Some people strangely believe that the slave owners were really the ones enslaved. When I read this in an article, it mind boggled me so much that I had to research more into it and turn the tables.
Often times it was reported that the white children would envy the black children because of their freedom to play. The black children would usually run around naked since they were too poor to afford clothes. The white children would see this and get jealous because they had to put clothes and shoes on and go to school. White men also envied the black men because their marriages were "impermanent." For example, when Harriet Jacobs was forced into sexual submission by her master, the wife would be cruel to her. It was easier in the Black community since marriages were not really "real" so it was easier to get by with having more than one woman.
Other people also believed that it was better to be a slave than free up North because of the jobs. If a person was a slave, at least they had food, water, and shelter. Up North it was hard to gain money to afford these necessities.
Also, as slave rebellions became more prominent, owners lived in fear. Slavery also proved white labor to be less efficient, giving black men and women a better work ethic. They could work circles around white men. Also, when owners would fear that slaves would escape, like in Jacob's story, they were sold which often allowed slaves to be happy because they could be lucky and receive a "good owner."
Although I do not necessarily agree with these reasons, it was interesting to ponder and read about how slave owners could be just as enslaved as their actual slaves. Depending on how a person looks at it, both owner and slave were bound together enslaved.
In current society slavery does not exist in the U.S., however, the hierarchy of the economy and political systems represent the system. The CEOs and the big dogs in the government run the people. It is corrupt and they are mega rich and have control over lots of things. It is not the form of enslavement as back then, but the hierarchies and controls still exist.
I don't think any white child would change places with a black one though, do you?
ReplyDeleteNo they would not, however, they might have a pang every now and then and envy what they do not truly know. For example, they might see the black children running around and want to run around barefoot too. However, the black children might not have shoes period.
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