entrench slavery in the South – Recognized it by counting slaves as 3/5 of a person for taxation and representation – Guaranteed slave trade for 20 more years – Provided for return of fugitive slaves making it difficult to escape slavery just by going to a free state.
  • 16. Not all whites owned slaves • 16% more than 2 slaves • 9% 1-2 slaves • 75% no slaves • Approx. 2300 large plantations with 100+ slaves • 44,000 small plantations 20-100 slaves No slaves 1-2 slaves 3+ slaves
  • 17. Most southern whites supported slavery • Plantation owners let small farmers without slave use their machinery or ship produce with their larger lots. • They might hire part time workers from slaves who were hired out by their masters. • They feared competition from freed blacks. • They feared revolts against white supremacy if slaves were freed.
  • 18. Slavery and the territories • Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery in those territories. • Missouri Compromise of 1820 provided for admission of equal numbers of slave and free states from new territories (maintain status quo). • Compromise of 1850 and Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 had the effect of making all territories open to slavery and forcing northern states to cooperate in returning runaways.
  • 19. End of Slavery in U.S. • Abolitionist movements existed throughout American history—esp. in 19th century • Tensions increased over expansion of slavery. • In late 1850’s Lincoln and other Northern opponents of slavery generally expected gradual emancipation of slaves with some compensation of owners.
  • 20. End of Slavery cont. • However, once Southern states succeeded and war began, Lincoln freed the slaves in the Confederacy with Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 (effective 1863) • After the war the 13th amendment of 1865 abolished slavery and all forms of involuntary servitude.
  • 21. Slavery and the Civil War
  • 22. Slavery and the War • “Of the American Civil War it may be safely asserted that there was a single cause: slavery.” James Ford Rhodes, historian • “To strengthen, perpetuate and extend this interest [slavery] was the [motive of the secession]” Abraham Lincoln • “Slavery is the heart of the matter in any explanation.” Don Fehrenbacher, historian
  • 23. Secession vs. War • Slavery was the cause of the secession. • Secession was the cause of the war. • “The question is no longer about African slavery, but whether we have a government capable of maintaining itself.” Sen. Lyman Trumbull in March 1861.
  • 24. Slavery vs. States’ Rights • The South fought for the right “to withdraw from a Union into which they as sovereign communities had voluntarily entered. The existence of African servitude was in no wise the cause of the conflict, but only an incident.” Jefferson Davis, President of the confederacy in 1881 • This is a revisionist view. They wanted to withdraw in order to hold onto their slaves as we can see by comments at the time.
  • 25. Conflicting comments made at the time • Secession is justified by the exclusion of slavery from the territories which would make “property in slaves so insecure as to be comparatively worthless” Davis in 1861 • Slavery is “the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution.” Stephens, VP of the Confederacy in 1861
  • 26. A Noble Cause? • “It is not hard to understand the reluctance of Southern whites to believe that the noble cause for which their ancestors fought might have included the defense of slavery. That is why they have embraced other interpretations of the origins of sectional conflict.” James McPherson, historian
  • 27. Alternative Explanations • A favorite revisionist view was to depict the war as a conflict between the agrarian South and the industrial north. • The southern way of life was depicted as gracious, chivalrous, and honorable. • Slavery was depicted as a mostly benign institution necessary to an agricultural society and in which slaves prospered under paternal care of their masters. Next slide gives an example.
  • 28. Agrarian South vs. Industrial North • “Slavery was part of the agrarian system, but only one element and not an essential one. . . .The fundamental and passionate ideal for which the South stood and fell was the ideal of an Agrarian Society, the old an accepted manner of life for which Egypt, Greece, Rome, England and France had stood.” Frank Owsley, Historian 1930
  • 29. Gone With the Wind • “It is no coincidence that this interpretation flourished during the same years that the novel and movie Gone With the Wind were becoming the greatest popular successes of all time. History and popular culture . . . marched hand in hand.” James McPherson
  • 30. On Gone with the Wind • “Lip service is paid to [slavery] having been a horrible institution, but our cultural reality belies such protestations as we renovate . . . Slave plantations [and] turn an apologia like Gone with the Wind into a cultural icon.” Gloria Naylor, novelist
  • 31. Representations of Slavery • The nostalgic view in “Gone with the Wind” is one representation of slavery in American culture, but American literature of the 18th , 19th , 20th and 21st century is full of many more valuable and honest representations. Exploring these is the focus of this course.