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Fitzhugh's Sociology For The South Or The Failure Of Free Society

1335 Words6 Pages

Slavery was used by many nations over the years, but one of the last countries to abolish the widespread use of this system was The United States. Slaves were robbed from their homes and sentenced to a life of physical and mental turmoil in America. They were beaten when they could not fulfill their masters’ desires. The institution of slavery also stole their intellect and well-being as they were treated as subhuman. The damages in the physical and mental states of slaves during this time leads me to conclude. Slavery should have been abolished years ago. Slavery is detrimental to the physical state of slaves. The attached visual of Louisiana slave Gordon’s back depicts the extreme physical damages that slaves received. Gordon’s back is …show more content…

In Fitzhugh’s Sociology for the South, or the Failure of Free Society he argues that slaves will not be self-sufficient if sent free. “The maddest abolitionist does not think the negro’s providence of habits and money-making capacity at all to compare to those of the whites. This defect of character would alone justify enslaving him” (Fitzhugh). The wildest freedom activist won’t believe that slave’s foresight in manners and sustainment capabilities can at all rival the abilities of their owners. The fault in their make-up could easily allow continuation of slavery.Fitzhugh argues that the slaves actions and mannerism are inferior to the white race. Slaves do not have the same ability to make money like whites, and so they are in position of economic weakness. Many slaves do exhibit behavior that is odd in society and would not be welcomed if free. However, while Fitzhugh argues that slaves are inferior to whites and must be held in captivity, de Crevecoeur argues for the reasons why it may appear to be the case. In Letters from an American Farmer by de Crevecoeur the author states, “What can be expected from wretches in such circumstances? Forced from their native country, cruelly treated when on board, and not less so on the plantations to which they are driven.”(de Crevecoeur) What else should be anticipated by people in similar situations. Stolen from land and home, inhumanly treated while being shipped, and continuing to be treated viciously on estates where they are worked. De Crevecoeur argues that the hardships slaves experienced resulted in their wretched status. Those in captivity were treated as inhuman since the beginning of their capture, as a result they have a different path to recover their humanly status. Fitzhugh’s argument that slavery does not protect slaves from economic tragedy, is disproved by the fact that they are in this situation, because they were robbed of everything in their home

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