Preview

Why Is Slavery Outlawed Today

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1335 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Is Slavery Outlawed Today
Slavery has been a crucial part of society throughout history, a way of life for centuries upon centuries. Only recently was this aspect of civilization questioned as to its validity in an increasingly ‘humane’ society. Since this country was founded, this issue has been the object of prolonged debate and radical opinions. Slavery can be found at the root of several instances of bloodshed and revolution in the course of our nation’s development, a key role in shaping our nation. Though it is outlawed today and the thought of a reality otherwise is now absurd, not even two centuries ago, it played a vital role in over half the nation’s economy and lifestyle. However, when the United States was in its infantile stages, our founding fathers were …show more content…
Therefore, to avoid any repercussions from the public, they pushed the matter off to another generation. Ironically, this generation saw hundreds of thousands of American lives lost in the means to end the matter that those before them were afraid to address. What if that was not the case? What if, when the founding fathers had written out the United States’ Constitution, they had outlawed slavery? How much needless bloodshed could be avoided? What would change in the long history of the nation? Slavery has had a momentous impact on American society throughout the years, and in turn, the world. How would history be …show more content…
Slavery is a part of American history and culture, whether we want it to be or not. It has helped build this nation into what it is today, but is this nation better than some alternative? We can now step back and judge what those who came before us should have done, but they did what they thought was best for a budding nation. However, changes cannot be made to the decisions of the Founding Fathers, and maybe they should not be, for what if all of the past choices, all the past mistakes made, have been what have kept this country together. Knowledge comes from mistakes and we learn from experience, all that has happened has led to our current situation. A minor change such as this could wreak havoc and send a nation that has come so far into turmoil, or it could do our country more justice than has been done. Only time will tell the effects of the decisions made upon the moment, and why should the former choices of the great men who created this fine nation, greater men than us, be questioned? While ending slavery early on might improve the lives of many, it might also have detrimental effects; as with every choice, it is a double-edged sword. But which side leaves the longing lasting wound? It might be that our country would be in better shape than it is right now, if not financially, then
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Linocln Essay
    • 1704 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Linocln Essay

    More than 150 years have passed since Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. His quest to prevent slavery from spreading into western U.S. Territories, which began as a political platform for his candidacy for President of United States continued as an ideological mission throughout his administration until his death. It should have ended a political career before it even started. Lincoln’s own evolution which led to an allegiance to a higher authority with respect to the morality of slavery went directly against every social, political, economic and constitutional norm of his day. His belief that every man is created equal under God which included slaves was an issue that divided a nation, precipitated one of the bloodiest civil wars and nearly destroyed a form of democratic government that the founding fathers had fought hard to create a century before Lincoln’s time.…

    • 1704 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Howard Zinn Argumentative Analysis
    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page

    Howard Zinn Argumentative Analysis

    Forgetting history makes you believe anything that is what Howard Zinn proposes in his War and Terrorism. Applying this to the principle saying that emancipating the slaves is the product of the human moral code, and that it intends to give natural rights to them as humans and American citizens, proved it to be invalid. Once more history proves the invalidity of the claimed intentions of abolishing slavery. During the period of Reconstructions, though it is true that all the proposed regulations urge abolishing slavery as a must to live safe and sound within the borders of the U.S.A, the very true end of them did not represent the fulfilment of the intended aims of the war to emancipate the…

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Martin Luther King Was Never Born Research Paper
    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Martin Luther King Was Never Born Research Paper

    Even after 100 years after Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery were are still having problems today. If Martin Luther King Jr. was never born, we would think that slavery is a good contribute. Even though Lincoln did abolish slavery . We wouldn't know that it was an evil monstrous animal waiting to bite us in the back.…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why Did Slavery Exist In America
    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Why Did Slavery Exist In America

    What was slavery in America for blacks? When an individual hears or reads this question, what goes through this persons’ mind? For many, like myself, they immediately think of bad conditions, beatings, ripping people from their homeland and racism. Three major questions come to mind when I think of slavery in America, why did it exist? What was slavery like? And lastly, what did it do to America? Through my personal readings I have come to understand these three questions and the vast answers that follow them.…

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Slavery In Christian-Based Schools: Article Analysis
    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Slavery In Christian-Based Schools: Article Analysis

    Slavery is often portrayed in America as part of our history. However students in Christian-based schools may not hear much about the grim beginnings our nation had. While it is understandable that schools such as those choose skip over that subject, it is strange that many other things about slavery are left untaught. The article “Attacking Our Nation’s Founders” sheds light onto America’s dark past and brings to attention a part of history that is rarely brought up when slavery is up for debate. Walter E. Williams article talks about how details are overlooked and left unmentioned when it comes to teaching our youths values. If youths in America are to learn of the past, then all the details should be taught and spoken about, not just what is beneficial to the ones who run the establishment.…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Abraham Lincoln's Attitude To The Civil War
    • 1851 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Abraham Lincoln's Attitude To The Civil War

    On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln took an oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Although he presided over arguably the most dire crisis our nation has faced in its history, he was careful to act within the bounds set forth by that document as he viewed them. Long before he ascended to the presidency, Lincoln explained, “that, although bad laws, if they exist, should be repealed as soon as possible, still while they continue in force, for the sake of example, they should be religiously observed.” Despite his belief that nothing was more wrong than slavery, he could not act upon that moral belief while slavery was still legal in many areas of the nation. Until freeing the slaves became “indispensable to the preservation of the Constitution,” he could not take action that in time of peace would have been unconstitutional.…

    • 1851 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dbq Slavery
    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Dbq Slavery

