Slavery in the American Colonies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slavery in the American Colonies - Essay Example According to the discussion  America since its very beginning practiced cruel racism which does not have any true scientific or biological base. Ethnic segregation and discrimination was very much evident in all areas. This practice started long years back and was followed by people and transferred to the next generations. It later became a political phenomenon. The white majority was found to be proud in their own race (a part of heritage). They were of the belief that they are superior to others in race as well as culture. They tried to put the minorities down in order to strengthen their own group. They developed extreme hatred towards the black minorities and had an overall sense of bigotry. The black minorities were oppressed to the core and were denied all rights. The demands and opinion of the blacks were never considered at all.  From this essay it is clear that  Story of the elimination of slavery from the American land is quite long. Slavery is the core reason the nat ion witnessed the disastrous civil war. United States started practicing slavery as early as 1619. Towards the closing of American Revolution, majority of the northern states stopped slavery, while the plantation economy of the South continued practicing it. In the years before the Civil War all the issues were centered on the issue of slavery. This started with the debates made on the three-fifths clause on the Constitutional Convention of 1787.... In the years before the Civil War all the issues were centered on the issue of slavery. This started with the debates made on the three-fifths clause on the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It further proceeded with the Compromise of 1820, the anti-slavery Gag Rule, the Nullification Crisis, and finally the Compromise of 1850. In the first half of the nineteenth century slavery was supported by the Southern politicians. They maintained the control of the federal government. Though they had most of their Presidents hailing from the South, they were very serious about maintaining a balance of power in the Senate. New states joined the Union and several compromises appeared to keep an equal number of free and slave states. In 1820, Missouri joined as a slave state and Maine came as a free state. The balance got disrupted in 1850 as Southerners allowed California to come as a free state in return for laws upholding slavery. The balance was later disturbed with the joining of free Orego n and Minnesota. The increase of the gap between free and slave state illustrates the changes happening in each region. When South, with a slow population growth, adopted an agrarian plantation economy, North adopted industrialization. They had large urban areas, with large infrastructures. They witnessed increased birth rates and a large inflow of European immigrants. The increase in population made South to keep a balance in the government. This lead to the addition of several free states. An anti-slavery president was also appointed. The political issue that ultimately took the nation towards the war was nothing but slavery in the western territories acquired during the Mexican-American War. The same