The Process Through Perspectives
In the nineteenth century, the slave market had a great impact in American history. Through the book, Soul by Soul, Walter Johnson sought to rectify and comprehend slave trade through the different perspectives of the traders, slaves, and buyers. The interactions of these perspectives allowed for a clearer understanding of the American slave system. Traders were responsible for marketing and selling slaves. Slaves were seen as objects or prices rather than individuals. Buyers had the slaves examined to determine their health and abilities. Due to the social expectancies, the buyers involvement in the slave trade was the riskiest. Through the performance of manipulation and the need to control, traders, slaves, and buyers desired to better themselves shaped the American slave system. Slave traders played a primary role in the market by shaping the slaves and manipulating the buyers. A trader’s responsibilities included living in close proximity to the slaves in order to protect them and understanding the marketing of slaves. Each trader knew the highest and lowest price a buyer would pay for a slave. Slave prices were based on various criteria and physical traits such as the slaves ages, weight, height, gender, and skin pigment. As part of the marketing process, traders had to …show more content…
Walter Johnson’s purpose was to tell the story of slave trade from different perspectives and angles from the participants. Johnson successfully demonstrated the manipulative tactics of traders, slaves, and buyers through various stories and examples. Through Soul by Soul, individuals can receive a more personal depiction of what occurred during slave trade in the nineteenth century. The slave trade system can be seen as a business deal rather than an interaction between individuals. Before reading this, I was unaware of the slave trade
In the nineteenth century, the slave market had a great impact in American history. Through the book, Soul by Soul, Walter Johnson sought to rectify and comprehend slave trade through the different perspectives of the traders, slaves, and buyers. The interactions of these perspectives allowed for a clearer understanding of the American slave system. Traders were responsible for marketing and selling slaves. Slaves were seen as objects or prices rather than individuals. Buyers had the slaves examined to determine their health and abilities. Due to the social expectancies, the buyers involvement in the slave trade was the riskiest. Through the performance of manipulation and the need to control, traders, slaves, and buyers desired to better themselves shaped the American slave system. Slave traders played a primary role in the market by shaping the slaves and manipulating the buyers. A trader’s responsibilities included living in close proximity to the slaves in order to protect them and understanding the marketing of slaves. Each trader knew the highest and lowest price a buyer would pay for a slave. Slave prices were based on various criteria and physical traits such as the slaves ages, weight, height, gender, and skin pigment. As part of the marketing process, traders had to …show more content…
Walter Johnson’s purpose was to tell the story of slave trade from different perspectives and angles from the participants. Johnson successfully demonstrated the manipulative tactics of traders, slaves, and buyers through various stories and examples. Through Soul by Soul, individuals can receive a more personal depiction of what occurred during slave trade in the nineteenth century. The slave trade system can be seen as a business deal rather than an interaction between individuals. Before reading this, I was unaware of the slave trade