Problem Of Slavery: Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl And Declaration Of Sentiments Versus Mudsill Theory And King Cotton

“Declaration of Sentiments”, “Incidents In The Life Of a Slave Girl”, are complexed documents in which the anti-slavery society are in seek of emancipation for every slave. Versus “King cotton” and “Mudsill Theory are documents in which describeds slavery as great social systems and goods for their economy. The pro-slavery and anti-slavery authors create a theme of mobility, differences, and capitalism. To construct their positions of slavery using their points of view and stories and the effects of slavery between whites and blacks.

The main idea of the “Declaration of Sentiments” was that slaves lived in a society where they were treated like cattles and struggled with racial equality. The “Declaration of Sentiments” uses the difference of equality between the slave’s masters and the slave itself to describe how they were being used. One example in the article stated, “Are plunder daily of the fruits of their toil without redress’’ (“Declaration,” 18). This example talks about how white people took ownership of everything slaves did without recognition. Mobility was also used to show what the slaves brought with their migration to the south states; and differentiate the privileges between each race. The slaves believed in religious privileges, signifying their faith in God; was what differentiated them from their masters. The document stated, “Steadfastness of faith, in sincerity of spirit we would not be inferior to them” (“Declaration,”17). They described their beliefs as stronger than any weapon, or physical resistance combined. Contrast to their masters that had white privileges, a very powerful right. The previous quotes were said in the document to prove how every state needed to give slaves emancipation. A freedom that could not have been taken away from the black race but returned to their “rightful owner”,(“Declaration”, 18).

“Incidents in the life of a slave girl” an elaborated story in which Linda Brent, the author writes how being a 15-year-old slave brought her more hardships than what she could ever imagine. Brent wanted slavery to end. The author uses mobility to describe the class movement that was happening in the south, putting slaves in the lowest class. They didn’t have any choice but to follow everything the higher-ups did or ordered. Brent uses the following quote to support her claim stating, ‘ I now entered on my fifteenth year-a sad epoch in the life of a slave girl. My master began to whisper foul words in my ear” (Brent). The quote talks about how the higher class was taking advantage of the slaves and robbing them of their innocence. Another quote that was stated, “One was a fair white child; the other was her slave, and also her sister. When I saw them embracing each other, and heard their joyous laughter, I turned sadly away from the lovely sight. I foresaw the inevitable light that would fall on the little slave’s heart” (Brent). This quote talked about the differences between a white child and a slave. How slave children at first work with pleasure, but as girls reach their teenage years, they become targets to assault.

“Mudsill Theory” was a document in which James Henry Hammond argued that slaves were inferior to them and were created to treat the white race without compensations. Hammond used mobility and difference to claim how the north treated their slaves in opposition to the south. He detested how the north gave lower class emancipation, some examples were, the right to work on their own free will which allowed them to receive payments and political power. Hammond stated, “Our slaves do not vote. We give them no political power. Yours do vote, and, being the majority, they are the depositaries of all your political power” (Hammond, 320). This quote was to differentiate the political power of the slaves and to express what they really deserved. The author used mobility to describe the class movements of how God created everyone. The whites were superior and valued as high class and the slaves were rated the complete opposite. Hammons stated, “They are elevated from the condition in which God first created them, by being made our slaves” (Hammond, 319).

“King Cotton” was written by David Christy in which he argued how slavery played an important role in the economy, especially to the cotton industry. Christy used capitalism and difference to explain how slave labor should not be taken away. Christy stated, “will now abandon that means of aggrandizement, and bankrupt themselves to force the abolition of American slavery!” (Christy, 56). He used capitalism, in the previous quote to give an example of how people would be economically if slavery was abolished. The author also argues the difference between cotton that slaves and white people used. An example that supports his claim would be how slaves only produce and touch raw cotton. Versus white people only use the finished product. Christy stated, “civilized people everywhere clothed comfortably in cotton, (Christy, 56).

To conclude each author had different opinions about slavery. For example, “Incidents in the life of a slave girl” and “Declaration of Sentiments” found slavery, low class, slave labor in the south offensive and harsh toward their race. They found it offensives since the only thing that was different between both races was their color of skin. While the pro-slavery documents found slavery good to the economy and viewed themselves as superiors than any other race. “King of Cotton” historical context was based on the demand of cotton that had increased in the south year 1792. The historical context in the 1800’s for “Declaration of sentiments”, “Mudsill Theory” and “Incidents in the life of a slave girl” were based on the abolition that was happening in the north, the freedom of slaves caused conflicts to both races in the south states.

Bibliography

Anti-slavery:

1. “Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Convention [1833]” in Proceedings of the American Anti-Slavery Society at the Third Decade. New York: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1864.
2. Brent, Linda (AKA Harriet Jacobs). Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Boston, 1861. Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/files/11030/11030-h/11030-h.htm.

Pro-slavery:

1. Christy, David. Cotton is King: Slavery in the Light of Political Economy. Fully reprinted in E.N. Elliot, ed., Cotton is King and Proslavery Arguments. Augusta: Pritchard, Abbott, and Loomis. 1860.
2. Hammond, James H. Selections from the Letters and Speeches of the Hon. James H. Hammond of South Carolina. New York: John F. Trow and Co. 1866.