How Slavery Affects Us Today

Sexually, mentally, and physically abused; slaves were struck, smacked and slapped by their masters. Slavery is a practice in which people own other people. A slave is the property of his or her owner and works without pay. The owner, who is called a master or mistress, provides the slave with food, shelter, and clothing. Slavery is a cruel and abusive way to get work done. Enslavement has been in the United States for centuries and it still affects us today. In my essay, I will be focussing on when and why slavery started,who fought against slavery, what were some laws relative to slavery, and how does slavery still affect us today.

Slavery was first officially introduced in America in 1619. The first African slaves were imported into

Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin tried to help. Although they initially owned slaves, They were against slavery and tried to make and enforce laws and join abolition groups. Tom Paine and Harriet Beecher Stowe both wrote books that were against slavery. He wrote, African Slavery in America and she wrote, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Uncle Tom’s Cabin amplified and even had some effect on the Civil War. John Brown fought for slavery. John Brown helped with the underground Railroad, gave land to free African Americans and eventually established the League of Gileadites, a group formed with the intention of protecting black citizens from slave hunters. He killed men who were pro-slavery and led the raid of Harper’s ferry, even though it was unsuccessful. Susan B. Anthony became an agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society, arranging meetings, making speeches, putting up posters, and distributing leaflets. Frederick Douglas was a former slave who fought for the cause too. He was very influential in changing the public’s opinion. Last but certainly not least, Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil war, created the emancipation proclamation, and formed the thirteenth amendment. These few individuals had a huge impact on slavery. There are many other people who helped fight against the laws of

In 1651 and 1663, states decided that an enslaved person must be freed after 10 years of service and anyone who is born to an enslaved mother is also a slave. Later, in 1793, the fugitive slave law was passed. This gave slave hunters permission to return or capture any runaway slaves. The Jim Crow laws were formed in 1890 encouraging racial segregation. There were a lot of laws that were pro slavery, but there were also a lot of laws made against it. In 1671, quakers are recognized as friends of the slaves and they try to abolish slavery. The quakers would help slaves and blacks protest against slavery. Gradual Emancipation Act passed in Pennsylvania in 1780. The Act prohibited further importation of slaves into the state, required Pennsylvania slaveholders to continually register their slaves, and established that all children born in Pennsylvania were free regardless of the race of their parents. In 1787, the three-fifths compromise is created. It allowed all male slaves to count as three-fifths of a person when counting population and would greatly increase the representation and political power of slave-owning states. In 1808, United States outlaws American participation in the African Slave Trade. The Compromise of 1850 includes a controversial Fugitive Slave Law that compels all citizens to help in the recovery of fugitive slaves. The Civil War outbreaks in 1861 due to slavery and Lincoln’s