1. AngelinaSatarose
AntebellumSlavery
November1,2016
“The Care and Feedingof Slaves”
The Care and Feedingof Slavesis aguide onhow to care for one’sslavestheyown;inthe first
paragraph isabout cleanlinessandharshpunishmentforthose who disobeythe strictrulesof being
clean;inthe secondparagraph explainshow there issuspicionof the slave squanderingtheirweekly
allowance of foodforwhiskeysohe beginshavingthe cookmake all the mealsforhisslaves,tohis
delight,thisworks outandthe man findsthatit fitshisneedsforhisplantation.
“A Slave Letter”
Thisletterisof a slave servantgirl whomwasable towrite herformerownersthankstoher
presentownerthatencouragesreadingandwriting;the servantgirl’swritingspeakingof lonelinessand
missingheroriginal home,nowaskingif herdaughterisable tobe soldand will theysell hertoher
presentownersotheymaybe together;thisspeaksvolumesof herpresentowner,becausenotall slave
ownerswere thislenient norwere theythiskind.
“A MuslimSlave SpeaksOut”
Thisarticle isabout a man namedOmar whowastakenfrom Africaandsoldto many horrible
ownersbefore beingboughtbythe Owensbrothers;theykepthim, clothedhim, andlethimreadthe
gospels,whichwasmuchbettertreatmentthananyotherslave ownerhadgivenhim;thisaccountis
verytellingof howthe slaveswere treatedwhentheyarrivedtoAmerica.
“Some Slave Codes”
Thisdocumentisaboutthe GeorgiaSlave Code in1848 and includescapital offenses,minor
offences,prosecution,trial,evidence,verdict,judgement,sentence andcorrectionstopardons,
executions,andcosts;andthese differentoffensesdirectedatfree-personsof colorwere justasharsh
as those whowere slaves;itwasto the pointthat itdidn’tmatterif theywere free ornot accordingto
the lawbecause theywere still seenasone andthe same.
"BenjaminDrew:fromthe Narrative of FugitiveSlaves”
BenjaminDrewnarratestwostoriesof fugitiveslavesinCanada,Mrs. JamesStewardandNancy
Howard,both whichescapedbrutal masters;inthistellingof theirstories,bothhave devastatinglong
lastingeffectsfrombeingtorturedatthe handsof theirslave masters,wishingtojustlive inCanada
where theycanbe free and safe for once.
“Fitzhugh:SlaveryJustified”
Thispiece isabouthow slaveryisjustifiedthroughexamplesof history,nature andinequality;
the author plainlyexplainsthatwomenandchildrenshouldnotbe free,justasmuchas the weaker
persons(fromconqueringthem)shouldalsonotbe free;he alsostateshow capitalismisahorridthing
that shouldneverhappenbecauseitequalsmore libertyandequality,whichmakesmore crime.

2. The two documentsIhave chosenfromabove to debate are: “A Slave Letter,”&“Some Slave Codes.”
I will discusshowthisinformationmighthave beenusedbyabolitionists;how Garrisonand
HarrietBeecherStowe usedwhattheyknew;andpro-slaveryfactions.Garrisonwouldhave used
"BenjaminDrew:fromthe Narrative of FugitiveSlaves”inordertoprove how bad the circumstancesof
slaveswere because theywerenotequal towhites.He wouldhave used“Some SlaveCodes”tomake
people understandhowabsurdthe lawswere andhow theyneededreformandabolitionof slaveryto
finallyhappen.
HarrietBeecherStowe wouldhave used"BenjaminDrew:fromthe Narrative of Fugitive Slaves”
inorder to justifyhelpingthemescapetheirhorrificcircumstancesandgainfreedom.She wouldhave
used“Some Slave Codes”topoint outhow slaveswere notallowedtodefendthemselvesif theirown
liveswere indanger.
I don’tbelieveFitzhughorpro-slaveryfactionswouldhave beenable touse "BenjaminDrew:
fromthe Narrative of Fugitive Slaves”tohisadvantage.Fitzhughandthe pro-slaveryfactionswould
have delightedin“Some SlaveCodes”becausetheywouldhave aidedhiminhisneedtoexplainhow
equalitywouldallowslavesandfree ‘colored’personstojusthurtor maimanyone withoutthese lawsin
place.
What doesthissay aboutthe livesof slaveswasthattheywere veryharsh,full of strife and
punishment,degradationandundignifiedof respectforthe humanbeing.The livesof slaveswere
subjecttotheirmastersor owners.The value of theirlife dependedonhow theywere treated.Some
were luckyandreceivedgoodowners,butmostlikelyinall,slaveswere treatedverybadly,like animals
(as describedinFitzhugh’sarticle),andtheirdecisionssolelydependedonthe whimsof theirowners
whetherornot theygotto keep theirchildrenortheirownidentity.
The rise of Abolitionfitintootherreformmovementsbygivingidentityandrightstothose who
formerlydidnothave any.In 1834, the firststrike bywomenatthe Lowell Mill happenedbecause
womenfelttheyneededasaferworkplace andbetterwages,thenlaterin1848 ElizabethCadyStanton
& LucretiaMott createda detailedstatementof grievanceswithwomen’srightsandwasnolongera
whisper.Thencame the reformof schools,prisonsandthe mentallyillbecause Abolitioncaused
everyone tohave equal rights.
What struck me the most fromthese documentswere minimal.Iwasn’tshockedbyanyof this.I
alreadyknewmostof thisinformationbecause I’maHumanRightsactivist.Iwas raisedbyHuman
Rightsactivistparentsaswell.IwouldsaywhenIfirstlearnedaboutslaveryandthe treatmentof slaves,
it horrifiedme thatanypersoncouldactuallytreatsomeone likethatordehumanize theminasucha
wayto degrade themto beingindefensibleanimals.Itsaddensme greatlywhatthe humanrace has
beencapable of.

3. Bibliography
“The Care and Feedingof Slaves,”FarmJournal Reportsonthe Care and Feedingof
Slaves,1836. Chapter6: Life inthe Cotton Kingdom.Willie Lee Rose,ed.,A DocumentaryHistory
of Slaveryin NorthAmerica(New York:Oxford UniversityPress,1976).
“A Slave Letter,”ViletLesterof Georgia,toMiss PatseyPadisonof NorthCaroliner. Chapter10: “And
Black People Were atthe Heartof It”: The UnitedStatesDisunitesoverSlavery.JosephAllred
Papers,Special CollectionsLibrary,Duke University.http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/lester/
“A MuslimSlave SpeaksOut,”A MuslimSlave SpeaksOut,1831. Chapter6: Life inthe CottonKingdom.
Willie Lee Rose,ed.,A DocumentaryHistoryof SlaveryinNorthAmerica(New York:Oxford
UniversityPress,1976).
“Some Slave Codes,”GeorgiaSlave Codes,1848; SEC. I. CAPITALOFFENCES. Chapter6: Life inthe Cotton
Kingdom. Willie Lee Rose,ed.,A DocumentaryHistoryof SlaveryinNorthAmerica(New York:
OxfordUniversityPress,1976).
"BenjaminDrew:fromthe Narrative of FugitiveSlaves,”BenjaminDrew,fromThe Narrativesof Fugitive
Slavesin Canada, RelatedbyThemselves(1855).
“Fitzhugh:SlaveryJustified,”George Fitzhugh,SlaveryJustified(1854).