The Injustice of Slavery: a Peoples Resistance Essay Example

The Injustice of Slavery: A people's resistance The history of the United States is filled to the brim with an abundance of significant events. Over the course of this nation's young history there have been numerous social institutions. Many have been a necessity in our development. However, the US was home to one of the greatest atrocities committed on mankind. The institution of slavery is not only the most embarrassing but most sever infraction on the natural rights of man. At times there were in excess of three million black Americans enslaved in this country. It was not the dismal living conditions nor the bleak existence they lived that led them into a resistance of slavery. It was the theft, the unlawful striping of their right to life, liberty, and happiness that justly encouraged their resistance. The dehumanization of the black population in the US during the 19th century was a gross moral departure from the so called equality our nation has always strived for. No true American can find any sort of conflict in sharing the opinions of our forefathers. The US has its foundation built in the words of the Declaration of Independence. We live in a nation where "all men are created equal, and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights-among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." In supporting slavery, masters dehumanized themselves and denounced the goals of America. A natural right had been violated and slaves were not going to stand for it. Wendell Phillips highlighted this when he wrote to Fredrick Douglas. "I was glad to learn, in your story, how early the most neglected of God's children waken to a sense of their rights, and of the injustice done them" (p.36). There were courses of action that slaves took to denounce slavery. The most publicized forms of resistance were running away and acting out in physical violence toward masters. This being said, there were other actions that may have been even more