As a white Southern woman, and descendant of slave holders, I would like to ask you how you would feel if:   
  you, your wife or children could be removed from your home, at any time, never to be seen again
  you were legally a non-human
  your marriage wasn’t legal in your state
  your children were classed as illegitimate
  you master had the right to sexually use your wife, or child, even by force  
  you were forbidden to use a surname
  your daily activity was directed by someone else, not of your choosing
  you couldn’t travel without an escort
  you could only travel at your master’s instructions 
  you had no right to use the court system
  you and your children were forbidden to learn to read or write
  you would be jailed and lashed for running away
  a man could kill you with no consequences [murder is defined as killing a human]
  you could have no expectation that this life would ever change, even for your children
   
  That was the law of slavery, or rather, some of the laws. 
  Is that life worth 3 square meals and a roof over your head, for you? 
   
  Weigh all the small kindnesses shown by individuals   [We didn’t beat our slaves. We treated them just like family. We always gave away leftovers.  We taught some to read. We gave them a garden, etc]   against the cruelty of the institution of slavery. Does it all seem to balance out? 
   
  In other words, descendants of slaves might have a hard time understanding how others can talk about *kindness* at all, when slavery, as an institution, was so cruel.  Would having those kindnesses shown to you make slavery acceptable for your family? Why would you expect it to be acceptable for anyone else?
   
  Can you imagine a newly freed slave being asked, “Was your master kind?”  What was he supposed to say, if the master was a pleasant man in every respect other than owning slaves?   What if the master never beat anyone, because the foreman had that responsibility?  
  
  Can people experience happiness, even joyfulness, while in captivity? Absolutely! Why wouldn't someone be nostalgic for their childhood home, or people they grew up with? The slaves were human beings after all.   After slavery, some returned to their home.  Some left. Some fought for the south, and many for the north.  Some kept their master’s name, but many didn't. To this day, descendants of slaves are reluctant to talk about the experiences of their families to outsiders.  It is easy to understand why the first generation of people, suddenly freed, would be reluctant to be completely open about their experiences, especially considering the hostility directed towards them after the war.  [Would you have felt comfortable being entirely free to speak your mind?]  To this day, when people of good will get together and talk, it is difficult to try to communicate about such sensitive and emotional issues. 
   
  It really doesn’t matter how well slaves were treated, from the slaves’ point of view:  They were still slaves.  I’m glad to know that my most recent ancestors were “kind”, rather than cruel individuals, but that is a really insignificant point for those on the receiving end of slavery. Slavery, as an institution, was cruel.  
   
  I just don’t understand how, we as a nation, can claim to value democracy and freedom when we give democracy and freedom no value when we think of slavery.  If we want our children and grandchildren to understand the value of democracy and freedom, don’t we have to teach them about a society lacking either, and the evils of such a society?  We have the perfect opportunity to teach our values through the American slave experience. This is what I want my children and grandchildren to be taught. 
   
  Langdon Hagen-Long
   


[log in to unmask] wrote:  After reading all the slave narratives, I am struck by the weight of 
evidence that the vast majority of the former slaves interviewed thought with 
kindness and nostalgia about their life in slavery. It appears that few 
immediately left their plantations after the war, but chose to continue to live with 
their masters.

Question-Do any of the educators in this forum who teach history during this 
period mention the alternative view that perhaps the majority of slaves were 
treated well and were not unhappy with their status? Just curious.

JD South



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