Introduction
The slave trade has been one of the most controversial topics in American history since its founding. While human beings deserve respect for their dignity, African Americans were prejudiced against their culture and status in the U.S., predominantly in the South. Slavery was vehemently defended by the Southerners, citing its economic and Biblical justifications. Meanwhile, the enslaved resisted their bondage through rebellions, sabotages, and escapes. While many enslaved people were emancipated, they faced many problems, prompting an effective Congressional action.
Southerners’ Defence for Slavery
The slave trade was predominantly in the Southern part of the U.S., and various defenses were brought forward to support it. According to the Southerners, slavery was of great economic significance in the South (Ward, 2022). Many enslaved people worked in agricultural plantations in the South and were considered to be cheaper than other workers (Baker & O’Connell, 2022). Consequently, the Southerners defended slavery since they reaped enormous profits from cheap labor.
Another defense of slavery was that it was beneficial to the enslaved people themselves. The Southerners claimed that the enslaved were paid meager wages and could afford their basic needs, such as food (Garrett-Scott, 2022). Furthermore, there was a Biblical justification for the slave trade and forced labor. The defenders specifically pointed out that the Old Testament, through the story of Abraham, supported slavery since he enslaved people (Ward, 2022). Therefore, the Southerners believed that slavery was religious and economically beneficial.
Slave Resistance
While slavery received immense support from the Southerners, the enslaved resisted their bondage by utilizing various tactics. The open rebellion was a common form of resistance by some enslaved people. For instance, in 1831, an enslaved person named Nat Turner led more than fifty followers in a bloody revolt in Southampton (Iverson & Morrison, 2022). The open rebellion led to the killing of about sixty Whites, including children and women (Baker & O’Connell, 2022). The open rebellion form of slave resistance was associated with many deaths of both the enslavers and the enslaved.
Silent rebellion, through acts of sabotage, was another tactic adopted by those who resisted slavery. For example, William Henry Singleton’s resistance to slavery was solely based on covert actions to avoid being whipped or even killed by the enslavers (Ward, 2022). Additionally, some enslaved people engaged in acts of arson and sabotaging farm equipment.
The use of covert resistance techniques protected the enslaved and their families from being harmed. Underground rail escapes by the enslaved were common between 1855 and 1856. The increasing resistance against slavery led to the emancipation of some enslaved people.
Slaves’ Role During the Civil War
The decades-long simmering tension between the northern and southern states over slavery led to the Civil War. 1861, there were uncompromising differences between the free and enslaved person states (Baker & O’Connell, 2022). The war affected the U.S.’s social, economic, and political development. The enslaved people were essential for the Union and Confederate war efforts. While some enslaved people provided labor, others gave the Confederate Army intelligence information (Garrett-Scott, 2022). Therefore, the enslaved people were an asset to the Confederate war efforts.
Problems Emancipated Slaves Faced
Resistance to slavery was fundamental for emancipation, declaring that all slaves in the Confederate territory were free. While formerly enslaved people enjoyed their rights and dignity in the U.S., they faced many challenges (Garrett-Scott, 2022). Racism was the major problem that the formerly enslaved people faced in the Southern territory. The majority of the Whites in the South opposed the idea of formerly enslaved people, segregating them on their skin color.
Additionally, supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan subjected formerly enslaved people and African Americans to violent acts. Furthermore, the social and political discrimination against the formerly enslaved people exacerbated their economic hardships (Iverson & Morrison, 2022). While emancipation promoted the rights and freedom of the enslaved people, they faced racism, violence, and limited economic opportunities.
Congressional Action
The increased prejudice meted against the formerly enslaved people necessitated a Congressional action. Various Acts and amendments were initiated to protect the rights and freedoms of formerly enslaved people in the U.S. In 1866, the Civil Rights Act was enacted to promote formerly enslaved people’s civil rights, including equal treatment (Iverson & Morrison, 2022).
Moreover, Congress formulated the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The 14th Amendment provided citizenship rights and equal protection (Samuels, 2022). Meanwhile, the 15th Amendment allowed formerly enslaved people to exercise their right to vote. Therefore, the Congressional actions played a central role in protecting the rights and freedoms of the formerly enslaved people.
The Congress lacked public goodwill in implementing the new laws, especially from the White Southerners. The majority of the Southerners resisted the laws and continued discriminating against the formerly enslaved people (Samuels, 2022). Moreover, the federal government was subjected to limited resources that could help in promoting the rights and freedoms of the formerly enslaved people. The limited resources were due to a lack of political will by some of the leaders who were in favor of White supremacy. Therefore, the Congressional action failed to protect the formerly enslaved people, taking several more decades and civil rights movements before the black community gained their rights and full U.S. citizenship.
Conclusion
Slavery and the emancipation of the enslaved played a significant role in U.S. history in the 1800s. The issue of slavery and associated prejudice against the enslaved were common in the Southern territory of the U.S. The Southerners defended slavery by justifying its economic significance and Biblical references. During the Civil War, the enslaved were assets to the Confederate army since they provided labor and intelligence. The increased resistance against slavery led to the Congressional effort, which failed.
Bibliography
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