The issue that I have decided to write about is the freedom of the Slaves. The slaves acquired freedom at different intervals through out their captivity. Some slaves acquired freedom early in the height of the slave trade at the end of there indentured servitude. Other slaves found freedom through running away with the assistance of the Underground Railroad. Many slaves found their only chance for freedom through suicide, while others revolted, and some even poisoned their masters. Freedom also came to the offspring of several types of interracial unions, and from slaveholders who freed their slaves through the process of manumission.
Slaves held a high value on their freedom and often wondered if and when freedom would ever come to them. What is this thing called freedom? The definition given in Websters College Dictionary states the following: The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical Exemption from external physical control. 3. the power to determine action without restraint. 4. political or national independence. 5. personal liberty: slaves who bought their freedom. 6. exemption; immunity: freedom from fear. 7. the absence or release from ties or obligations. 8. ease or facility of movement or action. 9. frankness of manner or speech. 10. a liberty taken. 11. civil liberty as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or despotic government. 12. the right to enjoy all the privileges or special rights of citizenship, membership, etc., in a community or the like. 13. the right to frequent enjoy, or use at will.
Furthermore, the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Continental Congress in July of 1776 declares: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are secured among men.
Why then were slaves not considered men? Slaves were not considered men but rather property. Reasoning behind this thinking included that of the Puritans, a sect of Protestant Christians. The Puritans chose to believe that the enslavement of “heathen” Africans as a sacred privilege granted by God to his chosen Puritans (Frank 56). In addition, to the Puritans there were the Spanish, Europeans and Portuguese slave traders and plantation masters. They determined the slaves to be not only property but also cheap labor. In fact, the Spanish estimated that it took four Indians to do the work of one African slave. As a result of this the African replaced the Indians in the use of forced labor and millions of Africans became enslaved into captivity. As the profits and the countries grew so did the captivity of the Africans.
The slave trading in Liverpool, England became so great its name became synonymous with slavery. It is no surprise that strong correlations can be seen between the growth of profits and the increased bondage of slavery.
For example, Wesley reports that during 1670 Massachusetts moved toward fixing a slave status as a hereditary position by making it possible to sell the children of slaves into bondage.
Further, slave codes and laws were being created and enacted on a regular basis. At this point in history it would appear that slaves would never receive freedom from their oppressors. In order for the slaves to gain freedom, the oppressors would have to have taken a loss. To illustrate the potential loss of the oppressor, examples include the potential loss of personal fortunes, in addition to the potential losses this country would have suffered during the Industrial Revolution and also the potential losses that Europe would have to have suffered.
In spite of the obstacles of the oppressors, their lack of financial resources, their lack of education many slaves acquired their freedom. Freedom was found in different ways, the earliest way being that of the indentured servant. Many of the first blacks brought into Virginia won their freedom after serving for a specific number of years. Others slaves were freed through the efforts of sympathetic whites, especially among the Quakers who were supporters of the abolishment movement. Thousands were either directly or indirectly involved in the Underground Railroad as a form of escape from the barbarism of slavery into freedom. Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey and Nat Turner led three major revolts or insurrections. None of the insurrections had the results of liberty for the slaves that had been the intended plan. However, they did cause much hysteria and confusion among the slaveowners. Very few slaves were able to acquire their freedom through purchasing it from their masters due to the lack of employment. Slaves who were born of a white master and a slave mother were freed. Also, large numbers of slaves received freedom through the manumission of the slave owners.
As free men, their role in the changing society was a struggle. They had some freedom but the numbers of restrictions certainly were larger. They were restricted in the ways that they were allowed to communicate with the slaves, slave owners constantly worried that the freed slaves would cause trouble. They were restricted in the ways they were allowed to work. As to be expected there was not a lot of opportunity, many freed slaves hired themselves out as unskilled workers. Despite the restrictions, the freed slaves did prosper. Some slaves obtained college education, while others were able to acquire sizeable amounts of real estate. Wesley reported that some freed slaves in New Orleans, in the year preceding the Civil War had accumulated approximately $15,000,000 worth of property.
In conclusion, the slaves made such enormous progress. Overcoming what has been known as one of the worst captivities in human history. Through their longsuffering, I believe God delivered them out of bondage into freedom. Humans must always be careful not to forget the past or we will be doomed to repeat it. By treating men as equals, and granting them their liberties, I believe freedom is here to stay for the African American.