Week 7: Slaves & Fugitives

Choose 1 topic:


 

• Describe life on plantations. Do you think this culture continues to permeate the Southern states? Give examples to support your opinion.
  
• What was the Fugitive Slave Act? How did it hurt relations between the Northern States and the Southern States?
  

Rules:

1. Please answer the discussion questions in your own words.
   
2. You may use quotations if you like, but you must cite your sources.
   
3. Responses to the main topic should be 100 words or more.
   
4. Responses to other students should be 50 words or more.
   
5. Be polite!
   

In Southern states, majority of profits were created from plantation, and their fundamental labor system was depending on large number of slaves for a long time. Their labor gave Southern states a capability of huge plantation. And this kind of circumstance made people to get used to it more and more as the time goes by. As the cotton plantation started to emerge, the situation of slave got worse. After the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney, intensity of slave labor got much more cruel. Because it accelerated the process of dividing cotton and its seeds, which was regarded as the most tough work in cotton plantation.

The Civil War is the largest wound in America. The reason for this is the economic background. Most states in the South were benefiting from the slave labor for a very long time. They sent slaves to the plantations, and they had many benefits. The slaves eventually brought the cultivation ability to the south. And they did not realize that this was wrong. So the South maintained its existing agricultural economy structure. The labor force of slaves was essential in large farms that cultivated tobacco or cotton. In the North, on the other hand, the commercial and industrial sectors were rapidly developing. As a result, the different cultures and ideologies of North and South were enough to hurt each other.

YoonJi wrote:The Civil War is the largest wound in America. The reason for this is the economic background. Most states in the South were benefiting from the slave labor for a very long time. They sent slaves to the plantations, and they had many benefits. The slaves eventually brought the cultivation ability to the south. And they did not realize that this was wrong. So the South maintained its existing agricultural economy structure. The labor force of slaves was essential in large farms that cultivated tobacco or cotton. In the North, on the other hand, the commercial and industrial sectors were rapidly developing. As a result, the different cultures and ideologies of North and South were enough to hurt each other.

She made a good point. Southern state was depending too much in slave labor. It was obvious that their economy will fall down after the slavery abolition. In opposition, Northern state had no lingering affection about slavery. Despite cotton was so much contributing in clothing manufacture, they had other alternative commodities.

The life on the plantation for slaves was horrible. They were abused by getting whipped and work all they under the sun. They were treated as tool or property that they did not count as a person for southern people. I believe the culture of slavery would have permeated in the south if there weren't civil war because it was easy profit for the southern. They owned huge land of farms and they needed a worker for their farms. Slavery was part of their economic system that they sell and buy them for a good amount of money. slavery would have ended because of improvements of civilization that they may reduce the rate of farms and build different things like factories. However, slavery would still continue because factories need workers and southern people are already used to using slaves as their workers.

Doojin wrote:In Southern states, majority of profits were created from plantation, and their fundamental labor system was depending on large number of slaves for a long time. Their labor gave Southern states a capability of huge plantation. And this kind of circumstance made people to get used to it more and more as the time goes by. As the cotton plantation started to emerge, the situation of slave got worse. After the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney, intensity of slave labor got much more cruel. Because it accelerated the process of dividing cotton and its seeds, which was regarded as the most tough work in cotton plantation.

I like how Doojin mentioned the detail of why slavery was so big in southern states that slaves were needed for their plantation since it was most profitable for them. Another thing I liked about is mentioning of Cotten Gin. It is true that cotton farming and slaves increased after the invention of the better cotton gin by Eli Whitney.

Fugitive slave act was passed by the US congress on September 18, 1850. It required all escaped slaves from South must be sent back to where they are from and people are expected to be cooperate with officials to catch escaped slaves. Escaped slaves jury trial was forbidden. Abolitionists nicknamed it “Bloodhound Law” for the dogs that were used to track down runaway slaves. This was one of the reasons that started the Civil War. It was abolished in July 28, 1864 during the war.

Reply to Suhan.
The slaves were part of the personal property of the time. At that time, it was used for agriculture because it was time to rely on plantation rather than factory. But as civilization developed, factories were built and slaves were used in the industrial process. The main tasks of slaves have also changed with the development of civilization. He is well aware of this.