Causes and Effects of Slavery in the U.S. Essay - 1117 Words

Slavery has been described as a social institution defined by law and custom as the most absolute involuntary form of human servitude. . The three main characteristics of slavery are that the people are regarded as property, they are forced to serve (often through violence), and they are subject to the owners will. The most famous example of this kind of slavery is found in America, during the 16th, 17th and 18th century. During this time, Americas southern states were dominated by slavery, and the vast majority of plantations were essentially run by black slaves, imported from Africa. The slave trade was founded in 1444, by the Portuguese who, sensing the need for more slaves, ventured to use Africans. They realised that the†¦show more content†¦Instead, they were classed as fugitives. In this way, slaves were left with no way to become free. Their only option was to work on the plantations for life. By this stage, slave owners had begun to realise that the only way to control slaves was by using violence and threats. A new culture had been introduced: one of black inferiority and white superiority. Many white plantation owners used extreme violence to make their slaves work, as they had no other means with which to control them. They could not reward the slaves by decreasing their length of servitude; the slaves were used for life, and their monetary value was too great for the plantation owners to reprieve them. However, sometimes the violence became so extreme that the slaves died, which decreased the plantations profit. This use of violence extended to rape of black women and children, mutilation and branding. Rape of slaves produced an inter-race community, although this was violently unstable due to the racial and social discrimination present at that time. The plantation masters branded their slaves so that if they escaped, they would have a mark to show they were fugitive slaves. Families were often split up, to weaken the individuals spirit, and thus their confidence and urge to rebel decreased. The slave owners greatest fear was of the slaves rebelling, so this method of weakening their reserves of energy and will was found to be effective. The plantationShow MoreRelatedThe Causes And Effects Of The Civil War1564 Words   |  7 PagesThe causes and effects of the Civil War will be defined through the institution of slavery, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the military leadership of President Lincoln to resolve the uncompromising political position of the South/Confederacy. Lincoln’s â€Å"House Divided† speech will be an important primary source that defines the underlying resistance to the expansion of the slave states into new territories taken by the U.S. government in the 1850s. 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