Eugene Genovese's The Political Economy of Slavery and Robert Fogel/Stanley Engerman's Time on the Cross

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF APPROACHES IN UNDERSTANDING SLAVERY: GENOVESE'S "THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SLAVERY" AND FOGEL/ENGERMAN'S "TIME ON THE CROSS"
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A Comparative Analysis of Approaches in Understanding Slavery: Genovese's "The Political Economy of Slavery" and Fogel/Engerman's "Time on the Cross"
Introduction
Critical thinking is necessary since history may be seen from numerous angles. Eugene Genovese's "The Political Economy of Slavery" contrasts Robert Fogel and Stanley Engerman's "Time on the Cross." The fact that these books have different ideas about how economic factors affected slavery shows how hard it is to understand the past. The writers' goals, main reasons, use of proof, and likely other points of view show how hard it is to understand what enslaved people went through in the past. This analysis shows how academics work and the effects of these views on how society understands the history of the United States about slavery.
Genovese's "The Political Economy of Slavery": Unveiling the Economic and Cultural Complexities
Eugene Genovese's primary work, "The Political Economy of Slavery," examines the multiple causes of United States slavery. Genovese's scholarly endeavor is to understand how slavery earned money and the cultural, psychological, and social elements that impacted slaveholders and enslaved people. Genovese's fundamental thesis boldly challenges the idea that race was the sole cause of slavery. Instead, he says that the organization was heavily affected by the economic needs of the agricultural society of the South.[Eugene D Genovese, The Political Economy of Slavery: Studies in the Economy & Society of the Slave South (Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1989):43]
Genovese's story shows that slavery was not a single thing but a complex web of linked connections beyond using enslaved people as workers. This point of view makes the story about slavery more than just a business deal. It shows slavery as a whole system that changed the society, values, and minds of everyone involved. Genovese's case is based on careful historical research, as shown by his carefully looking at first-hand sources. His research is based on plantation records, personal letters, and first-hand reports. This research lets him recreate the interactions and events that made the school what it was.
Genovese's use of the above research sources strengthens his ideas and helps people comprehend slavery's complex individuals. As with any historical work, new perspectives might emerge. Critics may argue that economic factors contributed, but race was the main issue in slavery. This point of view could suggest that the deeply rooted racial order and the organized way it was kept up were the main reasons for the organization and that economic reasons were less critical. This different point of view focuses on how racial differences and harsh power relations created an environment in which economic motives were used to keep up the idea that one race was better.[Eugene D Genovese, The Political Economy of Slavery: Studies in the Economy & Society of the Slave South (Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1989):70]
Genovese claims that the system was built o...