FREE ESSAY ON A SLAVE'S LIFE

A SLAVE'S LIFE

Imagine, if you will, rising earlier than the sun, eating a mere "snack"- lacking
essentially all nutritional value - and trekking miles to toil in the unforgiving climate
of the southern states, and laboring until the sun once again slipped under the horizon.
Clad only in the rags your master provided (perhaps years ago), you begin walking in the
dark the miles to your "home." As described by the writers Jacob Stroyer and Josiah
Henson, this "home" was actually a mere thatched roof, that you built with your own
hands, held up by pathetic walls, over a dirt floor and you shared this tiny space with
another family. Upon return to "home," once again you eat the meager rations you were
provided, and fall into bed only to begin again the next day. Day in and day out you
faced brutality by your master, unbearable labor, and slow starvation, and watched your
family do the same. Such was the life of a slave in the antebellum south: relentless,
unforgiving, and tragic.
The life of a slave was one plagued by shifting loyalties, struggle for survival, and
prayers for a brighter future, if not for oneself at least for children and
grandchildren. So, exactly what was it to be a slave? It was exactly that, to be property
of another, treated as a commodity that could be replaced if needed, thrown out on a
whim, and neglected without a care. Living and breathing creatures, humans, were herded
like cattle in and out of the fields and boarded in similar conditions, if not poorer,
than the livestock. Slaves had no rights to express their feelings (for their conditions
or each other), or even be "alive." 
Slaves faced the total shattering of their culture (for those brought from Africa to the
Americas) as well as their families. Slaves finding themselves the victim of the slave
raids to the West African Coast were packed onto ships as human cargo. As seen in the
writings of countless authors such as John Barbot and James Barbot, Jr., slaves faced
unbearable living conditions in disease infested ships and often starved to death or died
during their transatlantic voyage. Slaves were surrounded by the unfamiliar skin of the
white man, as well as a dialect unknown to their ears. Unable to communicate, he suffered
from not only the reality of his situation, but also the uncertainty of the future.
Unable to cope, many slaves committed suicide in hopes of returning to their home, at
least in spirit. Once, and if, they finally made it to the Americas, they were sold at
auction and forever separated from any kin they may have had. As life continued, many
slaves did adapt to the language, but few were ever able to fully embrace the culture - a
culture that seemed to thrive on their demise and suffering.
Once a slave acculturated himself to his "new home," he found himself unable to
re-establish his family ties. Even if a slave was lucky enough to find a significant
other, often times they were separated by sale, as can be seen in the account of Laura
Spicer and her lost love. Moreover, couples often found their children sold off to other
masters never to be seen or heard from again, at ages as young as eight years old.
Therefore, a slave's life was full of perpetual uncertainty, and fear of abandonment and
neglect. Their bonds of love were never enough to out-weigh the voice of cold, hard
money…and many slaves found themselves miles away from their loved ones.
In addition, masters went to great lengths to keep their property stupid and submissive,
and did so in the name of humanity - slaves were just like animals, too dumb to
understand what was good for them. Slaves found themselves in a situation where their
only provider, although I use that term liberally, was also their greatest fear. Unable
to escape their bonds, slaves had little choice but to submit to their masters' orders,
or face corporal punishment, torture, or death at his hands. Often times slaves were
subjected not only to the abusiveness of their back breaking labor, but abuses both
physical and sexual by their "Christian" masters. Which left them in somewhat of a
precarious position. Their masters ruled with an iron fist, claiming to be doing what was
best for the wretched souls, while tearing apart families and starving (or working) their
slaves to death. Slaves could not help but see and, moreover, feel the hypocrisy in their
masters' babbling. A slave was then faced with only one option: to follow the path most
likely to lead to survival.
For the most part, a slave's only mission was simply to live another day with the hope
and prayer that they would see the light of freedom before they succumbed to the horrors
of slave life. Therefore, when faced with a decision, they weighed each not on their
merits, but on the chance that it would bring them closer to freedom without bringing
them closer to death. For example, many slaves had opportunities to escape their masters,
but chose not to for fear they would be caught and put to torture or even death. However,
for some the hope of life as a freeman outweighed all the possibilities of
capture…what could they possibly endure that would be worse than their current
conditions. Death was a reasonable price to pay for the chance at freedom for many
slaves. Unfortunately for countless numbers, the chance at freedom was stopped short when
captured and returned to a brutal master for punishment. A slave had to play whatever
angle he could in hopes of achieving freedom. However, most found themselves only pons in
a political game that cared nothing about their lives, but merely profit and political
power.
As the revolutionary war crept into the minds and the agendas of the Americas, so too did
the notions of using the slaves as political pawns. Slaves were leverage for the British
to use against the revolutionaries; they threatened to not only emancipate slaves, but to
arm them as well. This meant sure economic failure for the Southern states whose economy
was based on slave labor for agricultural production, and struck fear into their hearts
for possible death at the hands of their former slaves. However, the British actually
cared little for the slaves or their well being. Threatened emancipation was only a ploy
to force the Southern states to return their loyalties to the crown. As slaves began
escaping to the British Army in throngs, they faced a life of slavery, only now with a
different master. The slaves were bought and sold and even offered as payment to the
Officers. When rations were low, they were the first to be slighted. Many soon realized
the proclamations of the British were only smoke and mirrors. However, they were willing
to side with whom ever was "winning" the war just to ensure their survival. During this
time famine struck slaves left to fend for themselves as masters fled their homes in fear
of the British Army. With little or no where to go, they took refuge in who or whatever
was willing to take them in, often finding themselves only switching from one horror to
another. Same story, new names. These abused souls found themselves again the victim of a
power struggle, and could only wait and hope to side with the victor before it was too
late.
However, with the close of the war the "rights" of the citizens (white, land owning
males) of the newly formed states were being explored with vigor as the Founding Fathers
set out to form their utopia. And, although distant, the beginnings of emancipation
became firmly established when such words as, "all men are created equal…" were
signed into law. The Northern states made their opinions regarding slavery known with
such acts as the Northwest Ordinance. An end to slavery was now becoming a reality.
However, the reality would be distant as Southern states flexed their might and lobbied
for such laws as the Three-Fifths Rule and the Southwest Ordinance. Although perhaps put
on a longer time scale, the founding fathers put into motion the beginnings of a free,
democratic nation, which would, in the future, lead to freedom for all. However, in the
mean time, slave life continued status quo.
A slave's life was harsh at best. Regardless of the histories we read that espouse the
civility and gentleness of masters and their foundations of Christian beliefs, the fact
remains that they kept thousands of women, men, and children in the bonds of slavery for
their own economic gain. No matter how it is written down or what flowery language is
used, a slave's life was torture. It is essential that we examine the writings of first
hand suffers such as James W.C. Pennington, Job Ben Solomon, and Olaudah Equiano for an
authentic account of what it was to be a slave. Starvation, separation, and death were
always at the forefronts of their lives and minds. A slave was not treated humanly; he
was treated as an animal. Masters felt as though they deserved medals for protecting
these "incapables", but reality has shown us that slaves were far from it. Many who were
able to escape their bonds wrote eloquent and intelligent accounts of their lives and
victimizations as slaves. Such were the caliber of these writings that I would venture to
say most masters could not pen such an articulate anthology of their lives. The
institution of slavery is one of the greatest travesties of recent history. There is no
reason now or ever for any man to force another into bondage, especially when the forcing
is done by brute force alone. Every man is created equal…