Perceptions of Slavery

Paper Summary:

The paper maintains that although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally ended discrimination of African-Americans, it did little to alleviate the attitude that continues to be an integral part of the racial landscape of America. The paper examines Stanley Elkins' "Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life" where he developed a stereotype that represented the composite effects of slavery on the African-American in the antebellum period. Elkins presents the slave as submissive, loyal and happy to serve his white masters. This differs significantly from the image presented by Albert J. Raboteau in his work "Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution"", which presents the slave as belonging to a society that is rich in power that exists beyond the reach of white masters. The paper explains that the ideas of Elkins and Raboteau are seemingly contradictory but when one takes these two works in context, the slave could be described as the discreet zealot, the ultimate passive resistor.

From the Paper:

"The effects of slavery are still a part of the American mindset, whether one wishes to admit it or not. We, as a society, like to point to events such as the Equal Rights Movement of the early 1960s as evidence that the effects of slavery are no longer a part of our society. However, even though the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally ended discrimination of African Americans, it did little to alleviate the attitude that continues to be an integral part of the racial landscape of America. Stanley Elkins attached this subject in his 1959 work, "Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life." In this work Elkin developed a stereotype that represented the composite effects of slavery on the African American in the antebellum period. His hypothesis surrounded the idea that these effects can still be seen in society today."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Elkins, Stanley. Slavery. Introduction by Nathan Glazer. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1963.
• Raboteau, Albert. Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South. New York: Oxford University Press, 1978.

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