Slavery:A Struggle of Race and Basic Rights for Humans

In the 1800s, cotton trade was an important business in America. And since it was hard work, and workers would have to be paid, slavery increased as a way of labor. Since slaves didn't have rights they could be worked until exhaustion. With the cotton boom, slavery became more and more entrenched in America. Slaves were treated as property and not as people. Slavery affected the dignity of the enslaved and because of this they weren't even seen as people.

The Cotton Gin

The cotton gin allowed cotton to be grown in even more areas since it allowed for the separation of cotton seeds to be easier. Slavery grew due to this. Slaves weren't even counted as whole people within the Constitution. Instead, they were counted as 3/5 of a person. This lowered the dignity of many slaves and this is why people treated them as property,

The Rights of Women

Women's rights have dramatically changed throughout history. Women began to gain more rights during the 19th century. A declaration of rights was issued by women. American society reacted in many different ways. Still, to this day, society react differently to men and women.

The reactions to the Seneca Falls varied. Seneca Falls is where the declaration of rights was written for women. Some people supported it, while others opposed it. Others yelled at those who opposed it, saying they didn't have any good reasons to oppose it. Many people were glad women were working on the right to vote, since that could cause even more change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K2kfgW7708&feature=youtu.be

Today, society still views men and women differently. Men are seen as stronger individuals, but there are many circumstances where that is not the case. Some jobs are seen as men only or women only jobs. This, of course, is not true. There was a time when women weren't allowed in the military, but now that's changed.

Jails vs. Asylums: The Criminal vs. The Insane

 Dix, Dorothea. "Dorothea Dix Speaks on Behalf of Insane Persons, 1843." Http://wadsworth.cengage.com/. 1843. Accessed January 12, 2015. http://wadsworth.cengage.com/history_d/templates/student_resources/0030724791_ayers/sources/ch11/11.4.dix.html.

About two years since leisure afforded opportunity and duty prompted me to visit several prisons and almshouses in the vicinity of this metropolis. I found, near Boston, in the jails and asylums for the poor, a numerous class brought into unsuitable connection with criminals and the general mass of paupers. I refer to idiots and insane persons, dwelling in circumstances not only adverse to their own physical and moral improvement, but productive of extreme disadvantages to all other persons brought into association with them. I applied myself diligently to trace the causes of these evils, and sought to supply remedies. As one obstacle was surmounted, fresh difficulties appeared. Every new investigation has given depth to the conviction that it is only by decided, prompt, and vigorous legislation the evils to which I refer, and which I shall proceed more fully to illustrate, can be remedied. I shall be obliged to speak with great plainness, and to reveal many things revolting to the taste, and from which my woman's nature shrinks with peculiar sensitiveness. But truth is the highest consideration. I tell what I have seen--painful and shocking as the details often are--that from them you may feel more deeply the imperative obligation which lies upon you to prevent the possibility of a repetition or continuance of such outrages upon humanity. If I inflict pain upon you, and move you to horror, it is to acquaint you with sufferings which you have the power to alleviate, and make you hasten to the relief of the victims of legalized barbarity.

Springfield. In the jail, one lunatic woman, furiously mad, a State pauper, improperly situated, both in regard to the prisoners, the keepers, and herself. It is a case of extreme self-forgetfulness and oblivion to all the decencies of life, to describe which would be to repeat only the grossest scenes. She is much worse since leaving Worcester. In the almshouse of the same town is a woman apparently only needing judicious care, and some well-chosen employment, to make it unnecessary to confine her in solitude, in a dreary unfurnished room. Her appeals for employment and companionship are most touching, but the mistress replied "she had no time to attend to her."


Dorothea Dix wrote this and spoke to the Massachusetts Legislature in 1843 on behalf of those who were imprisoned for being insane and without proper treatment. Her goal was to reform the prisons by creating a place for the insane to be separate from the criminal. She was a leader of the prison reform movement. Her goal here was to convince those in the Legislature to create laws that would provide care to the insane. Her letter describes the horrid conditions of those that were mentally insane, how they were beaten and chained. They were abused because they had problems that weren't properly addressed.

The People's President: Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson, also known as "The People's President", has been controversial due to his nickname. He did act in the interest of the people, but not always. He would get into duels, give people positions in the government even though they may have criminal connections, and forced Native Americans to leave their land. The nickname "The People's President" isn't really deserved. He caused many problems in government, as we learned about in class. But he did some good things, such as acting in the interest of the people. Each group made presentations telling about the Indian Removal, the Spoils System, and the Bank War.

The Indian Removal forced natives off their land unless they refused to pay taxes and fight in the state militia. Eventually, they were forced out. The Bank War was an example of Jackson fighting for the people. The spoils system, however, made the government corrupt. More people got positions in government due to their support of the party, not on merit.

 

Democracy's Rise in America

Democracy plays a huge role in America. Democracy means having power in the hands of the elected who are elected by the people. In the 1800's, the U.S wasn't very democratic until people could elect legislatures. In class we read documents concerning the voting ability of the people, how Thomas W. Dorr helped Rhode Island adopt a new constitution within the state, and the requirements one had to meet to vote. We then were put into groups and created a poster.

