The Abolition of Slavery

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the differences in gender, race and social roles in 19th century American society that created the differing viewpoints of both Jacobs and Cartwright in opposing black slavery. In Jacob's autobiography, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," the author delves into her own personal account of what slavery had been for black women like her. Cartwright's "Autobiography of Peter Cartwright, Backwoods Preacher" illustrates his own perception of slavery through the eyes of a white American male. The writer contends and explains that while both authors were vehemently opposed to slavery, the two had very different opinions as to why slavery should be abolished. For Jacobs, slavery was a detriment to her life because she experienced sexual vulnerability and abuse whereas Cartwright considered the practice wrong due to the moral degeneration that occurred with the proliferation of adultery and unexpected pregnancies among black women slaves by their white masters.

From the Paper:

"This paper posits that Jacobs and Cartwright's narratives about their opposition and experiences of black slavery reflect that despite their agreement on the detriments of this practice, both have different opinions about the 'wrongness' of black slavery. That is, for Jacobs, black slavery was a detriment to her life because she experienced sexual vulnerability and abuse, while Cartwright considered the practice immoral because of the moral degeneration that occurred with the proliferation of adultery and unexpected pregnancies among black women slaves by white American males. In "Incidents," Jacobs narrated her account of slavery based on her experience as a slave of a family in South Carolina."

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