“The Misconception of the Negro”
The Antislavery Argument: A Quest for Liberty, Freedom, and Equality
One may ask what is slavery? Webster defines slavery as a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves are held captive from the time of their confinement, purchase, or birth. They are never allowed to leave and in most cases are not compensated for their labor. One may also ask what is a Negro slave? A Negro slave is a slave of African descent who is forced to work and is property of the white man. Over the past centuries, the Negro slave has been misunderstood. The white man had come to the conclusion that the Negro was made to serve and do unto them. The Negro slave had a different plan in mind. In “The Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown,” Brown enforces the idea of the antislavery argument. Brown was a former slave who became a freeman upon his strategic tactic of escape. Brown paid for his freedom and was shipped up river in a box from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Brown was on a quest for liberty, freedom, and equality. Although Henry Box Brown was a privileged slave, what was his rationale for escape? Slavery had a dramatic effect on the Negro slave. It not only scarred them externally but also internally. Though they longed for the chance to become freemen and women, slavery played an intricate role in the Negro family. As a result, different forms of slave rebellion occurred.
Is there such thing as a privileged or non-privileged slave? Is slavery not slavery whether good or bad? Henry Box Brown was on a mission to become a freeman although he was considered a “privileged” slave. Suspicions arose that perhaps the white slave owner was his father. This theory may suggest why he was treated well compared to other slaves. It was not uncommon for the white man to have sexual relations with the Negro women and birth children. The privileged slave was known as the house Negro and the working slave was classified as the field Negro (Frazier 198). The house Negro was well fed, well groomed, and well cared for. Nonetheless, they were still slaves but with a little more leisure than the others (Frazier 204). The non-privileged slave, or the field Negro, was beaten brutally, poorly dressed, worked vigorously, and treated as animals. Though Brown enjoyed all the amenities as the white slave master, he still knew slavery was inhumane and unjust. Henry Box Brown witnessed the ill treatment of the field Negro. Such things as constant beatings, hangings, and the shipping of elderly, unfit workers took place on the plantation (Faulk). Former slaves, such as Mrs. Laura Smalley, gave accounts of their traumatic experience as slaves. Mrs. Smalley, like Brown, was born into slavery (Faulk). There was no way out unless by death. Perhaps the reason for the mistreatment of Negro slaves was because of their genetic makeup. One researcher stated that the Negro slaves were ugly creatures. Therefore, they should be treated as such creatures because they were incapable of possessing humanly characteristics (Art of Discrimination). This statement refers back to the thesis of this paper. The Negro has been misunderstood for many years. The white man insisted upon their race being superior over the Negro race (Art of Discrimination). To ensure that this theory remained intact, the whites imposed upon the Negro slave family and broke them up. White slave masters concluded, “Where there is no unity there is no strength.” The white slave masters steered towards keeping their plantations orderly. By doing so, they would decrease the chance of the Negro slave families rebelling and/or forming coalitions. This form of discipline played a tremendous role on the effects of the Negro family.
During enslavement, families were the only thing the Negro slaves felt belonged to them. The white man could not break up a strong family bond, and the Negro was motivated to make the best out of a bad situation or fight for their freedom. Henry Box Brown had a close knitted family consisting of he, his brother, and his mother and father (Schwartz). Early in life, Brown’s mother had prepared him for the inevitable separation that was bound to happen. The splitting of the Negro family during slavery was a normal occurrence, but that did not make it any better when that time came. By “law” an infant child was not to be taken from its mother, but as soon as the white man saw fit for the child to begin work, the child worked (Schwartz). Oftentimes, once the child was separated from his parents and/or siblings, they would never see each other again (Schwartz). That alone took a toll on the Negro slave. Knowing that one will never see their relatives again is a hurting feeling. In Brown’s narrative, he stated that he was first separated from his mother and father then his brother. Once Brown’s family was sold away, he had no main motivators or anything to live for. Brown was able to keep his tranquility but the other slaves formed different types of slave resistance and rebellions.
Slaves formed different types of slave resistance and rebellions in a peaceful yet disguised way. In Brown’s narrative he spoke of times when the slaves would rebel by not working when the slave master was gone. Oftentimes the slave master would attempt to sneak upon them in hopes of catching them not working. If so, they would be beaten. Not knowing when the master would arrive, the slaves would have a look out person watching. This was their unique way of rebelling and disobeying the master’s order. The slaves would also make different forms of artwork as rebellion tools (Orser 65). They made pottery and tiny metal fist mullets (Orser 63). The fist mullets is believed to be a message of everyday resistance not readily interpreted. Though it seemed as a long time coming, they did eventually pave the way for their fellow brothers and sisters.
In conclusion, the Negro has come a long way. They have accomplished what some thought was both impossible and unconquerable. The Negro has crossed milestones never imagined. From plantation workers to CEO’s and from CEO’s to millionaires, the Negro has lived the American dream. Never would our forefathers and mothers have imagined America to have an African American president. The pain and suffering former slaves endured during slavery, helped paved the way for future Negroes to have better equality, rights, and opportunities. We are not where we should be but we are not where we used to be and by the grace of God we are going to get where we need to be.
Sharaine's Blog 