The Growth of Slavery

In colonial America, slavery was an large aspect of society. Africans were enslaved and sold to slave owners across America. At the height of slavery, 25% of all southerners owned slaves. Those who owned 20 or more slaves controlled the social, political, and economic power of the south. In the eighteenth century, government was based on race and created laws to establish a slave’s value and essential rights. For example, in The Founder’s Constitution, part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 states that a slave is worth ⅗ of a person and Native Americans do not count as part of the population. This ⅗ Compromise allowed slaves to be counted as 3/5ths of a person when apportioning seats in the House of Representatives. This ⅗ Compromise was necessary to allow unity of the states. However, this race-based governmental system diminishes human dignity. Anyone enslaved of color is told that they have little or no value in society, taking away all self-respect or rights that they have as a human being.

In the eighteenth century, cotton became an economically profitable plant for the nation. Cotton production was initiated in the southern states on the east coast expanded production in the south as demands for cotton production grew with the helpful invention of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin. By 1860, cotton became 57% of the nation’s total export revenue and became an integral aspect of our nation’s economy. However, high demands for the product called for laborers to work the fields. Slavery began in the northern states but shifted into southern states such as Alabama and Mississippi once there were demands for cotton. With cotton being the nation’s leading export revenue, making over 190 million dollars, slavery became entrenched, relying on slave laborers to assist in the process of making the highly demanded cotton. Southern cotton planters felt economically powerful and politically confident that the national government at Washington could not afford to alienate them and lose their support. With the demands for their slaves’ work, slavery would continue to remain for many years to come.

A government based on race tends to ignore and overlook characteristics such as intelligence or virtue of a slave. People of color were enslaved and forced to labor in the fields to maintain the demands for cotton and support the growing economy. This race-based government identifies and defines people by the color of their skin, overlooking important qualities of a human being such as intelligence and virtue. Race and inequality have shaped our nation since the beginning of the American colonies’ quest for freedom and economic and political liberty. Our society was founded on inequality and the denial of freedom for slaves. Perhaps a government that focused less on economic success and more on the value of the individual would have produced greater results. If important qualities of a slave such as intelligence had been recognized, they could have potentially contributed to a more profitable plantation. If slaves had been treated with more respect and had been identified regardless of their race, we could have had a more humane way of reaching financial success.

Christy, Howard. Scene of the Signing of the Constitution of the United States. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United_States. 2/24/15

Women In Society

In July 1848, over 300 men and women gathered at Seneca Falls, New York for the first women’s rights convention. This convention declared the rights of women in an attempt to abolish all laws and practices limiting women’s rights. These laws limited rights such as divorce rights, the right to own property, the right to raise children if the father should die, the right to vote, and the right to obtain an equal income to men.

Two of the most thought provoking newspaper responses were those of Oneida Whig and The Mechanics Advocate, Female Department. Oneida Whig states, “...when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government.” Although Oneida Whig encourages women to fight for their natural rights, it also focuses on the selfish effects they may have on men. The article states, “If our ladies will insist on voting and legislating, where, gentlemen, will be our dinners and our elbows?” The men in the article lack consideration to the limitations of women’s rights. As they first state that it is the right of women to defend themselves and defy the unjust government, they then contradict their statement by arguing that their dinners would not be cooked and household chores would not be done. Chores such as making dinner and stitching stockings should not be perceived as a job set aside only for women. If women had been given more rights and had not been limited to housekeeping, there be no just reason why a man cannot complete these tasks as well.

The Mechanics Advocate presents illogical reasoning as to why women should not be provided with equal rights as men. The newspaper article states, “But there were two most potent reasons why women should be in subjection: 1. Adam was made before Eve. 2. Eve sinned before Adam. Now, there is no escape for women here for if she is older than her husband, then of course she must be subject to him because she must have sinned first. If on the contrary she be made younger, she must be subject to him because he was made first.” This article presents a completely irrational argument as there is no situation in which women would be able to gain freedom from their husband. The article also fails to present any biblical evidence as to why a man could be subject to his wife. These two biased reactions to the Seneca Falls Convention prove that there are no legitimate reasons as to why women should not be granted rights.

Although women’s rights have significantly expanded and women are perceived much differently than women in the 19th century, women continue to feel limited as to what they can and cannot do in society. For the most part, women have been granted the same rights as men however, there are many expectations that women must fulfill that naturally lead to labels and discrimination.

Regarding personal traits and characteristics, women are often judged by their personality simply because of the traits that their gender must uphold. For example, women often feel inclined to wear makeup to look feminine. However, this feminine appearance often prevents women from gaining respect. A woman’s feminine appearance can cause men to perceive them as weak or unintelligent. As a society, we have superficial expectations that a woman must attain to maintain a “feminine” figure, but these expectations can ultimately prevent a woman from being perceived for who they truly are and gaining respect in a man’s world.

Although we have made great progress in equalizing men and women’s rights in a legal sense, we still have to make progress towards providing women with more respect in a social sense. If women were to be judged more on their merit and moral integrity, and less on their appearance, than perhaps women would be granted more opportunities in our male-dominated society.

Citations:

Oneida Whig: 

August 1, Edline, http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/vc006199.jpg, 2/1/15

The Mechanics Advocate: 

Tanner, John, "Women Out of Their Latitude", Edline, http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/vc006200.jpg, 2/1/15

Pantene Commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K2kfgW7708&feature=youtu.be