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Articlescanbeusedtogivereadersafirsthandlookofwhattypeofinformationwas

conveyedtoreadersinthepast.Ihavechosenfourarticlesthatwilltellaboutslaverybefore
1865andhumantraffickingafter1865.Inthefollowingarticles,allauthorstellofvariousthe
verypersonalstoriesandexperiencesrelatedtohumantrafficking. Thesestoriesgiveinsight
intopastissuesinvolvingslaveryintheUnitedStateshowthepastrelatestomoderndayslavery
today.Thispaperwillbeaseriesofarticlereviewsthatwillmakeconnectionsbetweenthepast
andpresent.Theywillbeusedtoshowtherelationshipbetweenslaverybefore1865andhuman
traffickingafter1865,illustratingtheirsimilaritiesanddifferences.
Inhuman Treatment of a Female Slave from The Observer is an article that was
publishedonOctober12,1818.ThearticleisanewsstoryaboutafemaleslavenamedAmerica
whowaspregnantandsufferedthepunishmentofbeingcartwhipped.Thewomanwasreported
tohavereceived150lashesandwithtwodrivers.Shewaspunishedbyattemptingtodefenda
childandamangerswifehadherbeat.ThewriterstatesthatIsawoutofmywindowpoor
Americacomelimpingfromherwoundsuptomyhouse.IwishIcoulddescribeherlooksand
gestureswhensheapproachedus("INHUMANTREATMENTOFAFEMALESLAVE.").
Shehadsufferedthroughahorriblebeatinganditwasarguedthatshewastreatedinhumanly.
Shehadreceivedover150lasheseventhoughthelawsaidthatslavescouldonlyreceive39
lashes.Thiseventledtoacourtcaseandtheaccusedweresentencedafineofthirtymonthsof
imprisonment.Thewriterisoutragedbythelightsentence,consideringtheseverityofthecrime
anditoccurringagainstapregnantwoman.ThiseventoccurredinGreatBritainduringaperiod
inwhichslaverywasstilllegalthere.BBCsarticle10ThingsAboutBritishSlaverystatesthat

theBritishabandonedtheslavetradein1807,eventhoughtherewerestilllargeprofitsthat
couldpotentiallybemade(BBCNews).ManyoftheBritishnolongeragreeduponorsupported
thetradeandtheseeffortswereimportantinendingslavery.Iftheseactionshadnotbeentaken,
therewouldhavelikelybeenslavetradingoccurringforamuchlingerperiodoftime.Thearticle
waswrittenin1808andIbelievethatthiswasprobablysomewhatacontroversialtopicduring
thetime.Effortshadjustbeenmadetostoptheslavetradeandbutslaverywasstilllegaland
would be so for several more years. Even though the sentence was not appropriately harsh
enoughforthecrimeIwashonestlysurprisedthattheaccusedwasconvicted.Thisisasmall
piecetoalargerpuzzlebutIbelievethatconvictingpeopleofthesetypes ofoffenses was
importantinsuccessfullyendingtheslavetradeandslaveryoverall.Ifeventslikethiswere
continuallyallowedtooccurIdontbelievethatpeoplewouldhavetakenthechanginglaws
seriously.ThisisespeciallyimportantwhenconsideringhowslaveryinGreatBritaininfluenced
slavery in the United States. The United States abolished slavery after Great Britain. This
becameasubjectthatthetwocountriesdidnotagreeupon.AfricanAmericanabolitionist
FrederickDouglasstatedinhisaddressdeliveredin1846thatIhavebeenaskedifIsupposed
theslaveryoftheUnitedStateswouldeverbeabolished?ItmightaswellbeaskedofmeifGod
satonhisthroneinheaven.Sosureastruthisstrongerthanerror,sosureasrightisbetterthan
wrong,sosureasreligionisbetterthaninfidelity,sosuremustslaveryofeveryforminevery
landbecomeextinct.Antislaverymusttriumph(FrederickDouglass).Douglaswasanopponent
ofslaveryandbelievedthattheUnitedStatesmustfollowGreatBritainsleadinabolishingthe
slavetrade.ThisisnearlythesamerolethattheUnitedStatesisplayingtodayinthefight
againstmoderndayslavery,orhumantrafficking.TheU.S.hasdevelopedlegislationtoprotect

