Politics of Degradation

Instead of reviewing every history book, this summarizes my understanding of slavery in the United States beginning with colonization. I challenge anyone reading this is to read history books and challenge me. This is an abstraction from American in High School, United States History in College and Political Science in College.

Jamestown, Virginia was the first successful English Colony in the United States, 1607. The final colony was established in Georgia, 1733. The Somersett Case in England emancipated Slaves throughout the United Kingdom and territories, 1772. The United States was already in a Revolution. Northern Colonies no longer wanted Slaves. Southern Colonies wanted Slaves.

There are misconceptions about English Slavery. Debtors, Criminals and fallen leaders became Slaves. Europe and exchanged Slaves with several countries who participated in slavery. Rules were established to maintain slavery. One rule mentions Owning Slaved of different appearances so it is difficult to hide in a crowd of Freemen. In the United Kingdom any nationality could be a Slave, including, English. Whites were sent to Africa and Middle-East. Blacks were sent to England and the United States.

Imagining Slaves in the United States as Black and all Indentured Servants as White is false. Several Dark-Skinned and Light-Skinned English Freemen sought to leave England and begin a new life. Exchanging skill and work for passage to the New Country was acceptable practice. Colonies gain people to cultivate the land. Immigrants pay for an expensive voyage across the ocean with work while receiving room and board. Excess money pays off old debts.

If doubting this, there are several Darkly Complicated Historical Figures living in the country before so many Slaves were sent here from Africa. Colonists disliked people from foreign countries. Pennsylvania Quakers allowed Germans to in their colony. The Rights of Irish is one of the first heavily debatable historical suffrage movements.

What happened? There was a clearly a intermixing of what people would call, "race," by modern definitions in the United States Dictionary.

Laws for indentured servants declined and no longer offered land, because plots of land were already overly divided. Divisions to maintain rights to Slaves increased. Slaves ran away, because they were no longer offered eventual freedom. Ethical reasons included: provision of minimum food and shelter. If freed they would have to fend for themselves.

Blacks with generations of family living freely in the Colonies became wealthy or poor in relation to their work and intelligence. Several became wealthy and owned slaves themselves. They also did not want to lose Rights to Property because they were Black.

Southern Slave Owners were ruthless. They would capture anyone and declare them Slaves. They would "break" New Slaves from Africa, disband families and decline education that might allow a Slave to entertain the idea of leaving.

To protect self interest the Mason-Dixon Line was established in 1763. This was an attempt to protect rights of the North and Northern Blacks. Somersett was a clear solution. Most countries ended slavery. Previously all Landholders, without relation to race, participated in politics.

The Declaration of Independence, 1776, is still a method to avoid paying excessive taxes. Slave Owners, without relation to race, had defensive reasons to separate from England. In 1787 the Constitution was ratified and became the law of the United States of America. It has awkward wording on several issues, yet all Freemen with property vote.

It was not until the South kidnapped Freemen, forced Freemen into slavery, took Freemen's property and began litigation to declare Blacks were Slaves that the issue escalated beyond control. Missouri became a Slave State after a wealthy man with slaves moved to the state in 1720. During this short period of over one hundred years between 1720 and 1865 Slave Codes were enacted in 1804. They took away Freemen land, rights, education and self-respect.

Missouri Blacks remained unbroken and continued to work against the government while in captivity. Most Whites did not own Slaves. The action failed to gain support from citizens though it made Northern Blacks aware they are also threatened with slavery. Southern Blacks were already broken and surrendered to Slave Owners. The only a sense of pride was related to tragic lives of White People without steady work, food or shelter.

All Freemen, today and without relation to race, should be afraid of everything being taken away by signing a piece of paper. After the Emancipation, 1865, Fredrick Douglas became an influential writer for the Suffrage Movement. Freemen should not be compared to Slaves. Douglas was well educated to represent Northern Black's legal rights.

When looking at the facts, even when the topic is slavery, this is not about "Black" and "White." People wanted cheap labor. Poor, debtors and criminals were easy to corral without consequences, or were they. A Poor White Person could have disadvantages. A Black Person with physical difficulties could be killed like a lame horse.

It is as though everyone was looking for a solution to problems by deciding they have higher entitlement. The solution causes problems. Currently, businesses are looking for cheap labor and they place themselves as the top shelf from which everything, "Trickles Down." Slavery might happen again or be happening now. Though struggling with economic hardship cheap labor is not the solution. Employees are consumers that pay for products and services. Employees also pay-off debts. Making the numbers different does not change the economy. Does everyone have to go through this again?

Poetry Breakdown
Clay by Marilyn Nelson