American Slavery, American Freedom by Edmund Morgan - Paper Example

Edmund Morgan starts American Slavery, American Freedom the Ordeal of Colonial Virginia as a paradox. Edmund points out to men such as Jefferson, who although they abhorred slavery and were against it, they were yet slaveholders and had many slaves working for them in their farms. Morgan points out that the rise in the belief of liberty and the hatred for slave trade and the economic growth was dependent on the slave trade that was taking place. Morgan states that the contradiction is American and it is therefore important for Americans to understand its source, origin and how it developed. Morgan points out that the main paradox is in the Virginia colony state; stating that the major economic and political developments which took place in the Virginia colony especially in the 17th and 18th century provide a perfect explanation for the mutually beneficial relationship between freedom and slavery. One of the colonies which had the largest number of slaves was Virginia and its leaders were great supporters of the republican ideals. The republicans saw as slavery as the way out to poverty. Slaves worked in agricultural farms and these were sources of revenue for the states. The republicans were confronted with poverty as an inescapable economic component. They viewed poverty as a very threatening and menacing ideology just as how they viewed monarchy as a tyrannical component. Poverty and dependence were mutually incompatible to the republicans and they held the independent yeoman farmer as a classic and perfect model. Through the enslavement of the poor and dividing them through race and racism, the white Virginians were able to take them away from their political equation. Through doing this, they were able to concurrently and concomitantly call and advocate for freedom and equality while still maintaining the enslavement of slaves. Slavery can thus be comprehended in this light as a base for American republicanism and American freedom. It offers Edmunds example using racism as a political tool.

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Does Morgans argument help us understand the particular difficulties posed by Thomas Jeffersons attitude toward slavery?

Jefferson was one of the founding fathers one of the United States. In as much as Jefferson contributed to the American historical culture, he was greatly in support of enslavement of African Americans. Jefferson was a slaveholder for all of his adult life. He became successful in outlawing the practice in Virginia. However, he faced so many frustrations in restricting slavery and therefore came to believe that a long lasting solution could not be found in his lifetime. In spite of this, he did not stop advocating for his own emancipation plan and one of those plans was providing resettlement areas for the slaves outside the United States. Although he was against the practice, labeling is as an abominable crime, he had more than a 100 slaves working for him in his farms and businesses. Jefferson was afraid that abolishing the practice would lead to violence throughout the South and result in racial prejudice in the North. Jefferson was concerned that agriculture on all the large farms, which was dependent on slave labor, would collapse. Although Jefferson supported abolition of slave trade in the Northwest Territories, he defended its expansion in the Louisiana Territory. Being a revolutionary leader, he attacked the practiced and as an elected politician of a nation which was highly divided, he defended slavery. Jeffersons relationship with slavery is certainly riddled with contradiction, both in words and deeds. His words expressed a hatred and disdain for an institution that ran contradictory to the ideals of democracy and human rights; while defending racial inferiority, political indifference, and economic security. His deeds reflected a dedication to righteousness, but only when they were socially popular or relevant to personal or political security. Many questions remain unanswered.

How did African labor and African culture transform the Carolina coast in the eighteenth century?

The Barbados established Carolina colony around 1670 and in 1972, the colony split into North Carolina and South Carolina. The English needed labor to work on their plantations and they used American Indians with every chance that they got. Although the habit continued for many years, not many American Indians were employed. The English were afraid of reprisals by the Indians and they also did not want to rely so much on the Indian labor. In the 18th Century, the English traded with the Indians for deerskins and this was the first source of revenue for Carolina coast colony. The benefits that the Carolinas gained from enslaving the Indians were far less than the risks of losing the revenue from the trade. Carolinas saw the solution as importing Africans who would provide labor. However, Africans and Indians started intermarrying. The slave population increased as more children were born. These children were regarded as slaves as well in spite of the race or rationality of the father. Many slaves in Carolina coast thus became native-born.

How did Africans maintain and reproduce their culture in lowland South Carolina?

Africans lived under very brutal conditions. They were treated harshly and were paid lowly. Despite the conditions they were subjected to, Africans preserved and tried to preserve all the customs and beliefs that they had from their homelands. They maintained and reproduced their culture through music, dances, telling stories to their children about their past and their ancestors, and, for a time, practiced their religion, including Islam. It is important to note that African kinship customs and behaviors became the foundation of the African-American family culture. One of the main sources of strength for the enslaved Africans was the network of kin and the strength of kinship ties. They married among themselves and reproduced and when in their own, they spoke their native language. All these, language, music, dances, storytelling and fork tales helped in maintaining and preserving their culture.

References

Morgan, Edmund S. American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia.

New York: Norton, 1975. Print.