Liberty and Freedom built on the backs of slaves is a contradiction
in itself but without would there even be an America to debate the
logistics of slave labor. It may not have been a pure race fueled
decision to keep and utilize slave labor. What to do with a large
ethnically indifferent slave labors harboring resentment for their
masters, simply letting them lose would't end well for all the land
owners. With a record of murderous rebellion simply setting them free
would not only cripple the southern colonies it would prevent the birth
of America. The founding fathers didn't see it as owning slaves as a
contradiction but as to what to do with them that wouldn't damage
everything they had worked for. They were looking for the best course of
action for the colonies when it came to the matter of slaves.
A perspective I had not taken into account was the socioeconomic
aspect of the institution of slavery. Not so much as the south was
dependent on slave labor but as to what should be done with tremendous
slave work force that were quite resentful of their white masters.
Uneducated unskilled what contribution could they offer the society in
which they were brought to? At the time it was believed that whites and
blacks couldn't live with one and other. Some proposed that they should
all be sent back but a grand mass deportation of the size would
impractical as it hurt their economy and hinder the progression of the
colonies expanding to the west. This is all from the perspective on the
fathers but the only perspective not discussed was that of the slaves.
If they were to be educated and understand their importance of their
roll in laying the foundation for the the 13 colonies which soon to be
recognized as America. It would be interesting to see them debate the
complications involved with their slavery and treatment and how they
were the back bone of the southern economy and its prosperity. It never
came to that as the slaves were seen by the white land owners as
heathens who had given up their basic human rights so they can live the
way they did. Their children being born and raised Christians but never
receiving education so it prevented them from learning their human
rights or the right to freedom.
Mrs Arrowsmith manages to make the reading more lively and more
understandable. Classmates asking questions on subjects in the reading I
may have not paid much attention to details I should take sometime to
look into. Such as Bacon Rebellion and how it instilled fear into the
white land owners. Not realizing the impact these events had on the
colonies like the Haitian Rebellion not only did the slaves escape the
grip the french overseers had on them they had managed to fight off the
local government and Napoleon Bonaparte himself decorated military
general. This made it ever prevalent that this could easily happen in
the colonies at it did in Haiti.
I would like to learn more about the privateers and groups such as
Cimarrons. Privateers seem interesting like Francis Bacon and his
battles against the Spanish for the gold England had sent him to steal.
The bands of Cimarrons attacking the Spanish in some sort of guerrilla
warfare to free their people and living in the wilderness in small
communities. The port life like in Havana having ships attacked and the
constant fear of attack of petty pirates or privateers. The lost
colonies in which their are no trace of were Indians and English men
with liberty side by side as equals it seemed they would have succeeded
if they had no attacked the natives and simply ran or get killed off by
the natives. Another idea is if the founding fathers could see America
now it's current condition would approve or disapprove.