Civil Rights The origins of the Slavery in America.

�1THE ORIGINS OF SLAVERY IN AMERICACIVIL RIGHTS

The Zong massacre was the killing of an estimated 132-142 enslaved Africans by the crew of the slave ship Zong in the days following 29 November 1781.[note 1] The ship was owned by the

Gregson slave-trading syndicate, based in Liverpool. As was common business practice, they had taken out insurance on the lives of the slaves as cargo. When the ship ran low on potable water

following navigational mistakes, the crew threw slaves overboard into the sea to drown, in order that the remainder could survive.!

After the slave ship reached port at Black River, Jamaica, the owners of the Zong made a claim to their insurers for the loss of the slaves. When the insurers refused to pay, the resulting court cases (Gregson v Gilbert (1783) 3 Doug. KB 232) held that in some circumstances, the deliberate killing of slaves was legal and that insurers could be required to pay for the slaves' deaths. The judge, Lord

Chief Justice, the Earl of Mansfield, ruled against the syndicate owners in this case, due to new evidence being introduced suggesting the captain and crew were at fault.!

This would inspire the American Anti-Slavery Movement and be a frequent reference in many novels produced in America.

Slavery in America!The beginnings of slavery in America are almost serendipitous, for a nation founded from the religious pilgrims arriving on the Mayflower in Plymouth, Massachusetts 1620. The initial pilgrims have represented a bastion for religious tolerance and freedom. They were Puritans from England, Christians who condemned slavery of other Christians. However the actual history of American contradicts this Historical narrative. !"In 1619 a Dutch ship The White Lion arrived at Jamestown, Virginia, 20 slaves were traded for the labor and repairs to their ship. The slaves were accepted into New England under an indentured work contract. After 7 years hard labor they would have their freedom and access to land. The slaves labor proved vital for the pilgrims settlement attempts. The

labor was pivotal throughout the establishment of successful crops and permanent civilised dwellings to ward of the harsh environment. The origins of ‘Thanks Giving Day’ originates from these founders who were giving thanks to the evangelised peoples assistance which ensured their survival after the first few grim years where survival was questioned by environmental factors. !"The spinning gin cemented the institution of slavery in America. Eli Whitney’s 1793 mechanical cotton threshing machine allowed the efficient processing of cotton. At time, the production of tobacco had nearly exhausted the land, an economic crisis was imminent. England had recently mechanised their industries through the Industrial revolution that started in 1760. The mechanisation of England’s textile industry led to exponential growth in the demand for cotton, America made the switch from the production tobacco to cotton. The south’s prosperity flourished under the moral juxtaposition. !"The laborious nature of cotton meant that the industry could only be sustained and made profitable through slave labor. !"

"

�2THE ORIGINS OF SLAVERY IN AMERICACIVIL RIGHTS

Abolition of slavery!During the 1830 to 1860 the abolition movement gained significant momentum in their efforts to sway public and political opinion on the institution of slavery that had oppressed 4 million people in the south. The ability to awaken and provoke the consciousness of the north Americans was largely due to the efforts of an escaped slave turned advocate Frederick Douglass. Along with authors’ in The Liberator a radical newspaper that discussed the political issues of the united states union. These were important players in the early abolition movement as it rendered the issue of abolition of slavery as a successful appeal to their religious and moral sentiments. Douglas endowed the argument with a human face and portrayed the reality free of propaganda and distortion. Their fore fathers and the founders of their new nation were not so long ago persecuted and oppressed because of their religious beliefs, they believed that they were slipping back into the ways of the ‘old world England’. Many early Americans were mainly puritans and the appeal to their disgust of excess, indulgences and greed was successful as slave owners oppressed the African American in the pursuit of obsessive wealth on the plantations. Immorality such as rape, adultery, murder and cruelty was rife and unequivocally opposed their staunch Christian beliefs. The movement successfully transformed the argument from political, to moral and a matter of their national identity as leaders in the new world. The union wanted to be seen internationally as free from the restraints and problems of the ‘old world’ the pilgrims left behind. !Link to the Frederick Douglass movie if it doesn't appear after clicking the Profile pic above!http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery/videos/frederick-douglas!!

The American Civil war & Emancipation !In 1820, a bitter national debate over the American Federal Government’s

right and authority to restrict slavery through Missouri’s application for statehood, or state independence. Missouri was accepted into the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. All state north and west

of Missouri were free states. The outcome of the decision was designed balance the debate between free and slave states to bring stability to the political

tensions. In 1857, Dred Scott a slave who had been moved into the northern free states tried to sue for his freedom. The Supreme Court’s ruling rejected this and effectively ruled that there were no free slave states. !"When Abraham Lincoln, a republican was elected, a total of eleven states succeeded (left) the union to form the Confederate States of America by the time of the Civil War 1861-1865. Initially the aim of Lincoln was the preservation of the Unites States Union,

�3THE ORIGINS OF SLAVERY IN AMERICACIVIL RIGHTS

however military was was forced through the growing anti-slavery sentiment in the north and the growing number of self emancipated slaves as southern troops swept through the south and subjected them to even more intolerable conditions. !"In 1863, Lincoln made a bold move and issues the Emancipation Proclamation. He decreed that “slaves within any State, or designated part of a State…in rebellion,…shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” This was a courageous move by Lincoln as he showed complete disregard to the political and economic interests of the south to achieve the republican goal of the Abolition of Slavery. International opinion sided with the Union (north). The Emancipation Proclamation crippled the south’s ability to wage the war as the bulk of the labor force was comprised of the black slaves. Some 186, 000 freed black slaves would join the northern forces to fight against their former captors. !"Through the American Civil war the African American slaves had won key civil rights that were enshrined into the constitution. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment 1868 gave them equal protection and the 15th Amendment 1870 gave them the right to vote. !"On paper the African Americans had won significant gains and were equal to the white Americans. However the reality of their situation was vastly different. During the Reconstruction 1865-1877 southern legislatures would pass restrictive ‘Black Codes’ to control the labor and behaviour of the African Americans. This enraged the North and inspired record political participation of southern African Americans. When the North’s troop forces the were removed, the increased African American political participation was the catalyst for the reactionary racial supremacist forces- The Klu Klux Klan would revert the achievements of the republicans and the Reconstructionist until the 1960’s. The south had successfully repressed the African Americans.!"http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/reconstruction!"

Questions!

• Why do you think the ‘Zong’ incident would inspire the American anti-slavery movement?!

• When did slavery in America Begin?!• What conditions gave way to slavery?!• Why was so important to the confederates fight to keep slavery?!• What was the significance of Frederick Douglass’ work?!• What factors influenced the north’s opposition of slavery?!• What was the significance of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation? !• What Cvil Rights did the African Americans win through the Civil War?!• What influenced the south’s negative response to the Reconstruction era?!"

�4THE ORIGINS OF SLAVERY IN AMERICACIVIL RIGHTS

"• Visual analysis:!• Is the painting below accurate in representing the improvements to the African

Americans lives after emancipation?!""

Additional Resources More historical visual analysis from the Emancipation period visit watch the lecture from:!"http://usslave.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/a-fireside-chat-looking-at-emancipation.html!"After more information about a specific part of American Slavey? Visit!http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/confederate-states-of-america!

�5THE ORIGINS OF SLAVERY IN AMERICACIVIL RIGHTS

�6THE ORIGINS OF SLAVERY IN AMERICACIVIL RIGHTS