Overview of the poster (Note: I was not able to rotate the pictures at this time)

Document relating to Thomas W. Dorr

Chart showing requirements to vote among states

The Role Race Plays in Revolutions

Race plays a huge role in the world we live in. But some fail to acknowledge human value because of race. For example, the case in Ferguson, Missouri. Race played a major part and still will. In the Latin American revolutions, race also played a huge role. The people who led the revolutions were from different racial groups. In class we recently learned about the Latin American revolutions. We then broke up into groups and learned more about the revolutions

Our group's timeline on the revolution in Gran Columbia

Between all the revolutions, there were some commonalities as well as differences. All three revolutions we learned about were all fighting to gain independence and they were all against European countries. However, not all revolutions resulted in a constitution formed, and 2 had the same racial group leading, while one had a different one. The higher up people were in terms of race back then, the bigger impact they had. All of the leaders came from the two highest groups in terms of ranking at the time.

Now, race is still an important factor in day to day life. For example, the Ferguson case that just got closed. A black teenager was killed by a white cop. People are still ignorant of the fact that race doesn't matter. We all were created or evolved (or whatever the theory that you believe for how humans were created) from the same thing. What it comes down to in the end is what kind of person they are. That is what matters, not race or color.

Toussaint Louverture: Leader of the Haitian Revolution (Haitian Revolution DBQ)

Throughout history there have been many great leaders who have accomplished many things. One of them was Toussaint Louverture. He fought for slaves independence and succeeded, led a rebel force on the island colony of Saint Domingue, became commander-in-chief of the army there after the French abolished slavery, and later led an army against Napoleon’s forces. He was later captured by Napoleon’s forces and died in jail. However Napoleon withdrew, and the colony of Saint Domingue became Haiti on January 1, 1804. Toussaint Louverture was a great leader and should be remembered as a liberator of slaves, and in the process led the most successful slave revolt, a brilliant military commander, and the ruler of Saint Domingue.

Toussaint Louverture helped to liberate the slaves of Saint Domingue and protect their freedom. When the slave revolt broke out in Saint Domingue in 1791, Toussaint joined as doctor and eventually led the revolt itself. When France abolished slavery Toussaint ordered the rebellion to stop, now that the slaves are free.(A) Eventually rumors reach the colony that France may reinstate slavery, to which Toussaint writes “Could men who have once enjoyed the benefits of liberty look on calmly while it is taken from them!”(B) Toussaint states that if the freedom of slaves is threatened, they will fight back. He states later that “There cannot exist slaves in this territory, servitude is therein forever abolished.”(C) This is showing that he has officially declared the slaves liberated. He helped to lead the slave revolt, which gave him experience as a military commander.

Toussaint Louverture was a brilliant military commander when it came to planning out the battle and in combat. During the slave revolt, he trained his men in both guerrilla and European style warfare, allowing his troops to have more tactics to chose from in combat. When uprisings occurred after he had been ruler of Saint Domingue for some time, he handled the situation by “... he ordered the mutineer regiments on parade and summoned certain men to step out of the ranks and blow their brains out.”(E) He made sure that people understand his power as a military commander. When Napoleon sent troops to retake Saint Domingue, Toussaint ordered cities burnt to the ground to prevent the enemy from using them. He also had his troops moved into the mountains since it was an advantage. “Toussaint and his generals at once abandoned the towns, and betook themselves to the mountains, those citadels of freedom in St. Domingo, where the blacks had always proved too much for the whites.”(F) This shows Toussaint’s brilliancy as a military commander through tactics and strategy. Due to his skill as a military commander, he was also appointed the ruler of Saint Domingue.

As the ruler of Saint Domingue, Toussaint Louverture created many new laws and policies. Since Saint Domingue was still a French colony, he knew that it was vital to keep the plantations going as they were a main source of income. The former slaves wouldn’t want to work back at the plantations, so Toussaint made sure that they would be paid. The constitution stated that “The colony being essentially agricultural cannot suffer the least disruption in the works of its cultivation.”(C) further backing up Toussaint’s reasons for keeping plantations going. He made sure everyone was working the moment they could. He proclaimed “As soon as a child can walk, he should be employed on the plantation according to his strength in some useful work.”(D) He is making sure that everyone does their part to support the economy.

Toussaint Louverture was an incredible person. He fought and helped protect slaves’ freedom using his talents as a military leader and using his position of the ruler of Saint Domingue. His brilliancy as a military commander enabled him to win battles against Napoleon’s army. He should be remembered as the liberator of slaves, a brilliant military commander, and as the ruler of Saint Domingue.

 

Sources:

Document A: created from various sources

Document B: Toussaint Louverture, “Letter to the French Directory, November 1797.”

Document C: The Saint Domingue Constitution of 1801. Signed by Toussaint Louverture in July 1801.

Document D: Toussaint Louverture, “Proclamation, 25 November 1801.”

Document E: Madison Smartt Bell, Toussaint Louverture: A Biography, 2007.

Document F: William Wells Brown, “A Description of Louverture,” from The Black Man, His Antecedents, His Genius, and His Achievements, 2nd edition, 1863. Engraving of Toussaint Louverture, 1802.