Antebellum Slavery Dangers

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Dangers in this world come from many different sources. Some of these perils are from nature, some are from internal conflicts, but many come from human to human interaction. One such case is the case of slavery. Some of the dangers of slavery are gender specific, some are race specific, some endanger the family and home, and others endanger everybody without regards to race or gender. In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs showcases some of antebellum slavery’s dangers that were common to both white and black women. They could become filled with hatred to the point where they become emotionally deprived, though for different reasons: rape for blacks, infidelity for whites. This is best seen in chapter six when she describes the advancements of her master, and the jealous rages of her mistress. Community disapproval of interracial relationships, forced or consensual, might also happen. In chapter 5, Linda states that she “felt shamefaced about telling [her grandmother] such things…” (Page 27) and that she had seen a shamed master, whose daughter had selected one of his slaves to be the father of his grandchild. (Page 46) Another peril was that they were subjected to moral wrongs at a very early age. “He peopled my young mind with unclean images… [The master’s…show more content…
One such hazard was that family members could be sold to different plantations and become separated from each other. “The father was put in jail, and the two oldest boys sold to Georgia. One little girl, too young… was left with the wretched mother. The other three were carried to their master’s plantation.” (Page 45) A danger to the home was that it could be raided at anytime and emptied of any belongings or destroyed. “The dwellings of the colored people… were robbed of clothing and every thing else…” (Page 56) Jacobs showcases some of the perils that may have afflicted the home and family of
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