Slavery: The Numbers and the People

One of the greatest historical stains of the USA is the existence of slavery until the Civil War. From colonization until abolition, slavery was an integral part of America's foundation. As such an integral part of American history, it deserves a little in-depth examination.

This interactive map showed a side-by-side comparison of the growth of
the cotton industry and the growth of slavery. The correlation here is
strong, especially seeing the section in Louisiana appear on both maps
at the same time in the same area. Source: Mapping History

Slavery had long-been established in America, but during the late 18th century, it seemed to be in decline. Masters were increasingly freeing their own slaves as ideals of liberty and equality grew. Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin revitalized the industry. The cotton gin was a machine that separated the seeds out of cotton plants, making cotton production much easier. With this boost in cotton brought a boost in slavery: the first decade of the 19th century saw a 33% increase in the slave population. And by 1860, cotton made up 57% of US exports, up from practically nothing in 1790. With cotton such an important part of the US economy, slavery by extension became entrenched in American society.

To get past numbers and really look at the human aspect of slavery, it might be helpful to look at the story of Abdul Rahman, a prince from the African region of Futa Jallon who was captured from his home, shipped and sold to slavery in Natchez, Mississippi (our class notes during the documentary of his life can be found here). The slave ship Rahman was on had all slaves chained below deck, with little water and so crowded that some died and the crew didn't even notice. When he was being sold in Natchez, Rahman was physically examined like everyday goods: he was felt, looked up and down and asked to open his mouth before he was sold to Thomas Foster, a small plantation owner. Refusing to work, Rahman, or "Prince" as he became known, was beaten by Foster. The conditions that slaves were put in during the time period were exceedingly harsh, and they were treated as far less than human, crushing their human dignity.

The institution of slavery ignored the humanity of those who were enslaved as well. When Rahman tried to tell Foster his story and get freed, Foster instead mocked him, which is what gave Rahman his nickname for the rest of his time in America, "Prince." The way in which slaves were captured ignores the fact that these were people who had lives, completely uprooted and forced into a rough lifestyle. A similar situation occurred when Rahman left America, having been freed from enslavement. He had found a wife and had had kids during his time on Foster's plantation, but he had to pay to free his wife, and he couldn't raise the money to free his children; they were left enslaved while he and his wife left back to Africa. Rahman's story shows a lack of human empathy for those who were seen as "below" people, which was really the root of the problem with slavery: placing some people below others in organized society for trivial matters.

Women's Rights (and also Pantene)

19th century was a time for change in the United States. As more and more activists spoke out to provide equal rights in the land of opportunity, America began to be shaped into what we see today. But all change is controversial. One of the most controversial movements was the reform of women's rights. A woman lacked a lot of rights in those days: her right to own property, divorce her husband, vote, and even custody of her children if her husband appointed another guardian in his will.

The Recorder's article gives criticism of the Women's
Rights Convention and then gives an excerpt of the
Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions.
Larger image here. From Library of Congress,
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/vc006198.jpg

In July of 1848, many gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, creating the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions as a cry for women's rights. Reactions from all around the USA were widespread, and varied from supporting the movement to outright condemning it. One newspaper, The Recorder, published a piece on August 3rd concerning their opinion of the convention stating, "We need not say that we think the movement excessively silly..." However, others spoke up in support. In response to articles like The Recorder's, The National Reformer
published this statement on August 31: "But to be serious– we would like to be informed why– we would ask but for one valid reason why woman should be deprived of her equal rights as an intelligent being."

Even from the 19th century, I think we still have a similar problem today. Although not to the extremes of some back in 1848, gender can have an effect on how society views someone in the 21st century. This advertisement from Pantene gives some examples, like someone dressing nice can be seen as smooth or a showoff depending on their gender. However, I think this ad also serves as proof that these differences are getting recognized and we are slowly making steps to improve the situation and bridge the gender gap.

This ad, from Pantene, displays traits that society labels men and women differently for. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8gz-jxjCmg