What You Were Taught About Slavery Is Probably Wrong -- Coleman Hughes
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- Опубликовано: 19 май 2024
- Ask young people today about slavery in America and many of them think that slavery was uniquely American. Coleman Hughes explains the true history of slavery and why our education system is failing us.
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No, that’s not what’s taught at all. However, I can shed some light as to how the institution of slavery in the United States, often referred to as "American chattel slavery," has several distinguishing features that set it apart from other forms of slavery throughout history and across the world.
One of the most defining characteristics of American slavery was its racial nature. Unlike many other systems where slavery was often a result of debt, war, or punishment, American slavery was deeply intertwined with race, specifically targeting Africans and their descendants. This racial dimension entrenched a rigid social hierarchy that persisted even after the abolition of slavery.
Slavery, in the US, was hereditary, meaning that the children of enslaved people were automatically born into slavery. This system ensured a perpetual labor force and was codified in laws such as the Virginia slave codes of the 17th century. In contrast, many other forms of slavery around the world did not necessarily pass from parent to child.
Slavery in the US was a cornerstone of the South’s agriculture-based economy. The production of cash crops like tobacco, cotton, and sugar relied heavily on slave labor. This economic dependence on slavery was one of the critical factors leading to the American Civil War. While slavery existed globally, the scale and economic integration of slavery in the American South were particularly pronounced. For example, Mississippi was the nation's richest state for a significant portion of the 19th century, thanks to in no small part its near boundless supply of unfree labor.
American slavery was legally codified to a significant extent, with a comprehensive set of laws that controlled every aspect of enslaved peoples' lives. These laws regulated their behavior, restricted their movement, and denied them legal rights. While other societies also had laws governing slavery, the legal apparatus in the United States was exceptionally thorough and punitive.
The brutality and dehumanization inherent in American slavery were particularly and evidently severe. Enslaved people were considered property and subjected to harsh physical punishment, sexual exploitation, and family separation. This level of dehumanization and violence was a defining feature of American slavery, though not unique to it, but it was extreme in its execution and codification.
Globally, slavery has taken many forms, including debt bondage, forced labor, and serfdom, with varying degrees of severity and social integration. For instance, in the Islamic world, slaves could sometimes achieve significant social status and mobility, unlike the rigid racial caste system of the American South. Similarly, in ancient Rome and Greece, slaves could sometimes buy their freedom and integrate into society, whereas in the American South, for instance, if one were even able to buy his freedom, integrating into society with all the rights guaranteed to any white, male citizen was all but impossible. These differences highlight how American slavery was particularly rigid and oppressive compared to many other forms.
The legacy of American slavery is profound, influencing contemporary social, economic, and political landscapes in the United States. The repercussions of this institution have led to systemic racial inequalities that persist today. This lasting impact is a critical aspect that distinguishes American slavery from other historical practices, where the social structures may have evolved differently post-abolition.
Overall, while slavery as an institution was globally pervasive, the specific characteristics of American slavery, including its racial basis, legal codification, economic importance, and brutal enforcement, set it apart from many other forms of unfree labor throughout history.
Coleman and Joe, You made a basic logical error here. Coleman (and tacitly Joe) argued that because many other civilizations have had slavery but not attained the wealth of the United States slavery could not be the reason for the USA’s present wealth. This is to confuse necessary and sufficient conditions. Sure, having slavery has clearly not been a historically sufficient condition for attaining USA-level wealth. That’s just plain to see and hardly surprising given the huge range of factors that contributed to the country’s wealth. The real question is whether slavery was a necessary condition for the USA achieving its present level of wealth. It seems almost inescapable that it was as a point of historical fact and it’s definitely at least arguable that it had to be that way.
As a black man, and a student of history, I 100% agree with your comment. Yes slavery has been a part of the human condition for 10,000 years, this is true. But in the case of American wealth one of the main factors that made this country wealthy was slavery. They are also correct that about 90% of the slaves that were brought across the Atlantic were already slaves in Africa.
Thanks for sharing. Appreciate your balanced perspective on what is a sensitive topic. Out of curiosity, what overall practical conclusions does your perspective lead you to? I’m thinking in terms of how the country should proceed.
@@a.s.2426 Thank you sir, your comment above was also balanced. Moving forward as a country with race as a part of its politics there is not really an easy short answer, but a place to start would be for black Americans to claim the opportunities that are present. Those opportunities are ours too. Not to say that will be easy, and it IS more difficult for black Americans vs the other ethnicities, but I welcome the challenge, and am personally better for having gone through it myself 🙏🏾
Well, as long as a black man said it, it MUST be true! 🎉
Interesting. . .
This is a bold and misleading claim by Hughes.
It is true that slavery was not born in USA but the source of USA's wealth and the actual reason for becoming independent of United Kingdom is due to slavery.
One can learn something meaningful about slavery in USA by reading "Half Has Never Been Told" by Edward Baptist and Slave Nation by Alfred Blumrosen and Ruth Blumrosen.
I agree. I myself know that the Arab slave trade pre dated the transatlantic but does that take away from the impact the transatlantic slave trade had? Obviously not. There’s this weird obsession ppl have to influence the minds of black ppl en masse and for white ppl to never feel guilty about what they have engaged in as a ppl. Such evil is not exclusive to the white race at all but when you look at what happened to the natives and those of African descent, they were definitely one of the leaders in such behaviour