Since the political revolutions of the eighteenth century, social and political thinkers have challenged sound justifications for inequalities based on sex, race, and ethnicity. However, disability has predominantly been absent from that effort, despite its notability in debates over equality. In renowned debates of the 19th century and early 20th centuries, such as African American freedom and immigration restriction, disability played a substantial role. Advocates of racial inequality and immigration restriction adduced the supposed disabilities of particular races and ethnic groups. Moreover, disability arguments were foremost in justifications of slavery in the early to mid-nineteenth century. As historian Barbara Fields points out, even
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Savitt’s Medicine and Slavery analyzes a wider viewpoints as well as a wider variety of health issues—including endemic and epidemic diseases, living and work conditions, injuries, and the combined use of white and black medical treatments—for slaves in antebellum Virginia. Regardless of the substantial body of medical literature devoted to discussing physical differences between African American and white bodies, Savitt argues, theories of racial difference had less influence in the day-to-day evaluation and management of slaves’ health issues; bondspeople and white southerners were prone to the same diseases and prostrations, and often received the same treatments. Savitt also reports the existence of a “dual system” of health care, in which slaves requested ministrations from African American healers in addition to receiving medical care from their masters and white physicians (Savitt 15). Not all slaveholders were committed to fortify the health of their human chattel, and many slaves were skeptical of white medical interventions; moreover, African American slaves were used as disposals for medical experiments at the hands of white doctors, and as clinical material (living and deceased) for southern medical schools. Though he highlights issues of disability, Savitt takes a biomedical approach to issues of health and slaves’ bodies that largely discusses disabilities (from poor living conditions, injuries, old age, reproductive issues, or insanity) only as …show more content…
Fett’s Working Cures: Healing, Health, and Power on Southern Slave Plantations is a medical history of slavery that focuses rather more on power dynamics and cultural communications about health and disease between bondspeople and their masters. Fett argues that slaves were not acquiescent beneficiaries of cruel white medical traditions; slave healing involved a variety of endeavor over authority and practice. Slave population developed a rich healing culture “that worked to counter the onslaught of daily medical abuse and racist scientific theories” (Fett 17). In other words, slaves created a common countervision of health and healing to disapprove the “white” medical view that “translated slave health into slaveholder wealth” (Fett 17). Although slave healing traditions were inevitably associated with issues of plantation control (such as labor and discerned rebellion threats), the existence of a powerful healing culture provided a strong identity for African American slaves, and served as a method of opposition and
Savitt’s Medicine and Slavery analyzes a wider viewpoints as well as a wider variety of health issues—including endemic and epidemic diseases, living and work conditions, injuries, and the combined use of white and black medical treatments—for slaves in antebellum Virginia. Regardless of the substantial body of medical literature devoted to discussing physical differences between African American and white bodies, Savitt argues, theories of racial difference had less influence in the day-to-day evaluation and management of slaves’ health issues; bondspeople and white southerners were prone to the same diseases and prostrations, and often received the same treatments. Savitt also reports the existence of a “dual system” of health care, in which slaves requested ministrations from African American healers in addition to receiving medical care from their masters and white physicians (Savitt 15). Not all slaveholders were committed to fortify the health of their human chattel, and many slaves were skeptical of white medical interventions; moreover, African American slaves were used as disposals for medical experiments at the hands of white doctors, and as clinical material (living and deceased) for southern medical schools. Though he highlights issues of disability, Savitt takes a biomedical approach to issues of health and slaves’ bodies that largely discusses disabilities (from poor living conditions, injuries, old age, reproductive issues, or insanity) only as …show more content…
Fett’s Working Cures: Healing, Health, and Power on Southern Slave Plantations is a medical history of slavery that focuses rather more on power dynamics and cultural communications about health and disease between bondspeople and their masters. Fett argues that slaves were not acquiescent beneficiaries of cruel white medical traditions; slave healing involved a variety of endeavor over authority and practice. Slave population developed a rich healing culture “that worked to counter the onslaught of daily medical abuse and racist scientific theories” (Fett 17). In other words, slaves created a common countervision of health and healing to disapprove the “white” medical view that “translated slave health into slaveholder wealth” (Fett 17). Although slave healing traditions were inevitably associated with issues of plantation control (such as labor and discerned rebellion threats), the existence of a powerful healing culture provided a strong identity for African American slaves, and served as a method of opposition and