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Kylie Frech

HIST 2111

Ms. Brackett

1 March 2019

The Debate over Slavery

The debate over slavery that occurred over a century past caused tensions in American

society to achieve a boiling purpose. Southern states within the country deemed slavery as some

way of life victimization scripture, and the word of God to justify it. They believed that scripture

and God told them that negros ought to be submissive to the superior race, the White race. They

additionally used medical problems to supply reasoning on slavery being required in society.

Abolitionists opposed slavery, basic cognitive process that men were created equal and to be

treated as equals just like the Declaration of Independence states. Abolitionists wanted to show

the false followers of God, and pro-slavery individuals, by showcasing that God created all men

equal using their scripture to state their case for termination. Throughout this debatable time of

slavery, it forced the country to divide into their standpoints.

George Fitzhugh justified his pro-slavery standpoint by creating The Universal Law of

Slavery. George viewed African Americans slaves as incapable beings, compared them to kids.

He believed, like several different white men, that slavery was the most effective choice for

African Americans thanks to their inferiority to the White race, the superiors. George's logic was

that African Americans would “gradually but certainly become extinct” if exposed to the

preponderance of the White race in society. He states that society features a right to stop

"domestic slavery" to keep African Americans from experiencing their own imprudence in

society. Fitzhugh reminds the opposing views of slavery that America's slavery system is way
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less cruel than the lands of Africa and their own system of slavery. George states, “In Africa or

the West Indies, he would become idolatrous, savage and cannibal, or be devoured by savages

and cannibals or freeze and starve in the North” (Fitzhugh). Daringly, Fitzhugh states that slaves

within the south are the “freest and the happiest people in the world” (Fitzhugh).

Dr. Cartwright, a pro-slavery ideologist, believed to have discovered the unwellness that

“induces negros to run away from service” (Cartwright). The unwellness was said to be the same

as dysesthesia aethiopica a much more “curable problem than mental alienation” (Cartwright).

People that had this unwellness slacked on their work, disobeyed their overseers, and looked as if

it would be insensible to pain once subjected to penalization. Cartwright said that physicians

within the north noticed the symptomatic actions of the slaves however, selected to not explore

their actions in a very singular matter rather an entire. The unwellness that caused the slaves to

run away was truly supported by the treatment of the slave. If the master treated the slave as an

equal or on top of their role in society, it might cause the slave fleeing from the overseers.

Cartwright confirming these concepts by communicating, “The disease is the natural offspring of

negro liberty--the liberty to be idle, to wallow in filth, and to indulge in improper food and

drinks” (Dr. Cartwright).

A social science term referred to as the "Mudsill Theory" was based by Hammond. The

idea offered the thought that the bottom threshold of society supports the inspiration of a

building as within the high category of society. The legislator of a recent royal house, James

Hammond, believed that all social systems had to be one category to perform all the “menial

tasks and drudge work” in society. These individuals of less educated and less skilled make up

the lower class which are ultimately the foundation which the rest of society operates on.

Furthermore, these domestic workers of manual laborers and operatives essentially are slaves
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that act for society. Hammond believed that the lower class of the northern society operated

differently than the slaves of the south. Slaves of the south were of different ethnicity and were

enslaved for the entirety of their life but would never have to face the difficulties of finding

employment. He illustrates this take by saying, “The status in which we have placed (slaves) is

an elevation… Yours (the workers of the north) are white, of your own race… They are your

equals in natural endowment of intellect...” (Hammond).

David Walker, an abolitionist, deemed the pro slavery view from white Americans to be

biased and greedy. The superior race, the white race, was constantly seeking dominance over the

African Americans as well as control over them. Walker recognized the constant stereotype

being portrayed on the African Americans. Slaves were depicted as a downgrade from the white

race because of the color of their skin as well as the ethnicity being miserable as a whole. Walker

saw past this stereotype and saw a man who deserved the equalities of life and liberty that the

whites indulged in. However, society sought to treat slaves like brutes, and the children of these

slaves were to be kept in bondage like their parents until the end of their days. The equality

between the whites and blacks were seemingly different in who held the control. Walker states

his appeal for equality for all by saying, “See your Declaration Americans!!! Do you understand

your own language? Hear your languages, proclaimed to the world, July 4th, 1776 -- "We hold

these truths to be self-evident -- that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL!!” (Walker).

Frederick Douglas delivered a speech to an audience of abolitionists where he criticized

Independence Day, the Fourth of July. Douglas states that this precious day of freedom to white

Americans is a day of mourning for the slaves, African Americans. Slaves mourn the unfulfilled

promises of equality and liberty that was promised to all under the Declaration of Independence.

Douglas states, “If the Constitution were intended to be, by its framers and adopters, a slave-
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holding instrument, why neither slavery, slaveholding, nor slave can anywhere be found in it”

(Douglas). Furthermore, Douglas exposes pro-slavery Christians as false followers of God, “The

existence of slavery in this country brands your republicanism as a sham, your humanity as a

base pretense, and your Christianity as a lie”, this entailing that it’s not possible to call yourself a

Christian when you are enslaving other human beings (Douglas). As Christianity was such a

predominant part of everyone’s life during this era, it only makes sense that it would be used to

argue the morality of slavery.

William Lloyd Garrison strived to “secure to the colored population of the United States,

all the rights and privileges which belong to them as men, and as Americans—come what may to

our persons, our interests, or our reputation—whether we live to witness the triumph of Liberty,

Justice and Humanity, or perish untimely as martyrs in this great, benevolent, and holy cause”

(Garrison). Slaves thought that they would never be saved from hinders of life but sought

comfort in God believing that victory was in him. They believed that the fight would be won in

the name of God and that pro slavery people would be afflicted for their choices in his name.

Williams advocated the idea of anti-slavery by saying, “We may be personally defeated, but our

principles never.” Garrison’s Declaration of Sentiments was to encourage and state that slaves

would no longer take the punishments and be defeated for they would persevere through the

difficulties they faced.

Abolitionists found it self-evident that all men were and are equal, and in that African

Americans were to be held in the same regard as the white race. They strongly believed that their

place in society should be equal of that to the whites. This belief stemmed from their hard efforts

and work to build the United States into what it was at the time. This appeal explicitly shows that

emotion, “American is more our country, than it is the whites-we have enriched it with our blood
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and tears. The greatest riches in all America have arisen from our blood and tears”, considering

that our country was built on the backs of these slaves there is more truth to this than not

(Walker). African Americans were undervalued by society despite creating the country into what

it was only to be valued as a slave. If society based a person’s ranking in society as the amount

of effort that the person indulged into that society. African Americans would have a high

position than whites.

The topic of slavery was a controversial topic during this time period. Pro slavery people

believed that slavery was the highest level that the African Americans could achieve; believing

that their goal was reached as African Americans. Slavery was thought to be an achievement

from the eyes of the pro slavery ideologists based on their improvidence to whites. While

Abolitionist saw that African Americans were declined their American right that the Declaration

of Independence has given them. African Americans were not given their freedom and privileges

are other Americans were given. These disagreements on slavery continued until the falling out

that eventually occurred in America.

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Works Cited

David Walker. David Walker’s Appeal. 1995. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2931t.html

Dr. Cartwright. Diseases and Peculiarities of the Negro Race. De Bow’s Review. 1851, 1987.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3106t.html

Frederick Douglas. What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?. July 5, 1852.

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-

july/

George Fitzhugh. The Universal Law of Slavery. 1976, 1970.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3141t.html

James Henry Hammond. The ‘Mudsill’ Theory. March 4, 1858.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3439t.html

William Lloyd Garrison. Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Convention.

1852. http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/abeswlgct.html