HENRY,SLAVERY

The incidents of slavery impacted more than the lives of the slave, but it also impacted the slave owner. In our readings this week, we learned that possible there is more than one master in the slave and slave owner relationship. I believe that the slave is also a master in sense, because he/she controls the master. The masters’ actions are direct responses to the slaves’ actions and vice versa. In Fredrick Douglass’ tale, as in most slave narratives, slaves were not allowed to read and write. In this tale slave owners wanted so very badly to prevent slaves from learning how to read. Yet, Douglass puts all that he has in educating as many slaves as he possible could. In this aspect, the slave continually pursues what the owner does not want him to do and has to commit acts to punish the slave for disobeying. So he beats him and this is because of the actions of the slave, then the cycle starts over. Due to these actions committed by the slave owner, it is ridiculous to believe that they have any trace of morality. It is funny to think that save owners felt the slaves were subhuman, and yet they inflicted beating so bad as to cause death. If there was any trace of humanity on the slave owners’ part, then it is lost when they felt pleaser and power when causing pain to another being. As in the case of Harriet Jacobs’ story of her being continuously raped by her slave owner, which is a savage act to commit. In present day society rapist are looked upon as inhuman creatures, even in prison. So, should the slave owner be treated differently? My answer is no, and they should be treated worst because they deprive humans of the born right of care. Every human is born with the right to be cared for, and that falls into the lap of the slave owners sense they are responsible for their slaves. In present day society I believe we hold the same control over others, in the form of social class. Some people are born into a class and inherit a lot of money and power, while others have to work for the little money they get, without the power. This is a way that the high class controls the lower class because this allows the lower class to work all their lives and not reach as near as much success as the higher class. Yet, they keep striving for it as slaves did in learning how to read and write.

Tregre, Are slave owners really free?

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.