One Is Made a Slave Not Born a Slave

¶ … Slave, Not Born a Slave

The Making of Slavery

The sense of proprietorship of slave traders, owners, and other propagators of chattel slavery that was prevalent in the United States until the middle of the 19th century would be absurdly laughable -- were it not steeped in a legacy of perversion, of anguish, of tragedy and of perniciousness. The notion that one had the right to actually own another, the latter of whose sole existence would be to serve the former in any way, shape or method which the "owner" deemed appropriate, has been disproved as largely imaginary, and not something based on any sense of right or morality (no matter how such a historically ambiguous term was defined) numerous times, both during the tenure of slavery in the United States and well afterwards. A casual examination of the wording of the Declaration of Independence confirms this fact (McAulifee, 2010, p. 78), although it should be noted that at the time of the composition of this document African and West Indian slaves were largely regarded to be 3/5ths of a man for the purposes of taxation and representation. However, those distinctions of mankind have largely faded with the passing of chattel slavery in this country, wherein the conception that someone could be "born" solely for the purpose of being a slave is highly inaccurate, and can be demonstrated in a number of ways -- not the least of which is by the fact that when the African rulers who sold a number of slaves to European slave traders in the 15th and 16th centuries (Baraka, 1991, p.21), those people were already free. It was only the dogged insolence of the European and American slave traders and owners that persisted in making those of African and West Indian descent chattel slaves in this country, as a body of literature and historical sources readily proves (and has, in fact, already proven).

Some of the most powerful examples of this fact may be gleaned from literature, particularly when such literature is founded upon a historical basis which combines a non-fictional approach with a narrative in which slaves are depicted as humans -- which was widely unpopular in the United States in certain regions for the first century both before and after its founding. In fact, it may be asserted that slave narratives, which illustrated the actual person and character of someone who was repeatedly dehumanized to be made into another's property, were one of the contributing factors that led to the eventual abolition of slavery in the U.S. (Bland, 2001, p. 11). Of the first-hand chronicles of slavery that may possibly have had such an ameliorating effect upon slaves, and a decidedly debilitating effect upon the institution of slavery, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave is certainly one of the most eminent, for a number of factors. The first of which was owed to the eloquence of Douglass' writing -- which in and of itself may be used as a defense of the notions that one is not born a slave, but is rather made into one -- while other factors contributing to the efficacy of this manuscript lies in its brutal rendering of the perverse behavior of slave owners and traders, as well as its depictions of the actual human being that each and every slave undoubtedly was.

Therefore, when one is attempting to demonstrate that slaves were made into human property, and were not born that way, it becomes necessary to truly define and outline the logic behind this argument, as well as that behind any proofs that may be issued to support it. To do so, one could choose to compare the sentiment, intellect, and overall humanity of slaves to that of those who were their owners, and see if there are any qualities in the latter that are lacking in the former, and vice versa. To this end, Douglass's narrative proves quite beneficial, as the following quotation (1845) demonstrates his humanity and intellect -- which happened to be confined to a variety of slave owners since he was deemed to be their "property."

Very soon after I went to live with Mr. And Mrs. Auld, she very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C. After I had learned this, she assisted me in learning to spell words of three or four letters. Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further… I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty -- to wit, the white man's power to enslave the black man (p.28-29).

This quotation readily demonstrates Douglass' intellectual prowess, which is as adept as any human beings'. It displays his inclination towards scholastic pursuits, the learning of writing, as well as his ability to produce didactic lessons from everyday occurrences (which are characterized in this quotation by Mr. Auld's forbidding of his wife to teach Douglass to read, which was a fairly common dictum for slave owners to say to their slaves. It is in this latter aspect that this quotation actually proves that slaves were simply made into a life of servitude and not born that way. Douglass's understanding of the white man's "power" to enslave the black man implies that there is a source to this power, which may be overcome so that the white man loses this ability to enslave the black man. Douglass exemplifies this fact by dedicating his thought process and life to pursuing his own freedom after this revelation. If he were truly born to be a slave, he would not attempt such an undertaking.

In fact, it may be argued that there are quite a number of factors and anecdotes within this narrative that allude to the fact that slaves were not born to be in bondage, and had simply been made to be that way due to unfortunate circumstances (which of course, could largely be attributed to either themselves or their ancestors having been sold into slavery in parts of Africa or the West Indies) (Baraka, 1991, p. 23). If the preceding quotation has indicated that Douglass possessed the powers of reasoning and intellectual capacity that would behoove any freed man, the following quotation (1845) alludes to a sense of virility instilled within him despite the best efforts of numerous slave owners to break his will, make him docile, and to keep him both physically and mentally within their bondage.

