"The Life of Nate Shaw"

Paper Summary:

Nate Shaw was a newly freed slave in the Southern states of America who fought for the emancipation of his fellow slaves. To determine the motivation behind Shaw's efforts and the impact of emancipation on the newly freed slaves of this era, this paper provides a review of Theodore Rosengarten's "All God's Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw," followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

From the Paper:

"Agriculture was a critical part of the Southern economy, and the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation on white farmers in the Old South was profound and long-lasting. The agricultural nature of the southern economy meant that blacks were needed no matter how "free" they might be, and it was in the best interests of those in power to keep black workers oppressed for as long as possible notwithstanding what the Constitution had to say about it. For instance, black workers, both before and after the Civil War, had helped to clear the American wilderness and build important canals, railroads, and roads. The cotton that black agricultural workers picked, both before and after the Civil War, was one of the country's most valuable, and therefore important, exports. The income that derived from cotton therefore also helped to pay for a lion's share of American imports, and the westward expansion of slavery during the early and mid-1800's had important political effects as well."

More papers on "The Life of Nate Shaw":

• Book Review # 21863 : "Theodore Rosengarten's :All God's Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw"
• Essay # 68035 : "A Day in the Life of a Member of Congress"
• Analytical Essay # 50691 : "Southern Society in Literature"

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