Slavery in the 1800s and in Modern Society: Essay

Both today's society and the society of the 1800s have different types of restrictions and freedom. Today, there are more rules than before. Slaves in the 1800s didn't have much freedom. They were forced into hard labor, families were split, mothers and babies were forced to leave their arms, and slaves were forced to work in the sugar fields of the Caribbean. In the modern day, slaves became free through manumission. Manumission is leaving slavery. In the 1800s, as shown by the memoir 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass', and in society today, the types of restrictions and freedom that are present in our reading and modern-day America are specific restrictions where the slave codes placed hard restrictions on slaves and particular freedom in modern-day slaves became free through manumission.

Paragraph one, in 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass', one restriction that I found in the book was: “I suffered much from hunger, but much more from cold. I was kept almost naked no shoes and no jacket” (Douglass, 16). This quote falls under restrictions because the master has rules that slaves have to follow. If they don't follow it, they have to face the consequences. Such as getting whipped badly or the master would kill them. Their restrictions on slaves are that they have to do a lot of things and slaves don't have much opportunity for themselves. Slaves don’t have food, clothing, benefits, etc. Another example of restrictions that I found online is: “Slaves codes places harsh restrictions on slaves’ already limited freedoms, and gave slave owners absolute power” (Douglass, Frederick, 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass', Fall River Press, 2010). I chose this quote because it goes under restriction. It goes under restrictions because I provided an example of what the masters had on slaves. Slave owners had the most power over the slaves. Basically, slaves couldn’t do anything at all. They were treated unfairly because they didn’t have clothes, shoes, or most importantly, food.

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Paragraph two, another example of restrictions that I found in 'Freedom' by Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar is: “Where are you? Cause I need freedom too! I break chains all by myself”. This quote falls under restrictions because the masters will chain them literally on them, such as both of their ankles and both of their wrists. If slaves try to escape from the chains, they will get badly whipped or will definitely get killed. Or they will get beat, or if it was a female slave, she will get raped. Slave owners are careless and ruthless. Another example that I found online about restrictions on slaves is, “Legally considered property, slaves were not allowed to own property of their own” (Granger). This falls under restrictions because slaves weren’t informed and plus they didn’t have a say either. They had to go to jail regardless if they were telling the truth, they had a certain amount of time to go back to the plantation, and they didn't own anything of their own. If they had a house and bought it, they couldn’t own it anymore because the whites would take over it. And they will have to listen to the whites, and they couldn’t give them attitude, because if they do, as I said in the previous paragraphs, they will get beaten and whipped badly too.

Third paragraph, an example that I found in the memoir 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass' of being free is: “When I got to New York, I again changed my name to 'Frederick Johnson'” (Douglass, 66). The quote goes under freedom. It goes under freedom because, after everything he went through since he was young until now, he survived. He changed his name and went to New York to have a better life or at least try to because I bet being in slavery is traumatizing after you escape from it or leave it. And knowing that you have been in slavery most of your lifetime, it has to hurt because Douglass lost his mother at a very young age. He had siblings but barely talked to them, and had a grandma, but she moved. Another example that I found online for freedom is: “Of the 20.9 million slaves in the world today, 90% are enslaved by the private economy”. This quote falls under freedom because the quote mentioned that slaves are enslaved. Some work in the private economy. Also, work for general profit such as fishing boats and carpet factories. To me, this is freedom because after everything that African Americans went through they fought to get to where they are at now/today. They still have a smile on their faces, regardless of what happened to them in the 1800s and in the modern day today also.

In conclusion, in the 1800s, as it is shown in the memoir 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass', and in modern society, the different types of freedoms and restrictions that are shown are called slave codes. The slave codes are that they placed hard limitations on slaves. One freedom in the modern day is slaves were able to leave through manumission. The meaning of manumission is allowing to leave slavery or are set free from manumission.