Historiography Of Slavery

1465 Words6 Pages
Historiography Nahom Assefa Slavery was a brutal system of forced labor that began since the dawn of time. It has been traced back to 1772 B.C in Babylon when the code of Hammurabi was written. The system involved many different types of people and was used for various economic exploitation. In America this was one of the biggest challenges for the young republic leading to differences between the North and south. The issue was so extreme they say during the Lincoln administration America was more divided than any other point in history leading to the civil war between the union and the confederates. Slaves’ attitudes towards their work experiences varied, in Stampp’s interpretation slaves did everything in their power to gain freedom…show more content…
Fogel and Engerman believe that slaves had enough incentive to work hard. Slaves were essentially able to manage themselves without an overseer. In Genovese interpretation the slave made it extremely hard to exploit him of his labor, slaves could not be dehumanized and resisted all attempts to do so as a community. Stampp’s view was that slaves disliked their work experiences and showed their disgruntlement in various ways. Slaves didn’t have to be geniuses to have a concept of freedom. He stated it as a matter of just observing the master to understand the meaning and advantages of freedom. When slaves submitted to their masters they did so because they saw no other practical choice. (Stampp 292) The love of freedom is hard to crush and slaveholders had a serious problem of discipline. Slaves had no incentive whatsoever to work so slaves did everything in their power to slow down work routines and the quantity of service in many ways usually by underrating their intelligence,…show more content…
Sure, they made the best out of a bad situation and lived in the lifestyle that was set for them but that doesn’t mean they enjoyed their work experiences. The system benefited some there is no doubt but in the context of just slaves there is no way. They were exploited for their labor, beaten, worked in tough conditions and were separated from their loved ones. One just needs to ask himself if he would see that lifestyle as fitting and happy. Slaves unanimously agree that they system of slavery was cruel, brutal and horrifying. It’s a past that as a nation we try to forget, but must remember so that no one should experience a pain equal to
Open Document