Essay, Research Paper: Civil War - An Anti-Slavery Essay

The word ?human? can be defined as, (according to Webster?s Dictionary)
?Belonging to man or mankind; having the qualities or attributes of a man; of or
pertaining to man or to the race of man; as, a human voice; human shape; human
nature;?.
This would describe all humans - all men, women, children, and others I may
have excluded. However, like everything else that resides on our beautiful planet
Earth, it is a known and proven fact that humans also come in various forms,
shapes, colors, and sizes. It would seem sufficient and commodious that equality
should be brought upon in order to establish a more peaceful means of life, but
unfortunately that isn?t so. Many humans tend to endeavor dictatorship over those
of a minority. This is where the issue of slavery fits perfectly.
Southern family incomes and households cannot survive without its
paramount industries of cotton and tobacco farms. But because the South consists
of mostly rural acreage, agriculture seems to be the only means of employment.
These crops take much arduous exertion in its cultivation, which brings forth the
need for workers and labor. In order to pull in more profits, they must acquire
cheap, inexpensive labor, hence the ancient idea of slavery.
Slavery, illustrated from my own standards, is nothing but oppressive and
autocratic. It shows no morality or rectitude in even the slightest. How one can
think they can procure someone?s life and force them into becoming a transgressed
piece of machinery is beyond me. For one, they too are of the human race. Pigment
should have nothing to do with one?s level within society because it is merely a
physical characteristic, similar to eye or hair color. I find it peculiar, almost
amusing that this kind of behavior resides among us within the Christian faith and
principles. The irony in this is so unbelievably apparent.
Not to mention that this is America. The United States of America, the
worldwide symbol for public freedom amongst all persons. Freedom! Can you
imagine? A country, whose basics are incorporated from the founding of liberty
and democracy, delivering the same orders that it had so longingly fought against.
Conditions brought upon these slaves are far from ?inadequate?. Clothing
and food are always in the most meager supply with no variety, while housing is
almost never sufficient in protection from elements. The hours in which these
people are labored in the fields are completely ridiculous, without any leisure time.
Often they are stripped of their privacy, dignity, and self-worth from even the
smallest action such as addressing them as ?boys and girls? instead of the men and
women they are. Punishments usually consists of branding, whipping, amputation,
and sometimes death. These severe corporal punishments are usually given in the
presence of other slaves in order to ?teach them a lesson?. It causes much anguish
and hurt for those who must endure and watch these awful forms of discipline.
Slavery causes more than just pain and suffering onto millions of African
Americans. It?s the main cause of the bitter conflict within our society today.
Brothers, fathers, and sons are taking sides, sometimes even opposing one other in
this bloody hostile war between the Americas. It?s tearing our country apart,
dividing the foundation of our house of unity in which we?ve put so much effort over
the years to construct. What if our children would be growing up in a country that
can?t resolve its own differences, much less explicate its own future issues. If we
continue on with this, who knows what the future will hold for America as we know
it. What will be left of it?
You may disagree with a single word of this composition. You may sneer and
jest upon this because you know that your mansion and beautiful plantation could
not have been accomplished without the hard and dedicated work of the hearty
hands of your slaves or the power of your mighty whip. I would just like you to
think about something for a moment. Think hard. Imagine yourself being taken
away from your home. Away from your family, your property, everything you?ve
ever known and worked for. Imagine this and actually knowing that you?ll never see
your home or family ever again. I want you to imagine this thought of living
without the freedom of a secure family your entire life. Then I want you to imagine
dying like that as well. This is what the millions of people that make up our slave
population must endure each and every day.