Slavery Settlement And Empire Analysis

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The wealth of the United States was built on slavery. Slaves provided a living for families in the colonies through numerous ways while sacrificing everything they had and did not have. The growth and development of the United States moved forward with the expanding need of cotton and sugar. Tobacco and indigo were cash crops that also beamed in the mist of slavery as a profitable means for slave owners. With the increase of the United States population in the areas of Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri and Louisiana more slaves were imported into America to produce popular goods and meet the demands of consumers all through the Atlantic region of the United States.
In the article Slavery, Settlement and Empire the author John Craig Hammond mentions that slavery was a highly important topic in the strings of the economy, social and political dealings amount the Caucasian settlers during the seven years’ war and the Louisiana Purchase. Slavery was a part of international trade, capturing persons of African descent and selling them into slavery was a huge business during this time. Some people were so involved with slave trade that even when the transference of slaves was illegal in certain areas traders still managed to smuggler slaves into America. Importers and planters saw slavery as such an important item that they established and maintained networks to supply slaves from the Caribbean to increase the supply of slaves in America. Even with resistance from African Americans, government and Native Americans, slavery continued to grow and make profits for slave holders. Anytime it looked as if slavery would end slave owners always became angry and demanded to keep their slaves. These actions demonstrate that slavery built great wealth for America. The wealth some families gained from slavery certainly has contributed to the wealth those families have today. America is extremely racially divided. Slavery was the base of racism although slavery in its old fashion form has went way it does exist in other ways. The criminal justice system reminds me of slavery. Inmates who take on jobs can gain skills but they will do so for very low wages almost as if they are a slave that works for free. In slavery families were separated, you can see similar things like this happening when prisoners are transported to prisons far away from their families. Prisoners can be raped, face harsh treatment and beatings from correctional officers the way slaves did on plantations. Some people in prison are innocent but they are facing punishment for crimes they haven’t committed just as events that are seen many times in slavery. The seen and invisible police brutality in America also reminds me of
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English settlers left their British homes and traveled across the seas on their way to Virginia with the expectation to be rulers over whoever they came into contact with. The settlers also pressed the issue of converting the Native Americans into Christians for the sake of superiority over them but there were no means to create social equality with the Native Americans. The settlers only wanted to gain benefits from the Natives in the areas of trade and survival. Despite their displayed knowledge the English viewed the Anglo-Powhatans as an uncultured group of people. Surprisingly, some of the colonist found the Native American women unsuitable to be with but they found it appropriate to participate in homosexual activity and to rape …show more content…
In their minds they were truly beloved of God no matter what they did. Their belief of being the only righteous people made them thinking that they were even above others so much that they did not have to prepare their own food or labor for their own benefit. As a result of this American Exceptionalism mentality along came slavery, the abuse of the Native Americans and the exclusion of the Chinese.
The people who established the colonies lived a great example of a statement made Richard Cohen in his article The Myth of American Exceptionalism. The quote “We live among each other, often blissfully ignorant of religion or ethnicity” represents a snap shot of what America began with. The settlers trying to enforce their principles and power on everyone with no regards to their values and religion. This behavior has carried on all throughout American

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