    In the 1600’s slavery played an immense role in early America, as well as vastly impacting lives later on. There were many debates over whether slavery should be abolished, most of these debates were directed towards the presidents of this time frame which included James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson. These men all shared the same opinion that slavery should be abolished because it is tyrannical and inequitable (Zucconi 1). The presidents during this dreadful time all claimed that slavery needs to be eradicated because no man should be able to own another because it is unjust. James Monroe believes that taking away and creating unequal rights is evil and it’s nefarious ways must be demolished. (Randall 20). An argument was made by James Madison that slavery played a big role in Virginia's government. Although, Virginia's government was democratic it was truly aristocratic (Zucconi 14). All in all, the presidents during this time frame are…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Slavery Still Effects America
    • 1028 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Slavery Still Effects America

    Slavery isn’t a short sweet story (as illustrated above). Slavery (a form of forced labor), contrary to common belief in the USA, did not start in the Americas, nor was it restricted to black African people; it has existed in almost all cultures and continents, and even exists to this day, in one form or another, in some places. Slavery has affected how people live, for good, and bad. Slavery made slave owners lives much easier as they get the slaves to do all of the dirty work, however, slaves live strenuous lives, and are treated inferiorly, and are considered as property.…

    • 1028 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Founding Fathers View on Slavery
    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Founding Fathers View on Slavery

    During the earlier years of the United States, there was a group of leaders who led the new country all the way through the American Revolution and into the 19th century. This class of men, known today as the “Founding Fathers”, had a substantial impact on the early growth and development of the United States. However, the Founding Fathers were conflicted regarding many of the defining problems of the time period, including slavery and how to approach this horrific matter. Some men saw the African-Americans as males who were almost if not entirely equal with the white race. On the other hand, some viewed the African-Americans as in superior to white men. The majority of the Founding Fathers agreed, nonetheless, that slavery was inappropriate in the country in which they were instrumental in founding and creating. Possibly the most significant disagreement among the Founding Fathers in regards to slavery was how to get rid of slavery for good in a peaceful method.…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Three-Fifths Compromise
    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Three-Fifths Compromise

    In 1787, at the time of the Constitutional Convention, slavery in the United States was a harsh reality. The census of 1790 counted slaves in nearly every state, the only exceptions being Massachusetts and the "districts" of Vermont and Maine. In the entire country 3.8 million people were counted; 700,000 of them, or 18 percent, were slaves. These statistics are a striking example of the prominence of slavery in the history of the United States. They also exemplify the obvious contradiction between the institution of slavery and the advocacy of equality presented by the framers of our Constitution. Despite the freedoms reserved in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, slavery was not only tolerated, it was regulated.…

    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Is Slavery A Necessary Evil
    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Why Is Slavery A Necessary Evil

    Slavery as a Necessary Evil It is inevitable that with the mention of slavery emotions will be aroused within whoever is present. Today most people look at slavery as one of the biggest mistakes our country has ever made. However, some will say they can see positives within the topic. It is the obvious nature and cycle of life that everything is not perfect and mistakes must be made to learn valuable lessons. Appalled by any notion of slavery as being necessary, most people do not see the evidence showing why it was necessary for our country and its growth. Without slavery the crops and agriculture of the United States would have been nowhere near as successful as it was and is today. Slavery empowered thousands of people 's lifestyles; styles…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    American Anti Slavery
    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages

    American Anti Slavery

    As we saw in the previous lecture, many Americans in the nineteenth century believed that slavery was an economic necessity. They argued that its abolishing would ruin the country’s economy. Explain how The American Anti-Slavery…

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Abolitionist Movement
    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Abolitionist Movement

    America’s society today would be vastly different without the influence of African Americans in the past. The abolitionist movement was not in vain, for it has changed the hearts and minds of almost every individual alive today. The economy of the South was richly built upon the backs of slaves, and slaveowners quickly rose to power. The development of slavery can be looked at as a process, and one that took a firm hold. Social Darwinism fueled the slave trade through its duration and increased white power drastically. Of course, Africans would sell other Africans into the slave trade, and several wealthy Africans may have owned slaves themselves. Many involved in the slave trade did so for the financial benefits, and not simply the oppression,…

    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Human Trafficking Thesis
    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Human Trafficking Thesis

    When the topic of slavery comes up many think back to history. Although slavery was abolished with the 13th amendment stating, “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exists in the United States” (The United States Constitution) there is still modern day slavery to this…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Analysis of Lincoln
    • 1287 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analysis of Lincoln

    Although reflected on with disgust in today's society, slavery was accepted as a central institution in American society during the late-18th century. Slavery had an extremely malignant impact on the development of African-American culture. Ultimately, slavery tore families apart, exterminated a line of remarkable culture, and placed a burden upon the liberty and opportunity that the United States so honorably advertised. Fortunately for the advancement of African Americans and the growth of America as well, highly virtuous individuals outside the realm of slavery saw the transparent advantages of slavery and saw into the genuine cruelty slavery upheld. These individuals were called abolitionists and essentially fought for racial equality. Now, the works of these abolitionists were highly noted during the time when slavery most blatantly roared, but this group of individuals did not have the power to change the culture of slavery that was so deeply embedded in America. The true face behind the much needed social change in the United States was President Abraham Lincoln. As president, Lincoln employed his powers wisely in attempting to abolish the monstrous injustice it represented that Lincoln condemned and the toxic that was presumably drowning America’s success, slavery, through powerful legislature. Although Lincoln generated countless important legislations and speeches which influenced the abolition of slavery substantially, the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, was most significant to Lincoln and it seemed like no piece of legislation during Lincoln’s presidency received more of his attention. The movie, Lincoln, by Steven Spielberg exploits the story of the battle to pass the 13th Amendment in 1865. The issue is not why passage was important; the internet explains that clearly enough. Instead, the problem is to explain the frenzied work to pass it in that month. Lincoln portrays the political machinations…

    • 1287 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More