Debate Rebutal on Black History

Tai Cole

Professor Clay

February 8, 2011

World History II

REBUTTAL

Now let me paint this picture for you, slavery was a period when African Americans went from being human beings to being dehumanized and depicted as cattle. Being stripped of all freedom African Americans no longer had the rights to do anything except obey their masters. Although during this time period Africans were enslaving themselves the brutality was nonexistent or wasn't as brutal. When slaves began to be sold to Americans slavery was taken to new heights. Americans used Africans solely for one thing and one thing only, to do hard labor and make their product, having no life outside of working for their masters. When it came to selling Africans it was as if they were selling property not people. African endured great length of pain as if being ripped away from their land wasn't enough. Africans had no say in anything that occurred in their lives weither it is right or wrong they had to do what they were told. If the Africans were disobedient or disrespected they would receive severe punishment from their master one of the main forms of punishment was being whipped. At times these slaves would be beaten so bad that their flesh would break open. Also in many instances the female slaves and even at time male slaves were rapped, not necessarily for doing anything wrong simply because their masters saw fit to do so. At times their masters would go as far as cutting of their limbs for punishment. Their discipline even went to heights of being boiled and burned. To the Americans, Africans were just a tool that could easily be replenished if necessary and Americans took full advantage of that. Saying Africans were treated as cattle are is more of an understatement. There is no word for how these people were treated. Americans had deprived Africans of everything making them feel of no self-worth; and for what all to make the economies trade and production systems better. No culture should ever have to face this amount of atrocity. The types of circumstances these Africans faced where unreal Joseph Wright expressed how he and all the young boys were placed in a fold for two months tided by their necks with rope, and men being chained, in long rows of fifty persons so no one could escape without taking along all the others.(185) Olaudah Equiano's also testified his story saying he was a free man that was kidnapped along with his sister, and the two were tore apart never to see each other again, both being forced to live in horrible conditions. They were taken to a ship where Equiano describes the smell as unbearable and the cries of other captive making him sick to his stomach. (183-84) While on these ships they were granted no types of solitude if they had to use the bathroom they went where