Racism in American History
Racism in American History
Slavery originated in Africa. It was a punishment for those who broke the law. It also was part of the wars in Africa. However, slavery in Africa was more like indentured slavery. Those enslaved had a certain amount of time to serve. It was a way of putting back what was wronged. Slavery was never at the magnitude, until it got to America.
When slavery first entered into America, it was more so indentured slavery. This is when people would work for their transportation over to the colonies and would be free after serving five to seven years in servitude. The colonists tried to enslave Indians also, but were unable to due to the fact when they escaped they were able to find refuge in the outskirts. Takaki, also wrote about how the Irish were indentured servants, but they had problems with them running away with black slaves and also sleeping with them. The colonist of Virginia thought that white slaves were too costly and were a high risk for flight. They decided that white indentured servants would serve their terms and receive fifty acres of land and some other attributes like a gun for their service.
This was the beginning of the “peculiar institution”. Once the white slaves where on their way out the colonists saw fit to enslave the blacks for life. They began to make laws that hindered slaves from all freedoms. They were considered the property of plantation owners and could be bought and sold at any time. The blacks that happened to be free were not allowed to hold office, bear arms, testify in court, or vote. Colonists put more restrictions on mixed children and whether or not they were considered black or white for the purpose of having more slaves. In my opinion, and in Takaki and Hackers, slavery was an institution.
Cornell West and Hacker, gave the best descriptions of what is like to be black and in America after slavery. With the ideas, of D’Souza, I was able to see exactly what blacks were working against. D’Souza believed that blacks are due nothing. He believed that blacks benefited from being slaves. He thought that without it blacks would have never gotten the chance to be in America in...