Questions: were the experience of Male and Female Slaves similar or different in the nineteenth century. - at least 1000 words - footnote is required - bibliography is required - number the pages - c

Jassim Alajmi

HIST 172

Jane Dabel

January 16, 2018

Slavery in The Nineteenth Century

Different Experience Between Male and Female Slave

“There shall be no slave in your home, male or female: least of all mother of your son.” Is very well-known quote by Franz Grillparzer which trying to influence to not owen or have people as slave and not to treat them like that. In the nineteenth century, people were importing African people from their home and use them as slave and to do works that white people think that they shall not be doing. Furthermore, they were importing women slave as well and they have been using them in many ways differ than the male slave. Slaves have been treated in different ways, working in diverse workplaces, and protested in different way all depending on their sexes. Even though both men and women sometime endured slavery in similar way, yet there are inherent differences in how the sexes experienced slavery, for the reason that women and men frequently did different kind of labor, rebelled with different methods, and faced different forms of abuse or punishment.

Once slaves arrive to white people territory, they should expect that they are going to work in all possible workplaces and all type of weathers; the hard one or the easy one. For male slaves in the nineteenth century they were working in farms. People in the past were very focusing in their farms because they were their main source of food; therefor, they needed hands to work on it. This is where the male salves played the main roll in. Farms were the people main economic in that time, so they were very important for them to work on them and make them bigger with diverse products. In addition, male slaves were working as craftsman in shops or stores. People needed hands to work in their shops while they do other things or rest at home, so the Africans were used to work in the artisan shops. Beside working as privet workers to some people, male salves worked in the port to load and unload goods form ships. They had been in jobs where they required muscles because loading and unloading ships required a lot of effort.1

On the other hand, women slaves were working in jobs that differ from male. They were working as a cooker whether for the family that owns them or for the privet owner. Additionally, women slaves were employed in a dairy to help their master in many ways. They were as permanent maid for the owner and do all works instead of them and deal with the animals and then give the products to the owner. Also, they worked as personal worker for their master. For instance, they were doing all the cleaning, shopping, and organizing for the master and following them wherever they go and help them whenever they want.2

When it comes to treat people unfairly and use them as slave just because of their appearance, people will try to rebel against the unjust people. Male salve had many ways to rebel, such as tending to use their muscles and involve in a fight seeking for a rebellion. Men in general will try something that involve being tough and using their muscles to fight the unjust people and seek for revenge3. Moreover, there were a smarter way for rebellion that men slaves used which is merging with the white society and learn their language and religion. This tactic was very good where the white people understood that they are all the same and they should be treated equally because African will spoke the same language and practiced the same religion and that will make them close to each other and make them feel like one big family.4 Nevertheless, they used a way that might affected people soul and make them think seriously about rebellion which is singing. Singing is a very good way to encourage people to do some sort of action like rebel against the unfair people. Songs could engage people brain and deep emotions, and people usually translate that emotion into action.5

Alternatively, female slaves were more like the inside people to form a rebellion. Women started to engage with white people. Women started to engage with white people and created a family with them. This way was to stop white people from treating them like slave and instead starting to treat them like a family6. It was very effective because nowadays there is a lot of white and black couples. Furthermore, Slaves were seeking for their rights and liberty. therefore, women; since they were working as maid; they tried to poison their owner. This is more like a tough way to rebel because it involve killing people, and being carful because if they got caught they will be in a big trouble, so people won’t do it unless it is very necessary7. Moreover, women slaves were trying to help their race and support them in their rebellion. Women were trying to give food to slaves while their owner not around in order to keep them healthy and strong. Rebellion was only because salves were seeking for some revenge and justices because white people were treating them very badly and punching and abusing them. 8

People in the nineteenth century were treating their slaves very bad especially if they did some thing wrong. For male slaves, they had been ordered by the owner to work all seasons and under all the circumstances. Whether it was hot or cold, windy or humid, and in the morning or in the evening. They had been humiliated by the master and their orders9. Also, when the male salves get tired of their master, they tried to think of a solution and the only solution was escaping. However, it wasn’t good idea because if they got busted they will face some savage penalties and humiliation10. The other kind of punishment was in their workplace. They had them do the riskiest works because they thought that their life was not worthy. The white people were thinking that the African people were created just to work for them and their lives weren’t worthy for anything else not even living like a normal human being.11

On the contrary, female slaves were as much abuse and punish as the male slaves in the nineteenth century. They were treated in very bad manners and sometime got beaten to death. Sometime for a reason and sometime without12. Once female slaves died, white people did not respect their bodies and neither bury it nor grave it. In addition, female slaves were treated like animals where they were separated from their family, whether a son, father, or a brother. They were really getting a savage treating13. Additionally, as normal human being, people get sick sometime because of many reasons whether not eating well, food poisons, and weather changes. The master did not provide any kind of medicine or a cure for them when they get hurt or sick. When female salves get pregnant, they did not get the care that they needed, and the master did not take care of them and did not waste any money on them just because they thought they are not worthy.14

In conclusion, even though men and women slaves were brought for one main reason which is to serve people, there sexes affect their lifestyle, because women and men were force to different type of labor, and faced different forms of abuse or punishment that lead to rebelled in different ways. Men slaves labor was most likely outdoor where women slaves was indoor. They were treated differently based on their sexes and force to do different type of works. Also, they rebelled by different methods, where male slave tried using their muscles, singing and blending with the society. On the other hand, women tried to poison their master, getting married, and helping African people by feeding them while their master not around. Male and female slaves were punished by their masters. Male slaves have been ordered to work under all the circumstances and female slaves were separated from their family. People around the world should think very deeply about the idea of the slavery so they can understand how bad it is to make a human being as slave. People should have educated themselves and be more civilized and avoid action like have a slave and torturing them like they Owen them. People do not get to Owen other people because they were born with different shapes and color, but they are all equal and should be treated equally.

Bibliography

Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. 1st ed. Vol. 1. W. W. Norton & Company, 2004.

West, T. M., & Douglass, F. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass: a graphic classic; based on the autobiography of Frederick Douglass. New York: Scholastic Inc, 1845.

White, D. G.  Ar'n't I a Woman?: female slaves in the plantation South. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999.

1 Eric Foner, Give me Liberty! An American History, vol. 2, (New York: W.W.Norton &Company, 1999) ,146

2Foner,142

3 Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Mineola, NY:(Dov Publications, 1845), 62

4 Foner, 148

5 Deborah Gray White, Ar'n't I a Woman?: Female Slaves in the Plantation South, W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (February 17, 1999), 167

6 Foner, 148

7 White, 79

8 White, 155

9 Douglass, 55

10 Douglass, 92

11 Douglass, 65

12 Douglass, 21

13 Douglass, 43

14 White, 166