…he left Covey and myself to fight our own battle out. We were at it for nearly two hours. Covey at length let me go, puffing and blowing at a great rate, saying that if I had not resisted, he would not have whipped me half so much. The truth was, that he had not whipped me at all. I considered him as getting entirely the worst end of the bargain; for he had drawn no blood from me, but I had from him (p. 62).

This quotation underscores the intense physical resistance which Douglass rallied against his slave master, Covey, largely due to the fact that the former was tired of being physically abused by the latter. Such physical resistance, of course, is fairly convincing evidence that slaves are not born. Douglass, of course, was a slave who was born into such a lot -- yet he exerted such strong physical resistance (for "nearly two hours") that Covey had to "let" him "go." In doing so, Douglass demonstrated the fact that he was refusing to accept his position as a slave and that he would fight and utilize all of his willpower to not be abused the way that slaves so typically and wantonly were. If Douglass had chosen to accept his fate and not beat his slave master in a physical altercation, he would have acquiesced to the cruel hand which life had dealt him. But he did not acquiesce, which indicates that he was not simply born to be a slave despite the fact that he was a slave when he was born.

What is of immense interest in the preceding passage in Douglass' narrative is that his slave owner actually called for another slave to help him during his confrontation with Douglass. That slave, a man by the name of Hughes, promptly came running to aid his master, which the following quotation illustrates, "Hughes came, and, while Covey held me, attempted to tie my right hand. While he was in the act of doing so, I watched my chance, and gave him a heavy kick close under the ribs" (Douglass, 1845, p. 62). In this particular quotation, Hughes, another slave, is attempting to exercise a degree of complicity in his master's atrocious acts of violence committed against Douglass. Yet Hughes was actually only doing so because as a slave, he had been ordained to heed his master's command lest he face the violent wrath of his master, as well as Douglass. However, Hughes complicity in attempting to assist his master tie up Douglass (so he could cruelly beat a man who was bound) is merely part of a lengthy tradition of preferentialism within chattel slavery that inherently affected the psychology of slaves, and which simply reinforces the notion that slaves were made and not born that way.

The following quotation (Jones) emphasizes this tradition, its effects upon slaves, and ultimately reinforces the notion that slavery (and in particular this aspect of preferential treatment) is certainly something learned, and not that one is born with.

In a sense, however, the extension of "special privileges" to Negro house servants ("house niggers"), did early help to create a new class of Negros, within the slave system. The "house nigger" not only assimilated "massa's" ideas and attitudes at a rapid rate, but his children were sometimes allowed to learn trades and become artisans and craftsmen" (p. 73).

This quotation implies that in a sense, Hughes' willingness to help Covey subdue Douglass was simply part of a tradition of assisting a slave's master in order to earn what Jones refers to as "special privileges." Hughes was not helping Covey because he wished to see any significant harm done to Douglass; Hughes was simply trying to keep his own favorable standing with his master in hopes that he would receive some form of preferential treatment. The fact that Hughes would help his master, who belonged to a separate race than him, to tie up a member of his own race (Douglass), so that he could inflict incalculable physical harm upon Douglass with which he would have no means of defending himself from, is indicative of the perverse nature of slavery, which would cause a separation between two men (Douglass and Hughes), who more than likely looked alike and were treated the same.

Such a perversion, the aiding in the bludgeoning of another in order to gain a few favors of crumbs from some superior, is so unnatural that it had to be taught, or in the case of Hughes, learned. Had slavery not been in existence, there is very little likelihood that Hughes would have assisted this Caucasian landowner is subduing Hughes' counterpart (Douglass), so that this capitalist Caucasian could beat him. That behavior must be learned and reinforced through the institution of slavery, which is further evidence that slaves are made, and not born. Hughes certainly was not born to help Covey beat someone who in all likelihood was a lot more similar to Hughes than Covey was.

There are numerous instances in which Douglass' narrative underscores the point that slaves should be more loyal towards themselves than to their masters. The very fact that he does not provide an abundance of details regarding his eventual liberty from bondage, because he might ruin the chances "by which a brother slave might clear himself of the chains and fetters of slavery" (Douglas, 1845, p. 86) illustrates the point that Hughes should be considering Douglass as a "brother slave" and actually aiding Douglass, and not Hughes, any sort of pugilistic confrontation between the pair of men. Yet so great was the perversion of slavery, which absolutely desecrated and quite frequently made a mockery of traditional values, morals and ethics, that when there were instances of house slaves, or some sort of favoritism to be incurred from assisting a master, slaves would readily do so -- oftentimes to the neglect and to the downfall of their fellow slaves.

Furthermore, one of the most convincing pieces of evidence that slaves are made and not born lies in the fact that slaves can be freed. If they were simply born slaves and were intended to be nothing but slaves, then if they were free, they would still go about pursuing a life as a slave. However, just the way it is possible to make a man a slave, it is also possible to free him. This notion can be suitably evinced from the following quotation from Douglass (1845), in which he describes the emotional impact of being free and reading about the charge to free other slaves.

