An Analysis of Slavery and Freedom

Essay by Megan.SmoakCollege, UndergraduateA-, March 2009

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Description: This about the rise of the New World with freedom and slavery. This essay include historical evidence of the contradictory belief's of our past leaders.

Hope this helps someone.

An Analysis of Slavery and Freedomas the American ParadoxBy Megan SmoakMr. Harris – HIS 131“The rise of liberty and equality in this country [America] was accompanied by the rise of slavery,” (Slavery and Freedom: An American Paradox, page 5). This statement holds true as a paradox. A paradox is defined as statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth” (Dictionary.com). Edmund S. Morgan specifically states that the developments of freedom and equality arrived hand and hand with slavery and occurred simultaneously in his article Slavery and Freedom: An American Paradox. Freedom and slavery are thought of as opposites, like the North and South Pole. With the history of this country and its development of independence the act of slavery and the preaching of freedom, equality, and independence is contradictory.

Although it is contradictory slavery and freedom did occur simultaneously. I do agree with Morgan’s argument, historians have considered slavery as an exception to the rise of freedom, but what was really occurring was racism and the claim of being superior to blacks.

The central principle of American foreign policy was based on the statement, “Free ships make free goods.” This phrase was attempting to enforce a state of free seas, mostly of shipping goods. This was another technique of preaching the idealism of freedom and equality, but once again this was also contradictory seeing as how the goods that they were supporting freedom for, were produced mostly through the measures of slavery and the labor that slaves provide. A specific product, that was the most profitable crop at the time, which was produced...