Perpetuation and Expansion of Black Slavery

Essay Instructions:

Some thoughts about the final midterm essay:
As always, pay careful attention to the actual question regarding the perpetuation and expansion of slavery. I think “expansion” is obvious in meaning-- the spread of slavery physically into new areas. By “perpetuation” I mean the continued existence of slavery as an institution. So, in this essay do not talk about abolition or emancipation; those are limiting or ending slavery. Rather focus on events and ideas that will cause and allow slavery to spread and continue to be. Pay attention also to the time frame given in the question—between 1776 and roughly 1860. So, no need at all to give any background on the beginnings of slavery, just jump right in.
I would probably move chronologically. Here are some ideas (This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of everything you might cover.) Also, since I’m giving you some ideas, you need to do more than just give them back to me. Flesh them out and make them your own.
So, I’d start in 1776 and the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson here avoided protecting slavery yes but also avoided limiting it when he changed “property” to pursuit of happiness. Consider also the excerpt condemning slavery that congress did not approve. Next, I’d look at the situation in the early 1780s of the federal government giving control of western lands in the South to southern state governments in order to protect against secessionist movements. This of course inadvertently allowed for the spread of the institution of slavery. Consider some things about the 1787 US Constitution, especially the so-called three-fifths compromise.
Does it mention slavery? What might this imply? Consider also some industrial/economic factors as well like the 1793 invention of the cotton gin. Think also about how religion in the South helped to perpetuate slavery.
Here’s some other events to look at and figure how they play into the situation:
1820 Missouri compromise
Compromise of 1850
1854 Kansas Nebraska Act
1857 Dred Scott Decision
This should get you all started, let me know if you have further questions. As always, be sure to carefully edit and proofread.
Midterm Essay Guidelines:
For full credit, answers must be written at a college level and in your own words. Do not simply copy the textbook. Be sure to answer the question completely. NOTE: The response to each midterm exam prompt needs to be no less than 750 words in length or about 2.5 pages in 12 point font. Use Times font in 12 point size, double spaced with 1 inch margins. Be sure to include footnote citations and works cited. The assignment is only from one source from "America", which would be the only one in the works cited. Include an accurate word count at the end of the essay that does NOT include footnotes or works cited. Students should be sure their name is typewritten at the top corner of the assignment. Plagiarism is not accepted.

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Perpetuation and Expansion of Black Slavery
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Perpetuation and Expansion of Black Slavery
The period between 1776 and 1860 played an important role in black slavery perpetuation and expansion in the US. The period involved various events which contributed to the continuity of slavery in the nations. The essay will outline some notable events that contributed to this occurrence.
One of the key events that contributed to the expansion of black slavery was the Declaration of Independence. In the declaration, Jefferson avoided protecting slaves because their issue was not mentioned. The failure to mention them was attributable to the hypocrisy among the colonialists. While Jefferson had included a passage condemning slavery, congress scrapped it off the final document, thus failing to protect slaves. The failure to talk about slavery, a contentious matter during the time, created the impression that it should continue taking place. In the declaration, Jefferson changed the term property in John Locke’s trinity to the pursuit of happiness (Payne et al., 2019). The phrase meant that people should participate in the activities that made them happy, and for the colonialists, slavery was among such factors. In the declaration, Jefferson did not limit the extent to which slavery could occur, which facilitated its expansion.
Another event was when the federal government allowed the governments of the southern states to control the western lands. The southern states were famous for the massive use of slaves as farmers. Therefore, giving these states more land facilitated the expansion of slavery because they would need more slaves to work on the new lands (Payne et al., 2019). The federal government knew the southern states’ position on slavery but did no...

Updated on January 26, 2024

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Perpetuation and Expansion of Black Slavery

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