The paper became my meat and my drink. My soul was set all on fire. Its sympathy for my brethren in bonds -- its scathing denunciations of slaveholders -- its faithful exposures of slavery -- and its powerful attacks upon the upholders of the institution -- sent a thrill of joy through my soul, such as I had never felt before! (100).

This quotation is indicative of the fact that slaves are made, and not born, in several respects. For one it underscores the humanity of Douglass, an undeniable humanity that is steeped in eloquence and an ardent passion that typifies some of the best human emotions to be felt, and which is emphasized by the multiple references to the author's "soul" -- which is, of course, one of the primary distinctions between mankind and lower animals. This reaffirmation of Douglass' humanity illustrates that he simply happened to be born a slave, in much the same way someone may happen to be born of a certain ethnicity, which does not mean he was born to be slave. Furthermore, this paper illustrates the strong anti-bondage sentiments that existed within Douglass, and within quite a few others, as well, since there was an entire newspaper dedicated to these feelings and to the abolishment of this vile institution. Had Douglass been born a slave, had any of the people who contributed to the Liberator or who had achieved a degree of liberty from the constraints of slavery been born with the express purpose of being slaves, then the ardent abolition movement would not have taken root in this country the way it did, and the institution of slavery would not have eventually been toppled. No, Douglass, and anyone else unfortunate to have been put through such a macabre ordeal were made into slaves by largely unsympathetic capitalists.

It has also been alluded to by a number of sources that one of the many perverse manifestations of slavery can be found in the sexual promiscuity and its ramifications that were felt by both master and slave, people both white and black. It was not uncommon for female slaves to be raped by lascivious slave owners, who would mutually benefit from this sexual perversion by being able to engender new slaves from the slave woman's pregnancy. Another example of the perversion created by these sexual encounters can be found in the fact that it frequently was found that slave owners would sell and enslave their own children to propagate this institution of slavery (Chesnutt, 1889 p. 31). However, often times it would be the slave woman herself who would have to endure the perversion of her honor, her chastity, her worth and value in the world as a woman -- which rapidly deteriorated into that of a sexual object -- all stemming from the fact that she was a slave, as the following quotation from Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (NEED DATE) evidences.

…but to be an object of interest to a man who is not married, and who is not her master, is agreeable to the pride and feelings of a slave, if her miserable situation has left her any pride or sentiment. It seems less degrading to give oneself, than to submit to compulsion. There is something akin to freedom in having a lover who has no control over you, except that which he gains by kindness and attachment. A master may treat you as rudely as he pleases, and you dare not speak; moreover, the wrong does not seem so great with an unmarried man, as with one who has a wife to be made unhappy (64).

In this quotation the lover is rationalizing (to the reader) her sexual activity with the father of her children, a Caucasian man who she did not love, and whose only virtues were that he was not her master. There are several allusions to rape in this quotation, implied by the references to having to "submit" to "compulsion," as well as to a master treating one "rudely." Furthermore, this quotation demonstrates the low regard in a moral sense that being raped and having to have sex with Caucasians who only objectify a slave woman who may quite possibly be without any "pride or sentiment." No person deserves to have such low self-esteem and moral regard for him or herself. Such low regard is a direct result of the sexual perversions and other distortion of ethical standards and moral behavior that slaves had to endure. Anyone attempting to argue that there are certain people who are innately born to suffer such grievances must be as distorted and as perverse as the numerous situations of rape and violence that are alluded t in the aforementioned passage. The enduring of such misfortune, that of a slave's misfortune, is the result of someone being made to endure those circumstances, not being born into them.

The degree of perversion which children of slaves were forced to endure is a common theme in literature that depicted the life of those in bondage, and even the lives of those who were not in bondage but who still lived in the epoch in which the effects of slavery were still prevalent. This is certainly the case in Harriet Wilson's Our Nig, in which a Caucasian woman delivers her daughter into indentured servitude, largely because the father of the child is black, which the following quotation suggests. "Who'll take the black devils?" snarled Mag. "They're none of mine," said Seth; "what you growling about?" "Nobody will want any thing of mine, or yours either," she replied" (Wilson, NEED YEARE).

This quotation underscores the decidedly low value and regard which Mag has for her children, which can be imputed by the fact that she refers to them as "black devils." Frado, Mag's daughter who is described as "beautiful" with an "exuberance of spirit almost beyond restraint" suffers years of abuse and mistreatment by the woman she is given to as an indentured servant. Frado was born free. No one can assert that the physical and mental neglect she endured at the hands of Mrs. Bellomont was something she was born for, rather her situation as a slave (of sorts) was made that way due to the cruelty of her Mag -- which stemmed from Frado's father being black.