HST 498
Barnes
Essay 2
During the slave trade in Europe between 1600-1800 was significant in many ways. There was a divided line between its social status and how Christianity played a roll in slavery. France was similar towards the Americas northern states during the civil war. Whoever crossed into the country of France they are considered free and thereby able to work for anyone they want. Having positive morals within the church created this assumption of free will. Atlantic Europe was heading into a direction of new benefits and products. Christianity and how people handled their life style was one of the reasons the slave trade has been decreasing. The connection between Christianity and social status was to get rid of the slave trade and fight for what our religion tells us to do.
In Walwin’s reading there was a significant impact on European life. Luxury items came into play for the civilian’s sake. Sugar became the largest findings from the explorers in a long time since. Since Atlantic Europe was the main focus in the slave trade, it involved more than just Britain. Sugar hit Europe so in advanced it was used for almost everything. If it wasn’t for the African slave labor then this wouldn’t of been a possibility. Christianity was the main reason for brining down the slave trade and to focus on far better assets to its country. Since the Dutch were the brilliant minds of business in this, it made the Dutch far better than any other country because they knew how to benefit themselves over the work to obtain the luxury items. Having Christianity as a social status made two types of slaves. Household and field slaves were in every farm and home that had created a living and with new luxury items coming in making life easier on families. Since the Dutch had faster boats and equipment, they were able to gain an extra step.
Besides the luxury, there was more to Christianity and its social status. Campaigns and having to hear debates over its culture created a better sense of knowledge amongst this time period. True Christians, would not force their workers (slaves) to work in labor.[1] Britain was very much into making their Christians better. During Propaganda Fide, Christians were hoping to give the right of enslaved Africans to get baptized and sworn into Christianity.[2] Socially, becoming polite and having a fashionable and proper presence outlook in public would be a better effort of purity.[3] Campaigns and debates are without a doubt the turning point towards the public in Britain and other countries.
Peabody, and Hudson were my two favorite readings because of how France and Britain played a part in Christianity and its social status. Since slavery in France was illegal it brought thousands of free and slaved blacks.[4] Having the refusal of slaves in the country made it difficult for those living in France. Having to deal with court cases from run-aways and their owners. For instance, Francisque was part Indian which by law, not a full on black. Even though his skin was black, France saw him as just any other civilian. His owner, Brignon took this matter into court so he can obtain the rights of Francisque back but because of nationality and laws of the country he has no right to get him back.[5] Hudson became a part in Britain’s religious conformity by bringing up the fact that slavery in the 18th century was in no inconsistency.[6] Meaning that among the Whigs, Quakers and Unitarians the slave trade was separated from what they honestly believed was right.[7] There were no dominant right or wrong response to these matters but the fact that Britain had played a roll in “liberty” it thereby created a positive asset to the turning point of the slave trade. The most impressive written response from Hudson stated, “Britains wished to view themselves and their historical destiny than with adherence to some abstract standard of truth and justice.”[8]
The slave trade in modern day Europe was a terrible transition for Africans to overcome. It was only a matter of time until Christianity took part in the feelings part of the business. The connection between Christianity and social status was to obtain a turning point and use it to better our selves as human beings and sticking to our religious belief, which we have sworn by all our life. Betraying Christianity was another way of worshipping the devil. Obtaining better materials such as sugar and other luxury items became a better asset to those who oppose that the slave trade should continue forward. Feelings played a huge roll in the turning point of the slave trade, therefore makes the improvement of Atlantic Europe stronger by having positive moral beliefs of its people.
Bibliography
Brown, Christopher. Christianity and the campaign against slavery and the slave trade. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Hudson, Nicholas. “Britons Never Will be Slaves”: National Myth, Conservatism, and the Beginnings of British Antislavery. Eighteenth-Century Studies, 2001
Peabody, Sue. Race, Slavery, and the Law in Early Modern France. Historian.
[1] Christopher Brown, Christianity and the campaign against slavery and the slave trade (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), 524.
[2] Brown 520
[3] Brown 528
[4] Sue Peabody, Race, Slavery, and the Law in Early Modern France (Historian), 501.
[5] Peabody 505-506
[6] Nicholas Hudson, “Britons Never Will be Slaves”: National Myth, Conservatism, and the Beginnings of British Antislavery (Eighteenth-Century Studies, 2001), 560.
[7] Hudson 562
[8] Hudson 571
One of the things that I really like about your essay was the fact that you intergraded all the essays throughout the paper. You didn’t have one paragraph for one essay you used them really good. I also liked your introductory paragraph. You don’t give out that much you just give out enough to keep your audience interested and tell them just enough about the paper but not too much. You did a very good job on this essay.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of your argument, however, "Betraying Christianity was another way of worshiping the Devil." Really. I believe you are placing too much of your own modern morality into this statement. Brown wrote about how this Christians in our time period recognized humanity mainly in other Christians. Non-Christians were to Europeans at this, then less human until they joined, hence the socially constructed acceptance and defense of the slave's newly acquired rights, with the slave's newly acquired religion.
ReplyDeleteVery well put together paper. I shared similar views on the subject and liked the overall wording and flow of your paper. I do agree with your thesis however I dont agree with necessarily stating that religion is the driving force. There were so many different influences during this period which were depicted in the readings that were all so different. What they shared more of and what was that driving force was having a belief in something and striving for something better. Overall, very well done paper. Good work!
ReplyDeleteYou paper was very clear and concise. I agree with your thesis and liked how you explained the conflict between religious values and administrative legitimacy. I would have liked to see you compare and contrast the articles with Hudson and Brown. I am interested to see which argument would have done more to support your thesis.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that your introduction is accurate in its comparison of France and the Norther States of the antebellum United States of America. Their slave policies, which was the object of your comparison, were not very similar. Slaves who entered northern states were not necessarily free, especially because of fugitive slave laws and the varying ways in which one could define "the North" in the early United States. If by the North you mean to exclude the middle states and ignore the role of the federal laws in preserving the indentured status of many a man, then yes I understand that the states without slavery were similar to France since France also did not have slavery, but France freed those who stepped on her soil. In many circumstances, Norther states did not because they could not.
ReplyDelete