Posted: April 30th, 2023

Your assignment is to refute, to prove invalid, the claims made by southern apologists of slavery

refute, to prove invalid, the claims made by southern apologists of slavery

900 words
Your assignment is to refute, to prove invalid, the claims made by southern apologists of slavery. To do this, you need to clearly explain the arguments that supporters of slavery made in support the claim of slavery as a “positive good”. Use the documents by James Henry Hammond and John C. Calhoun (see links to these documents below) to explain what they meant when they said slavery was a “positive good.” What points did they make in support of that claim? Then, once you have clearly defined “positive good”, use the Douglass “Narrative” to prove that the “positive good” arguments were invalid.

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The claims made by Southern apologists of slavery revolve around the idea that slavery was a “positive good” for both the slaves and the slaveholders. In order to refute these claims, it is important to examine the arguments made by supporters of slavery and analyze their validity. Two prominent Southern politicians, James Henry Hammond and John C. Calhoun, made the case that slavery was a “positive good” in their respective speeches, which we will examine first. Then we will use the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” to disprove these arguments.

James Henry Hammond, a senator from South Carolina, gave a speech to the United States Senate in 1836 in which he argued that slavery was not only morally justifiable, but also beneficial for the slaves themselves. Hammond argued that slavery provided slaves with food, shelter, and protection that they would not have had otherwise. He also claimed that the relationship between slave and master was one of mutual affection and that slaves were better off being owned by benevolent masters than being free and subject to the vagaries of the market.

John C. Calhoun, another senator from South Carolina, made a similar argument in his 1837 speech on the floor of the Senate. Calhoun argued that slavery was a “positive good” for both whites and blacks, and that it was a necessary condition for the preservation of the Union. He claimed that the black race was inferior to the white race and that slavery was necessary to maintain social order and prevent black people from causing chaos and violence.

These arguments made by Hammond and Calhoun are fundamentally flawed and can be refuted using evidence from the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” Douglass, a former slave, provides a firsthand account of the brutal realities of slavery and the ways in which it dehumanized and oppressed black people.

One of the key claims made by Southern apologists of slavery was that it provided slaves with food, shelter, and protection. However, as Douglass makes clear in his narrative, the reality of slavery was far different. Slaves were often subjected to brutal living conditions, with little food or shelter provided by their masters. In fact, Douglass recounts a time when he was forced to live in a damp, cold, and filthy attic with no bedding, where he suffered from hunger, thirst, and exposure.

Furthermore, Hammond’s claim that the relationship between slave and master was one of mutual affection is simply untrue. Douglass describes the violent and dehumanizing treatment he and his fellow slaves received at the hands of their masters. He recounts being whipped, beaten, and forced to perform grueling physical labor for hours on end. In fact, Douglass argues that the nature of the master-slave relationship was inherently oppressive and dehumanizing, as it denied slaves their basic human rights and reduced them to mere property.

Calhoun’s argument that slavery was necessary to maintain social order and prevent black people from causing chaos and violence is also deeply flawed. Douglass’s narrative provides ample evidence to suggest that it was the institution of slavery itself that created chaos and violence. Slaves were often subjected to brutal punishment and violence, which instilled fear and resentment in the slave population. In fact, Douglass recounts an incident in which he witnessed a slaveholder brutally whipping a slave, causing other slaves to rise up in protest and demand an end to the violence.

Ultimately, the claims made by Southern apologists of slavery are unfounded and invalid. The reality of slavery was one of brutality, oppression, and dehumanization, and it is impossible to justify such an institution as a “positive good.” The evidence provided by Douglass’s narrative underscores the fact that slavery was a morally bankrupt institution that denied black people their basic human rights and reduced them to mere property

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