Slavery is a common theme among men as far back into history as the eye can see. Many people often wonder why there was not a greater, more raucous, uproar of slaves in the United States rebelling against their slaveholders, or why more people in the “free North” did not openly assist in liberating slaves in the South. In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass paints a portrait – a complicated weaving, rather – of the complex beast that is slavery, vividly depicting its gnarly and mangled atrocities through the eyes of a slave. It is hard to believe that people have ever been treated like this and that it could be so casually justified. As hard as it is to believe, in order to really understand a situation, you have to look at it from both sides. First, I will look at slavery from the side of the slaveholder. Next, I will examine the methods of keeping slaves subservient. Finally, I will look at the issue of modern day slavery.
Nelson Mandela once said, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” This quotation gives me a lot of insight as to how to think about what slaveholders were thinking. The justification of racial superiority through the Hamitic legacy was such a powerful narrative in colonial life that it naturalized the idea of inequality: “If the lineal descendants of Ham are alone to be scripturally enslaved, it is certain that slavery at the south must soon become unscriptural; for thousands are ushered into the world, annually, who, like myself, owe their existence to white fathers, and those fathers most frequently their own masters” (22). Once this inequality occurs the commodification of human beings is inevitable. Treating people as property became a sort of prestige item, identifying how powerful and successful one was within the community. Colonel Lloyd’s obsession with status can be clearly seen in his pride of “his” garden. The garden became a spectator affair, one whose vista was trimmed, ploughed, and perfected by slaves. People would travel great distances to see the great Colonel’s garden: “This garden was probably the greatest attraction of the place. During the summer months, people came from far and near—from Baltimore, Easton, and Annapolis—to see it. It abounded in fruits of almost every description, from the hardy apple of the north to the delicate orange of the south” (13).
Further, the investment one put toward a slave was a fairly steep cost that not all could afford. On the plantations, food, clothing, and shelter were provided (usually at a bare minimum) with the promise that there would be a return in revenue. At one point, Douglass managed to be “hired out” and brought home approximately nine dollars per week, but he was not able to cherish his earnings for long: “I was now of some importance to my master. I was bringing him from six to seven dollars per week. I sometimes brought him nine dollars per week: my wages were a dollar and a half a day” (84). I believe that this inequity between slaveholders and slaves leads to different levels of compassion. Douglass keenly observes: “I had very strangely supposed, while in slavery, that few of the comforts, and scarcely any of the luxuries, of life were enjoyed at the north, compared with what were enjoyed by the slaveholders of the south. I probably came to this conclusion from the fact that northern people owned no slaves. I supposed that they were about upon a level with the non-slaveholding population of the south. I knew they were exceedingly poor, and I had been accustomed to regard their poverty as the necessary consequence of their being non-slaveholders. I had somehow imbibed the opinion that, in the absence of slaves, there could be no wealth, and very little refinement” (96). I think it is likely that slaveholders with relatively few slaves or even a single slave would afford more care to their wards than plantation owners who housed their chattel in longhouses and treated them more like expendable property.
Douglass’ account of the inhumane treatment of slaves is recounted with such candor that it makes it somewhat hard for me and for many to believe. Being born into a life of bondage and having that experience as the only point of reference leaves one no choice but to talk about it so casually. Douglass recalls horrific events that began at an early age: “Her arms were stretched up at their full length, so that she stood upon the ends of her toes. He then said to her, “Now, you d——d b——h, I’ll learn you how to disobey my orders!” (6). Slaveholders managed to maintain order amongst many through mostly violent means. Henny, a slave with whom Douglass became acquainted, was made an example for the rest of the slaves on the Auld plantation. Her torment and torture lasted for hours and days on end: “The secret of master’s cruelty toward “Henny” is found in the fact of her being almost helpless” (49). There was always the constant threat of a slave being separated from his or her loved ones. Punishments were inconsistent so as to leave slaves in fear: “My awkwardness was almost always his excuse for whipping me” (52). These ideas became so ingrained in a slave’s mind that, even communication amongst other slaves from other houses became violent and full of conflict. The fear they felt was so powerful that it changed their use of the English language, so much that these linguistic traits still exist today in African American Vernacular. In order to express themselves, the slaves needed to invert their speech. Compliments were scathing criticisms: “Indeed, it is not uncommon for slaves even to fall out and quarrel among themselves about the relative goodness of their masters, each contending for the superior goodness of his own over that of the others” (16).
While we feel good about the success of our Underground Railroad movement and our Abolitionist history, slavery has not been extinguished from our world. It is an appalling fact that slavery still exists worldwide today, despite it being illegal in every country in the world. Over 27 million people are enslaved, some for owing inherited debts as little as $18 dollars. This number of people is twice the amount of slaves brought over during the entire transatlantic slave trade (TED). What strikes me about this fact is that, between Frederick Douglass and modern day slaves, they all carry a hope of someday being free. Douglass had a passion to read and write: “Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read” (29), and was able to teach others literacy. Even though slaves endured such cruelty, it did not affect their ability to believe in those which could truly help them. They were not blinded by hatred and they were still able to love.
The narrative of Frederick Douglass is unique in that it provides insight into a life that I will probably never know. Douglass delivers an experience and allows us to understand the mentality of the slaveholders and their firm grip on millions. The existence of slavery in history throughout modern day is sickening, but the compassion, humanity, and hope in the eyes of those still enslaved is like a beacon in the heart of darkness. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “We will only truly be free when those in bondage are finally free.” There is still so much to do.
Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS. N.p.: n.p., 1845. Http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Douglass/Narrative/Douglass_Narrative.pdf. Web.Kristine, Lisa. "TED." Lecture. TED Talk. 05 Nov. 2012. www.ted.com. 11 Aug. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2012.
Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela. Boston: Little, Brown, 1994. Print.
