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Harshil bhakta

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History

13-11-19

HISTORY

David Walker on the Declaration of Independence {democracy}

The final half of the 18th century brought about crucial social and political change in

colonial America, as well as the fight for democracy. It was during this period when America

began rejecting the ideologies of Great Britain of ruling from overseas without offering the local

population due to the representation of their colony, this undermined democracy for American’s.

This also saw the rise of anti-slavery activist such as David Walker who was against the slave

trade as it diminished the democratic right of Black people.

In his appeal, Walker adamantly argued against the oppression and slavery as he

vivaciously uplifted the spirit of the Black community in hopes of encouraging unity and

diminishing the thought of mistreatment by the white race. To convey his message, which

appears in a radical manner, he used the bible to persuade his audience that all people are created

in the image of God. Besides, he was adamant about change and appealed the whites not only to

abolish slavery, but also allow the biblical rights similar to those given to Israelis by the Pharaoh.

Lastly, despite Walker being an abolitionist of the slave trade in America’s capitalist

society, his methods weren’t that of other abolitionists urging the black community to fight

slavery in any way. He used a Methodist approach to persuade people that the time has come for

social, economic and political change in America.

Frederick Douglass on the fourth of July [democracy]

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Traditionally, democracy was passed to prevent the accumulation of power in the hands of

one or a few. Hence, it created systems where the public was able to vote for their leaders

without changing the legal basis of the government. In the spirit of Frederick Douglas's speech in

1852, he revealed the hypocrisy lying inside the heart of American democracy during the

antebellum period. He persuaded the audience to examine contradictions during the wake of a

legal decision that would seal the fate of thousands of enslaved Africans despite the Fugitive

Slave Act being passed two years before his address.

Despite the world-changing, since Douglass addresses the crowd, his speech remains a

diagnosis of the profound and continuing disconnect between America’s democracy rhetorically

and the living experiences of marginalized groups. His speech serves as a clarion call for all

Americans to critically analyze the current state of American democracy and search for deeper

insights into the divergent experiences of others.

Lastly, with various groups joining Walker in struggle for space at the table of democracy.

Thus, in the spirit of Douglass, it vital as Americans to ask; how can each one of us proficiently

contribute to making American a better stage reflected on the values we have?

James Henry Hammond on the mud-sill theory [difference]

Ever questioned why slavery lasted for decades? And what the leaders during this period

were thinking? Well, here’s the appropriate answer. The speech delivered by Senator James

Hammond from South Carolina three months before the “House Division” explains what was

known as the “mudsill theory” to justify slavery. It’s crucial to note that “mudsill” is part of a

foundation in a building. Therefore, it is evident that the senator was arguing that America is

built on slavery.
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Hammond has three points to support his argument, they are; slaves’ class is a necessity to

the support elites leading the society to greater heights, black people are better off as slaves, and

manual workers in the north are slaves and are worse off. It was true that plantation owners

needed slaves to maintain high profits, thus he believed that Black people were inferior in

intellect. Besides, the elites needed people to work on their farms and since slavery was wide

spread, black people were needed to work on the firms. Hence, the reason why the Senator

believed slavery shouldn’t be abolished.

As frustrating as it may sound when reading such a speech, it is vital to note that such

kind of thinking is what people such as Lincoln and Douglass were fighting against, and these

were the stakes if they were defeated in the war against slavery and democracy.

David Christ on king cotton [capitalism]

A capitalist society is one that controlled by private entities for profits sake. Therefore,

before the civil war, planters in South America had long grown tobacco, Carolina rice, and

Chesapeake as it was during the colonial period. But, after Eli Whitney had revolutionized cotton

gin production, the product had more advantage as it was easily stored and transported. This saw

the rise of American slavery as industries in New England and Great Britain demanded more

textile since the Industrial Revolution had begun in both Great Britain and the United States.

Since cotton was referred to ask king, the rate of slavery had increased in the southern

region of the United States, and for this reason, it shaped this region's culture and society which

perceived the white race to be supreme and capitalist. Importantly, most whites had the belief

that slavery itself was crucial for the prosperity of the Southern economy, otherwise known as a

capitalism.
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With spread of capitalism, white people believed that domestic slave trade offered a lot of

economic opportunities. Hence, the reason between 1790 and 1859, slaveholders sold more than

a million slaves to the south. This shows that the mobility of slaves meant they functioned as a

form of collateral in the cotton economy of the 19th century. But, with rise of anti-slavery

activist slavery was abolished. Besides, it’s also important to prevent such a situation in the

future as we are still living in a capitalist society. Therefore, it’s critical to have laws of trade that

can fight any type of agitation in the future.