During the nineteenth century, slavery became a popular topic of debate throughout the United States. People were taking advantage of African Americans and forcing them to take part in labor under horrible conditions. This created a split among Americans, dividing them into two groups. There were those who protected and supported slavery finding it beneficial to them and their country, and then there were people who strongly opposed this system, called abolitionists. Each had completely different views on the establishment of slavery.
Those who supported slavery were mainly located in the southern states. Slavery was more popular here due to the fact that the economy was primarily based on agriculture and they needed a constant supply of labor in order to run their fields properly. Here white people viewed African Americans as nothing but grown children, this was claimed by George Fitzhugh in the document, ‘George Fitzhugh Advocates Slavery”. In this paper, he explains that blacks were thought to have low morals, a small intellectual capacity, and fewer skills when compared to whites. Due to their inferiority, they were only good for work such as farming and industrial labor. He believed that blacks were thoughtless and would become a burden to society, by allowing slavery they were preventing this from happening and doing them a favor. No matter where they went they would never be on the same level as a white man. They would be happier as slaves because their masters would take care of them in return for only a few hours of work a day.
Dr. Cartwright agreed that the African American race was inferior to whites. He wrote a document titled “Disease and Peculiarities of the Negro Race”. In this, he speaks about a disease he calls Dysaesthesia Aethiopics or Rascality- a disease that makes slaves cause trouble. He made a point that if a free slave were to contract this disease, then he would not have a master to care for him like the slave owners cared for their slaves. He believed that God only created blacks in order for them to be “the submissive knee-bender” so that whites could have complete power over them. In order to keep slaves submissive to the white man, they would have to be treated fairly. They need to be cared for properly but without making them feel like they were above or equal to white men.
James Henry Hammond also agreed that God created African Americans to be slaves. In the document “James Henry Hammond Advocates Slavery” he compares the southern slaves and northern slaves of this time. He believed that the southern slaves were happiest because when they were purchased it was for life and their masters would provide them with everything they needed to survive. Unlike those in the north these slaves would never have to experience starvation, begging, or the search for employment. In the North slaves were bought for a short time period or day by day, they aren’t cared for properly which results in them experiencing tremendous pain. Hammond also criticized the North for allowing their slaves to vote. He believed that it would only cause harm if the slaves were ever able to overpower them.
Hammond, Cartwright, and Fitzhugh all held similar views of slaves. They viewed them as the inferior race that was only put on earth in order to help serve white people. They didn’t view slavery as harmful to blacks they viewed it as though they were offering them a great service because all blacks regardless of who they were ended up being viewed as childlike and incompetent simply because of the color of their skin. The fact that they were all southerners where slavery was viewed as necessary helped shape their beliefs and views as well because slaves were a great benefit to their economy.
While men like those mentioned above saw nothing wrong with the institution of slavery abolitionists held completely different views. They believed slavery had no place in America or anywhere else. An abolitionist named David Walker who was the author of “David Walker’s Appeal” was an African American man who wanted all men to be treated equal regardless of skin color. In his work, he speaks about how slaves felt trapped by racism. They would rather be put to death than be forced into slavery. He couldn’t understand why white people called slaves ungrateful, what did they have to be grateful for since whites were constantly mistreating and abusing them. Throughout the rest of his paper he questions what gives white people the right to treat African Americans the way they do. He ends his work by quoting the Declaration of Independence, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident—that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL! that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!”. The main idea he wants those reading to take away from his work is why should whites be superior to all other races when they state that all men are created equal.
Frederick Douglas is another notable abolitionist who wrote: “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. He says “the fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn”. What he wrote shows how badly they were treated and didn’t feel welcome or respected in their own country. All American ideas are built on the fact that all men are equal but slave owners are hypocrites because slavery goes against all of what America stands for. Slaves are people too and should be treated with respect, people during this time just convinced themselves that their slaves were less than human. He is letting the country know that he and others shouldn’t have to tell people slavery is wrong because every person regardless of who they are knows to some degree slavery is wrong they just choose to ignore it.
The American Anti-Slavery Society was a group that met in Philadelphia in order to find a way to promote their Declaration of Sentiments to help spread their abolitionist message. They believed that all were created equal and had the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These were people that saw slavery as an evil act and any man who was to participate in slavery is a “man-stealer” and null before God. It was their belief that all slaves should be set free immediately and placed under the protection of the same laws as whites. They wanted everyone to be treated equally and have the same rights and opportunities available to them. For example, they believed that any money earned through slaves should be given to the workers themselves and not to the owner who took and abused them. They placed their victory in God’s hands and made sure to let everyone know that they had no intent to stop spreading their message until slavery was completely abolished.
Abolitionists were appalled at the institution of slavery. They were critical of Americans and believed they had no real reasoning to keep slaves, they only wanted power. Their main argument against those who were pro-slavery was that African Americans were their equal and that it was morally wrong to treat them and any other race as property.
Comparing these two groups shows how extremely different their beliefs on the institution of slavery were. Those who were pro-slavery believed blacks were an inferior race and needed to be under an owner’s control because they were incapable of taking care of themselves. Abolitionists believed that all men were created equal and those who owned slaves had no right to treat them the way they did, especially considering they were the ones responsible for all the work and contributions to the economy. These differing viewpoints offer a great insight into the minds of people that were alive during this time in history.