The Dehumanization Of Slavery In The United States

Slavery in the American context was different than its predecessors, it was brutal, heinous, and dehumanizing. This brings us to the American paradox, on one hand the founding fathers supported freedom, and natural rights but on the other hand supported an institution that deprived people of every ounce of human dignity. How could such a great nation as the United States have such a horrendous past? There’s no one simple answer, but there is evidence that one of the factors that cemented the slavery institution in America was commercial in nature. This paper will examine how the legal system was forged to bolster the slavery institution and how insatiable power and greed compelled otherwise rational people into supporting such a heinous and barbaric system. …show more content…
People had long understood that cotton and slavery were two sides of the same coin, and with large investments in their slave property they had much to lose if slavery was abolished. As we examined slavery provided large revenue for many southern planters it was in their self-interest to protect and defend the slavery institution. Ironically, their slave labor force was what provided them the wealth to achieve political power which they used as a vehicle to fight for their self-interests. Sadly enough the greed of these planter class men lead to so many deaths during the American Civil War. The fight however did not end there as racism became the next form of oppression, which sadly enough lingers still today in our