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Civil Rights
The origins of the Slavery in America. The Zong massacre was the killing of an estimated 132-142 enslaved Africans by the crew of the
slave ship Zong in the days following 29 November 1781.[note 1] The ship was owned by the
Gregson slave-trading syndicate, based in Liverpool. As was common business practice, they had
taken out insurance on the lives of the slaves as cargo. When the ship ran low on potable water
following navigational mistakes, the crew threw slaves overboard into the sea to drown, in order
that the remainder could survive.!
After the slave ship reached port at Black River, Jamaica, the owners of the Zong made a claim to
their insurers for the loss of the slaves. When the insurers refused to pay, the resulting court cases
(Gregson v Gilbert (1783) 3 Doug. KB 232) held that in some circumstances, the deliberate killing
of slaves was legal and that insurers could be required to pay for the slaves' deaths. The judge, Lord
Chief Justice, the Earl of Mansfield, ruled against the syndicate owners in this case, due to new
evidence being introduced suggesting the captain and crew were at fault.!
This would inspire the American Anti-Slavery Movement and be a frequent reference in many
novels produced in America.
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Slavery in America!
The beginnings of slavery in America are almost serendipitous, for a nation founded from
the religious pilgrims arriving on the Mayflower in Plymouth, Massachusetts 1620. The
initial pilgrims have represented a bastion for religious tolerance and freedom. They were
Puritans from England, Christians who condemned slavery of other Christians. However
the actual history of American contradicts this Historical narrative. !
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In 1619 a Dutch ship The White Lion arrived at Jamestown, Virginia, 20 slaves were traded
for the labor and repairs to their ship. The slaves were accepted into New England under
an indentured work contract. After 7 years hard labor they would have their freedom and
access to land. The slaves labor proved vital for the pilgrims settlement attempts. The
labor was pivotal throughout the establishment of successful crops and permanent
civilised dwellings to ward of the harsh environment. The origins of ‘Thanks Giving Day’
originates from these founders who were giving thanks to the evangelised peoples
assistance which ensured their survival after the first few grim years where survival was
questioned by environmental factors. !
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The spinning gin cemented the institution of slavery in America. Eli Whitney’s 1793
mechanical cotton threshing machine allowed the efficient processing of cotton. At time,
the production of tobacco had nearly exhausted the land, an economic crisis was
imminent. England had recently mechanised their industries through the Industrial
revolution that started in 1760. The mechanisation of England’s textile industry led to
exponential growth in the demand for cotton, America made the switch from the
production tobacco to cotton. The south’s prosperity flourished under the moral
juxtaposition. !
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The laborious nature of cotton meant that the industry could only be sustained and made
profitable through slave labor. !
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Abolition of slavery!
During the 1830 to 1860 the abolition movement
gained significant momentum in their efforts to sway
public and political opinion on the institution of
slavery that had oppressed 4 million people in the
south. The ability to awaken and provoke the
consciousness of the north Americans was largely
due to the efforts of an escaped slave turned
advocate Frederick Douglass. Along with authors’
in The Liberator a radical newspaper that discussed
the political issues of the united states union. These were
important players in the early abolition movement as it rendered the issue of
abolition of slavery as a successful appeal to their religious and moral sentiments. Douglas
endowed the argument with a human face and portrayed the reality free of propaganda
and distortion. Their fore fathers and the founders of their new nation were not so long
ago persecuted and oppressed because of their religious beliefs, they believed that they
were slipping back into the ways of the ‘old world England’. Many early Americans were
mainly puritans and the appeal to their disgust of excess, indulgences and greed was
successful as slave owners oppressed the African American in the pursuit of obsessive
wealth on the plantations. Immorality such as rape, adultery, murder and cruelty was rife
and unequivocally opposed their staunch Christian beliefs. The movement successfully
transformed the argument from political, to moral and a matter of their national identity
as leaders in the new world. The union wanted to be seen internationally as free from the
restraints and problems of the ‘old world’ the pilgrims left behind. !
Link to the Frederick Douglass movie if it doesn't appear after clicking the Profile pic
above!
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery/videos/frederick-douglas!
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The American Civil war & Emancipation !
In 1820, a bitter national debate over the American Federal Government’s
right and authority to restrict slavery through Missouri’s application for
statehood, or state independence. Missouri was accepted into the
Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. All state north and west
of Missouri were free states. The outcome of the decision was designed
balance the debate between free and slave states to bring stability to the political
tensions. In 1857, Dred Scott a slave who had been moved into the northern free states
tried to sue for his freedom. The Supreme Court’s ruling rejected this and effectively ruled
that there were no free slave states. !
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When Abraham Lincoln, a republican was elected, a total of eleven states succeeded (left)
the union to form the Confederate States of America by the time of the Civil War
1861-1865. Initially the aim of Lincoln was the preservation of the Unites States Union,
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however military was was forced through the growing anti-slavery sentiment in the north
and the growing number of self emancipated slaves as southern troops swept through the
south and subjected them to even more intolerable conditions. !
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In 1863, Lincoln made a bold move and issues the Emancipation Proclamation. He decreed
that “slaves within any State, or designated part of a State…in rebellion,…shall be then,
thenceforward, and forever free.” This was a courageous move by Lincoln as he showed
complete disregard to the political and economic interests of the south to achieve the
republican goal of the Abolition of Slavery. International opinion sided with the Union
(north). The Emancipation Proclamation crippled the south’s ability to wage the war as
the bulk of the labor force was comprised of the black slaves. Some 186, 000 freed black
slaves would join the northern forces to fight against their former captors. !
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Through the American Civil war the African American slaves had won key civil rights
that were enshrined into the constitution. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the
14th Amendment 1868 gave them equal protection and the 15th Amendment 1870 gave
them the right to vote. !
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On paper the African Americans had won significant gains and were equal to the white
Americans. However the reality of their situation was vastly different. During the
Reconstruction 1865-1877 southern legislatures would pass restrictive ‘Black Codes’ to
control the labor and behaviour of the African Americans. This enraged the North and
inspired record political participation of southern African Americans. When the North’s
troop forces the were removed, the increased African American political participation was
the catalyst for the reactionary racial supremacist forces- The Klu Klux Klan would revert
the achievements of the republicans and the Reconstructionist until the 1960’s. The south
had successfully repressed the African Americans.!
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http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/reconstruction!
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Questions!
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Why do you think the ‘Zong’ incident would inspire the American
anti-slavery movement?!
When did slavery in America Begin?!
What conditions gave way to slavery?!
Why was so important to the confederates fight to keep slavery?!
What was the significance of Frederick Douglass’ work?!
What factors influenced the north’s opposition of slavery?!
What was the significance of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation? !
What Cvil Rights did the African Americans win through the Civil War?!
What influenced the south’s negative response to the Reconstruction era?!
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Visual analysis:!
Is the painting below accurate in representing the improvements to the African
Americans lives after emancipation?!
Additional Resources
More historical visual analysis from the Emancipation period visit watch the lecture from:!
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http://usslave.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/a-fireside-chat-looking-at-emancipation.html!
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After more information about a specific part of American Slavey? Visit!
http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/confederate-states-of-america!
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