Slavery Dbq Essay

In the years 1777 to 1865, the African American people, also known as Blacks, were used as slaves for the white men of America. Eventually, enslavement was abolished and was outlawed, as it is today. According to the map, The Abolition of Slavery, slavery in the northern states was still around during the years 1777 to around 1787. The New England states of Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut got rid of slavery first, followed by the Midwest states and the Mid-Atlantic states. How free were Blacks living in the northern regions? They certainly didn’t have all the rights of a white man, but they did have a good amount of freedom compared to the south, as slavery was legal there, but the Blacks were

Document B is a statement made by a white person explaining the whites feelings toward Blacks. The Whites acknowledged the rights of Blacks to work, own property, and pay taxes, but goes on to say Blacks were not free to eat with Whites, or attend public events with Whites like theater, concerts, or lectures. Blacks didn’t have a very good reputation among Whites. The white people acknowledged the freedoms the Blacks had, but most didn’t like it and didn’t consider the Black’s to be their equal. Black men were not well accepted into the north and most Whites did not like that they were in the northern region with them. The north had a distinctive set of laws for Blacks that prevented them from being able to do the same things as Whites, and if any Blacks refused to follow the altered laws, they would be arrested. Document D is a photo of a black church, which shows only black people in attendance. This is because Blacks were only allowed to attend black churches. The church was a place where Blacks could gather and socialize among themselves and get support like learning to read. Blacks were also allowed to marry at their church and have a funeral. It was also a safe gathering place where Blacks could discuss the unfair laws and look for ways to earn justice and

Document C is a part of a speech made by a black student in 1819. The speech explains his feelings of discouragement about not being accepted into a job that could support his family. The man who wrote the speech believes that although he is educated and free, he is forced into jobs that no one else wants such as “drudgery and servitude”, which makes him feel like he is still a slave. Most Blacks could not get a job, so they couldn’t earn money to support themselves, or their family. They couldn’t provide food, water, or even a house to live in. For most Blacks, making money was hard, as they had to do unskilled jobs like draymen (a person who delivers beer for a brewery) or porters. Blacks could start their own businesses, but most Whites wouldn’t work with them or buy from them. In addition to the lack of ways to earn money for Blacks, they also had to pay taxes like everyone else. Blacks didn’t have to be slaves, but most of them still couldn’t get a job they liked, or earn much money from the job they had. With these factors, Blacks are very limited on economic