Places and forms of power - How was slavery perceived, both by the owners and their servants, and how was its disappearance received?

Thèmes abordés

Places and forms of power, lieux et formes du pouvoir, anglais, esclavage, slavery, abolition de l'esclavage, ségrégation raciale, American civil war, Guerre de Sécession, freedom

Résumé du document

Slavery is defined as one man owning another person, who, as a property, can serve for whatever use their master dictates, generally for physical labor. This situation is not found in the natural state, but implies that some men are stronger or better equipped and literally have the power to force people into submission [...]
With the help of the documents provided in the appendix, we will gradually see several situations where the two 'classes' act differently, from cruelty vs. backlash, to one side feeling a certain form of despair, while the other is not sure how to react.

Extraits

[...] We might wonder how slavery was perceived, both by the owners and their servants, and how its disappearance was received? To answer this question, with the help of the documents provided in the appendix, we will gradually see several situations where the two 'classes' act differently, from cruelty vs. backlash, to one side feeling a certain form of despair while the other is not sure how to react. - Document 1 Among the Blacks who were deported to, or born on American soil, not all accepted their fate, as some had a strong personality and refused their way of life. [...]

[...] It was even bloodier and crueler, as the captured men were systematically castrated. Sadly, it is politically incorrect to talk about that? [...]

[...] Now their situation has improved, but especially in the South, the stigmas are still there: Blacks are more prone to health problems and have a lower life expectancy, less frequently attend higher education, and more often live on the dole. Besides, if we more deeply study the issue of slavery, we might realize that slavery was doomed and would have vanished by itself in a longer but peaceful transition. Apart of that, we must not forget that in certain countries, namely the Middle East, slavery never ceased, though it has taken a different form, and has been in existence for a much longer period of time than with Europeans/Americans. [...]

[...] It seems the Confederacy, to which Louisiana belonged, lost the war, since the plantation master has received a letter stating that all slaves were proclaimed free. In this case, the master seems to accept the situation, without much reaction, almost apathy, since he himself has nothing left. Nevertheless, he allows the Blacks to choose for their own lives, which can either leave, or stay and work whenever they want, possibly as sharecroppers. He releases them of any bond of authority and hierarchy. [...]

[...] Places and Forms of Power - How was slavery perceived, both by the owners and their servants, and how was its disappearance received? This year, we studied the notion of Places and Forms of Power, with a focus on slavery. Slavery is defined as one man owning another person, who, as a property, can serve for whatever use their master dictates, generally for physical labor. This situation is not found in the natural state, but implies that some men are stronger or better equipped and literally have the power to force people into submission. [...]