anddefendagainsthumantrafficking,whichcaninfluenceothercountriesworldwide.Justas
GreatBritainwouldinfluencetheU.S.,theU.S.mustnowinfluencetherestoftheworldto
makethesechanges.AsanAfricanAmerican,Douglasswasanexampleofoneofthegreat
abolitionistwhowasabletohavehisvoiceheard.Thingsdidnotalwaysgohowhelikedbuthe
continuedtoworktowardswhathethoughtwasright.This mademethinkbacktthecivil
societyofabolitionists.Everyonewhoplayedaroleintheabolitionistmovementwasimportant
andwasworkingtowardsdoingwhatwasrightbutitwasespeciallyuniquewhenAfrican
Americansstoodupfortheirrightsknowingthattheycouldbepunished.
ThearticleANTISLAVERY.CONDITIONANDTREATMENTOFSLAVES.by
Northstarisaneditorialthatexplainsthehorrificexperiencesthatslavesenduredduringthe
periodoftheslavetrade.Theslaveholder'stemptationtocrueltyistoomuchforcommonmen.
Hispowerisirresponsible.'Tiseasytofindastick,ifyouwouldbeatadog.Thelashisalwaysat
hand.Ifaslavedisobeysthewhip;ifheisidlethewhip;doeshemurmurthewhip;ishe
sullenandsilentthewhip;isthefemalecoyandreluctantthewhip!Chainsanddungeonsare
alsoathand.TheslaveisaThing;judgeandjurynofriendstohim.Theconditionoftheweakis
hadenougheverywhereinOldEnglandandinNewEngland;butwhenthestrongownshis
verybodiesoftheweak,makingandexecutingthelawsashewill,itisnothardtoseetowhat
excesstheirwrongswillamountwrongswhichcannotbetold(AntiSlavery).Thisisalong
statementbutitperfectlyillustratesthehorrorsthatwereexperiencedbyslavesandhowcruel
theslaveholderstrulywere.Thearticleaddressestheissueofportrayingthetreatmentofslaves
asanexaggerationhoweverthisisnottruetothosewhohavelearnedandknowbetter.The
authorisconcernedwithtellingthistruestoryandexplainshowslaveswerereallytreated.The

treatmentdescribedincludestheseparationoffamiliesandforcedreproductionsothatthere
wouldbemoreslaves.Thisarticlewaswrittenin1848,shortlybeforethestartoftheCivilWar
intheUnitedStates.Thereweremanypeoplespeakingoutagainstslaveryandworkingtoend
thepractice.Manynorthernstateshadalreadypassedlegislationprohibitingorrestricting
slavery.Manywomensrightsactivistshadbecomeopponentsofslaveryandheldaconvention
in1848atSenecaFall,NewYork(SlaveryandtheMakingofAmericaFormsofOpposition).
Thoughslaverywasstilllegalinthesouth,manyotherstateshadbeguntomakechangesthat
wouldhelpleadtotheeventualabolitionofslavery.Activistswereimportantbecausetheyraised
awarenessforthisissueandshowedthattheyweretakingastand.Theymayhavenot
singlehandedlyendedslaverybuttheircontributionshadapositiveeffect.Intheepilogueof
Redikersbookhesaysperhapsmostimportant,theshipwitnessedthebeginningsofaculture
ofresistance,thesubversivepracticesofnegotiationsandinsurrection(Rediker).Theslaves
beganresistingtheircaptorsandAmericansagainstslaveryweredoingthesame.Thisisjust
likewhathappenedbetweentheslavesandthesailorsandcaptainsaboardtheslaveship.Ialso
learnedthatitoccurredbetweentheslaveandplantationowners.Theslavesdidnthavemuch
powertouseagainstanyonebuttheyfoundwaystoshowresistance.Theyusedlefthanded
power.Lefthandedpowerwasnearlyasforcefulorstrongbutitgavethemashowingofforce.
Themostuniquethingabouttheslavesuseoflefthandedpowerwasthattheyoftenuseditto
keepthemselvesgoingbydoingactivitieslikemakingmusic.Manyvictimsofhumantrafficking
todayfindsimilarformsoflefthandedpowertocope.Itmaybesmallbutithelpsgetthemby
andkeepsthemalive.

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