"Did Racism Cause the Enslavement of Africans in America?"

A detailed Summary of "Did Racism Cause the Enslavement of Africans in America?"

Carl N. Degler believes that prior to the development of slave statutes in any of the North American colonies, whether servant or free, were treated as inferior to whites. Degler states that when the Negroes were first imported into the English colonies there was no law of slavery and therefore whatever status they were to have would be worked out in the future. From this absence of a status for black men made it possible for almost any kind of status to be worked out. Also whether or not black men were accorded the same status of white men, servant or free, depended on the reactions of the people who received the Negroes. Degler agrees with the Handlins when they emphasize that before the seventeenth century the Negro was rarely called a slave. But, Degler declares the fact that no discriminatory title is placed on the Negro we must not think that he was being treated like a white servant. Degler supports his theory that the peculiar character of slavery in the English colonies was the result of two circumstances. One, that there was no law of slavery at all in th

e beginning, and two, that discrimination against the Negro antedated the legal status of slavery (Degler 66-8).

Negro virtually from their first arrival. Indian slavery was practiced in all English settlements soon after the settlements were established. In another case Maryland prohibited gun use to any Pagan for any reason and if this law was broken there was a heavy fine. At no time were white servants denied the right to bear arms, in fact they were encouraged to possess weapons. One of Deglers more important examples would be that of three runaways, two of which were white servant men and the third, a black man. All were given thirty lashes, with the white men gaining another year on their contract with their owner, and then three years owed to the colony after that. The Negro was to serve his master for the remainder of his life. Not only was the Negro's punishment the most severe, and for no apparent reason, but he was, in effect reduced to slavery. It is also clear that up until the issuing of the sentence, he must have had the status of a servant (Degle

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Approximate Word count = 726
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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