How would you respone to this discussion?
How would you respone to this discussion?
Slavery tends to have a negative view on it, but some people, such as George Fitzhugh, believe that slavery could be better than being equal. Many Americans in the nineteenth century shifted their ideas of slavery from, “a necessary evil to a positive good.” He claims that the slaves should be provided with their wants no matter what, almost like they’re children to the master, which is similar to paternalism. Fitzhugh tries to get the point across that slavery can be beneficial to both parties (but more to the masters, and not so much for the slaves). The slaves would work for their wants, while the masters would benefit and give them their wants. He makes it sound like slavery wouldn’t be as bad in conditions like this, but in reality, it’s not anymore fair to the slaves.
Although Fitzhugh argued that slavery can be mutual and beneficial, it usually wasn’t like this, and unacceptable things were to happen behind closed doors. Harriet Jacobs speaks on how her master was the, “father of eleven slaves,” implicating that he had raped his female slaves. And to make matters even more worse, the master's wife would be aware of this! Women in general, black or white, were taken advantage of in this time, and it wasn’t morally right. Being mistreated by husbands, women were more prone to be abolitionists in this time era. Angelina Grimke was a big leader for women protesting against slavery with her reasoning being, “that all men everywhere and of every color are born equal, and have an inalienable right to liberty, then it is equally true that no man can be born a slave, and no man can ever rightfully be reduced to involuntary bondage and held as a slave.” She was more aware of the immorality of slavery than men were, and her spreading this to other women would be influential.
Abolitionists in general, as we all know, were for liberty and equality, unlike Fitzhugh. They also go against the Appeal to History fallacy because they are trying to change what has always been, but it’s for the better. Being consistent (or stuck in history) prevents change. Abolitionists were against the paternalistic slavery that went on, because it still was not fair to the slaves, they were not free men! Abolitionists were a huge contribute when slavery came to an end, they fought hard for the rights of slaves and changed history in a way that brought the U.S. together.
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