Howard Zinn s Development Of Slavery - 1363 Words

From the 17th to the 19th century, Europeans expedited African people to perform exhausting labor, thus restricting their freedom. In a People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn described the development of slavery by stating the contributing factors. For instance, European settlers coming from Europe and Spain would station at Africa to force Africans to return to America and work on plantations. African slaves were brought to the North American colony of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, to aid in the production of such lucrative crops as tobacco. In addition, to being plantation workers, slaves could also work in the houses of their owners as butlers, cooks, and nurses for children. Furthermore, slaves were taken away from their†¦show more content†¦However, he did not believe blacks should have the same rights as whites, stating; â€Å"... I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and b lack races† (history.com). Furthermore, Abraham Lincoln s Emancipation Proclamation of January 1863 was a masterful propaganda tactic, but in truth, it proclaimed free only those slaves outside the control of the Federal government--that is, only those in areas still controlled by the Confederacy. The legal end to slavery in the nation came in December 1865 when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified. John Brown, in contrast, set off a revolt, where blacks and whites fought alongside, against the south. He â€Å"devoted his life, and finally sacrificed it, on behalf of freedom for the slave.† (The People Speak) He was a white American abolitionist who believed armed insurrection was the only way to overthrow the institution of slavery in the United States. Before conducting his insurrection through armed intervention in northern Virginia, Brown met with his followers in the free black community of Chatham, Ontario. Another wealthy, white, American, was Robert Carter. Car ter was the plantation owner and was also a member of the Virginia Government Council. In addition to being on a high political standing, Carter