Research Paper on Slavery Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

On Slavery - Research Paper Example Today, it is suggested to be declared as a National Monument by many Americans. In 1619, the first imprisoned Africans held by ship were brought to this place which had been an outpost of the Jamestown colony in that era. The ship carried a cargo of 20 Africans enslaved by the first English colony in North Virginia.a It is said to be a singular and noteworthy coincidence that this spot ended the concept of slavery in the Civil War era when southern states’ slaves began to escape from the Confederate army to northern states.1 The Confederate army was formed from people who were slaves and ordered by their masters to fight with the Unions from south side. These men were even threatened to be shot if they made an attempt to run toward north for Union. Southern countries of Virginia near Fort Monroe invaded by Union had been denser with plantations and slaves as compared to that of northern countries of Virginia. The Confederate people were seen as loyal gentlemen of Virginia and their slaves had built the munitions without getting wages for their work. Such gentlemen and their work were appraised by the Confederate General Pierre T. Beauregard in an official report on the battle at Bull Run. The General mentioned in the report that without any doubt, the constructions by those slaves had not only saved and parted with the white volunteers from that laborious and arduous military service but also gave them more time to train as soldiers. Confederate military apotheosis was revolved about this strategy as they had wanted a valor army of white men backed by the unsalaried labor of African American slaves. Similarly, the Union Army also had a fresh understanding of the importance of slave labor to the war in the wake of Bull Run. As reported by the soldiers, thousands of slaves had been working for the Confederate. Some Neo-Confederate writers have argued that African Americans volitionally worked and fought for the Confederacy by referring it in a selective ma nner from some enslaved men’s stories who worked for the Confederacy. Some of those slaves narrated with confidence that their owners deliberately and forcefully made them fight with the Union Army. The Confederates committed to give them money for their efforts and hard work, and promised to free them after the defeat of Unions. The promises of southern considered fake by the slaves and they just fought for the cause of Confederate as they had no other option.2 On May 23, 1861, some Virginians cut and ran from the slave-owner who was a Confederate colonel, and looked for shelter and security at the Union-held bastion. These slaves had been forced to work for their Confederate master in constructing rebel fortifications. Some escaped after the Confederate leaders left for war and some joined Unions after their arrival at south. Later, the owner of those slaves was refused to get their slaves back under fugitive-slave laws as the Union Gen. Benjamin F. Butler stated the escape d men being contraband of war, and declared it a legitimate seizure. For that reason the slaves were classified as conquered goods which had been used for military purposes by the opponent in war. The first black slaves broke away from their owner giving courage to others to take the same step toward freedom and within days more than hundred African Americans flew from south and arrived at the Fort for safe harbor. The fort soon began called as Freedom’