Who to believe

Essay by ilovenatureCollege, UndergraduateB+, May 2014

download word file, 5 pages 0.0

Gabriella Casimir

English 24

Exploratory Essay

SECOND DRAFT

Who to Believe?

SLAVERY: A civil relationship in which one person has absolute power over the life, fortune, and liberty of another," sounds like a story book meaning, but sadly it was a way of life for colored people. The US legacy of slavery began in the early seventeenth century. The first Africans in colonial America were brought to Jamestown by a Dutch ship in 1619. These 20 Africans were indentured servants, which meant that they were to work for a certain period of time in exchange for transportation and room and board. They were assigned land after their service and were considered what we call "free Negroes". Nonetheless, the term "free" never prevailed. At least in my opinion..or as I've researched upon, treatment of slaves was characterized by degradation, rape, and brutality, and the lack of basic freedoms. Slaveholders punished slaves through whipping.

And punishment was most often dealt in response to disobedience or perceived violations. Sometimes abuse was carried out simply to reassert the dominance of the master or overseer. Sexual abuse of slaves was also considered "the norm" hence the term "mulatto" was born: ( A person of mixed African and Caucasian descent). With that said, immediately one will side with the african americans feeling sympathy for what they've been through, but I ask how much of what i'm reading is actually true? Are the photos and documents all taken into account thoroughly? Are the slaves being interviewed speaking from memory or fictional thoughts from memories past? These are questions one should always ask. It is important to take this theory into account, this is our nations history. History we pass down to each other, students, books, articles. My question is how much of it is true?

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