Study Questions for History 2600 Unit 1
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History
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Feb 20, 2024
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History 2600 • Spring 2024
Study Questions: Did Racism cause the enslavement of Africans in America?
YES: Carl N Degler, “Slavery and the Genesis of the American Race Prejudice”
1.
On what grounds does Degler reject Handlin's Argument (see the NO essay) regarding the
development of slavery in the English colonies?
Degler rejects Handlin's argument that slavery in the English colonies developed primarily through the evolution of
English common law. He argues that Handlin's legalistic perspective overlooks the economic forces driving slavery,
such as the need for cheap labor in the plantation economy. Degler emphasizes the role of racial prejudice and social
factors in legitimizing slavery, challenging Handlin's narrow focus on legal statutes.
2.
What is Degler’s basic argument? Which does he think came first: slavery or racial discrimination?
How does he respond to those (like the Handlins) who say that blacks were rarely called slaves in the
seventeenth century?
Degler argues that slavery preceded racial discrimination in America, with economic interests driving the institution
of slavery. He contends that racial prejudice emerged to justify slavery, even if the term "slave" wasn't always used.
Degler emphasizes the interconnectedness of slavery and racial discrimination, dismissing the focus on specific
terminology as overlooking the broader socio-economic and cultural context of slavery.
3.
What evidence does Degler present to suggest that blacks were treated differently from whites in
early Virginia? That the English applied the term ‘slavery’ to non-English? That the English were
enslaving blacks beginning in the 1640s?
Degler presents evidence showing differential treatment of blacks and whites in early Virginia through laws and
court rulings. He also highlights instances where the term 'slavery' was applied to non-English individuals, including
Africans. Historical records indicate that Africans were enslaved by English colonists beginning in the 1640s,
supporting Degler's argument about the early presence of slavery in colonial America.
4.
Why is it important to Degler that the examples he offers came decades before slavery emerged as an
important part of the colonial labor system? That black slavery appeared in the northern colonies,
where slave labor was less important?
Degler emphasizes the early presence of slavery and racial discrimination to challenge traditional narratives,
establish precedence, and highlight regional variations. He demonstrates that these practices existed before slavery
became economically indispensable, suggesting that racial prejudice played a crucial role in the establishment of
slavery across different regions of colonial America.
NO: Oscar Handlin and Mary F. Handlin, “Origins of the Southern Labor System”
1.
What is the Handlins’ basic argument? What, if not racism, prompted the emergence of slavery in
the English colonies?
The Handlins argue that the transition from indentured servitude to slavery in the English colonies, particularly in
the Southern region, was primarily driven by economic factors rather than solely by racism. They emphasize the
profitability of cash crops like tobacco and cotton, which created a demand for a reliable labor force that slavery
could provide more efficiently
2.
What status, distinct from ‘slave,’ do the Handlins argue was the opposite of ‘free’? What forms did
this status take?
The Handlins argue that the opposite of "free" status in the English colonies was "unfree." This encompassed
various labor arrangements such as indentured servitude, redemptioners, and apprenticeship, where individuals were
not considered fully free but were not enslaved either.
3.
What sorts of people, besides blacks, were unfree in early Virginia? What was their social status? In
what contexts, and to what people, did the English apply the term ‘slave’?
In early Virginia, besides blacks, unfree individuals included indentured servants, redemptioners, and convicts. They
lacked personal autonomy and legal rights. The English applied the term "slave" to various unfree individuals,
including Africans, as well as indentured servants and convicts subjected to involuntary servitude.
4.
Why, according to the Handlins, is it “not necessary to resort to racialist assumptions” (81) to explain
the reduction of blacks to chattels? What, if not racism, explains this development?
The Handlins argue that economic factors, rather than racism alone, drove the reduction of blacks to chattels. They
suggest that the profitability of cash crops like tobacco and cotton created a demand for a reliable labor force,
leading to the adoption of slavery as a labor system in the English colonies.
5.
How do the Handlins explain references to unlimited service in the early English colonies? Why was
length of service unimportant? What developments eventually made length of service more
significant to the colonists?
In the early English colonies, references to unlimited service reflected the flexibility of labor arrangements, with
immediate labor needs being prioritized over contractual terms. However, economic factors such as the growth of
the plantation economy eventually made the length of service more significant, leading to the establishment of more
rigid labor contracts and the emergence of slavery as a preferred labor system.
6.
How do the Handlins explain the fact that laws designed to improve servant’s working conditions
were not applied to blacks? How do they explain laws that tightened discipline over black (but not
white) laborers?
The Handlins explain that laws designed to improve servants' working conditions were not applied to blacks due to
racial prejudices. They attribute the disparity in laws tightening discipline over black laborers to the desire of
colonial elites to maintain control over the enslaved population and ensure productivity in the plantation economy.
7.
Notice that, whereas the title of Degler’s essay mentions both slavery and race, the Handlins’ title
mentions neither. How might their differing arguments explain this difference?
Degler's essay focuses on the relationship between slavery and race prejudice in American history, hence the
inclusion of both terms in the title. In contrast, the Handlins' essay emphasizes economic factors in the development
of labor systems in the Southern colonies, hence the omission of specific references to slavery and race in their title.
Both had different reasons for writing their essay’s and so their title so the inclusion of said topics show their stance
on them.
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