美国奴隶制度的反抗(英语论文)

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Theresistanceofslavery

1introduction

1.1Backgroundofthestudy

SlaveryoftheUnitedStatessetupinthe17thcentury,forthereasonthatBritishcolonistssettledintheNorthAmerican.Notuntilthe1960stheslaverywasabolishedbytheonlywarinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates-civilwar.Fortunately,thewarwasendupwiththepeacenegotiationandsetupEmancipationProclamation.

TheslaveryoftheUnitedStatessustainedmorethantwohundredsyearsandthisinstitutionisfilledwiththesavagery,crueltyandprofitasawhole.It’stotallydarkprocessforthepeopleparticulartheNegro,thenegativeimpactsembodimenttheabsenceofthehumanrightslinkedtoAfricanAmericanslavery.

Inordertoplunderformorenatureresource,lackingofthelaborforcewasextremelytoughproblem,inthisseriousnesssituation,hiretheslavewasainformeddecision.Howevertheydidn’ttreatmeasahuman,evenifpassalawforceonthetenureofAfrican-Americanslavewaslifelongwork.ThisthesiswillquotethefamousnovelUncleTom’sCabinasthepointofpenetrationtofurtheranalysistheslaveryoftheUnitedStatesandtheresistanceoftheharshinstitutioninlateperiod.

1.2Thepurposeofsignificancesandstudy

UncleTom'scabin,comprehensivereflectsthelivingconditionofAfrican-AmericanslavesinthesouthernplantationoftheUnitedStates.Thisnovelisnotonlyspeakhighlyoftheliteraryvaluebutalsoduetothepromotionoftheresistanceoftheslaveryit’salsohasintensesocialrealisticmeaningandculturalconnotation.Takingthisnovelasaopportunities,tounderstandtheslaveryandtheprocessofthehistoryinmoreprofoundway.

1.3Thelayoutofthestudy.

ThethesisisbasedonthenovelwhichnamedisUncleTom'scabintoobjectiverevealmanysignificantaspectssuchasthecharacteristicsofAfricanAmericanslaveryfate,thecultureoftheblackAmericanslavesinthesouthernstatesandthehistoricalprocessofresistanceandtheaffectofthesocietyoftheUnitedStatesafterabolishtheslaveryaswell.

2.abriefintroductionoftheauthorandnovel

2.1Theintroductionofthenovel

It

is

a

book

written

in

1852

,

Uncle

Tom's

Cabin

has

been

considered

as

the

most

influential

anti-slavery

novel

in

that

period

and

described

by

Stowe

herself

as

a

"series

of

sketches"

describing

the

humancruelty

of

slavery,

opens

with

a

description

of

Arthur

Shelby's

Kentucky

plantation

during

the

antebellum

period.

Thereareseveralimpressivecharactersinthisnovel,Georgewhoiscleverandbrave；Harry,abeautifulandtalentedchildwhosingsdancesandmimes；Mrs.Shelby,averyreligiouswoman；SamboandQimboandsoon.ThemajorcharacterUncleTomwhowasthemostimpressiveinthisnovelwasadevoutChristian.Heenduredthemiserablefatebravelyandarousedthewhite’ssympathyforslaveswithhisChrist’ssacrificeandthetoleranceofreturninggoodforevil.ThisnovelfocusesonthedistinctivepersonalitiesofUncleTomdeeplyinfluencedbyChristianityandtheimportantroleUncleTom’sCabinplayingonabolition;andtheSignificanceof"UncleTom"totheharmoniousworld’sdevelopment,andtheeffectonmodernpeople.

Inthemiddleofthe19th,theShelby’sprivatefarmwhichwaslocatedinthesouthoftheUnitedStateshadaslavewhichthecharacterwasextremelyloyaldevotionandhardworking.EveryoneinthisprivatefarmcalledhimUncleTom.Unfortunately,becauseoftheownerwentintothebankruptinthefieldofthemarketforstocks,thehostofthefarmhadnooptionbutmakeasaleofthetenslaversincludingUncleTomtoslavedealerforthesakeofforeclosures.Alltheslavescarriedbacktothesouthwithships,ontheshipUncleTomsavedagirlwhofellintotheriverandthegirlwasreallyfondoftheTom’ssinging.Asaresult,thelittlegirlwonderherfatherboughtTominintensityrequest.ThiswasagoldgivenperiodintheTom’slifetime.However,agoodlifedidn’tlastlong,manyslaverholdersstronglycondemnedliberatetheslavesinthecaseofthegirl’sfatherhadaoppositeopinion.Thereupon,manyslaverholdersexposedthegirl’sfathertomortaldanger.Therewasnodenyingthetruththatthegirl’sfatherwasmurderintheend.Fromthismomenton,UncleTom’slifebecamereallytough.Onedayinordertosavedagirlwhodidn’tsurrenderbylandlord;UncleTomhadacaraccidentandgotserioushurt.Whenhewasdyinginhishouse,herealizedthetruththatonlypersistsfightingthereisapossibilityoffreedom.Heappealedtoslaversleavingthehellplaceassoonaspossible,andwiththehelpofthewhitepeopletheslaversroseuptofightwiththeslaverholder,inthistime,UncleTomwasagreatconsolationtohiscompatriotsandsupportbymanywhites.EventhoughUncleTomdiedintheend,hemustbeleavewithoutanyregretbutendlessappreciates.

2.2TheIntroductionofHarrietBeecherStowe

HarrietBeecherStowe,theauthorofUncleTom'scabin.ShewasborninthefamouspriestfamilyinJune14th1811andpassedawayin1896.Civilwar,inaotherwords,Emancipationwarwaslaunchedin1860s’,neverthelessinthebeginningofthe1820s’abolishmentoftheslaveryhadgraduallybecamethemaincentreissueinthefieldofthedevelopmentpublicopinionintheUnitedStates.Atthattime,therewerealargenumberofsocialelitesandwritersstandbythesideoftheabolishslavery,appealedtoliberatetheslaversalsoshouldgivefoundationalrespectandguaranteedhumanright.HarrietBeecherStowewasoneofthemostoutstandingfightersinthesewriters.

Assomeonesaid,withmorepeoplerealizingtheinhumanityofslaveryinthe19thcentury,slaverybecameoneofthemostimportantissuesanditbecamemoreviolentyearbyyearinAmericansociety.However,slaverywasnotabolishedirrevocablyuntilratificationofthe13thAmendmenttotheConstitutionin1865,followingtheCivilWar.AfterthepassageofFugitiveSlaveActof1850,HarrietBeecherStowewrotethisnovelUncleTom'sCabinwhichpublicizedtheevilofslaverytoawideaudience.

Nowweareinthe21stcentury,wemaynevercomeacrosssuchkindofthing.However,thisbookcanalwaysremindofusthatthereeverhasexistedthisevilandwecannotletithappenagain.Andequalityandhumanrightcanbenotjustsuitfortheslogan;weshouldmakeitcometruereallyandalways.

3.ThedevelopmentandcharacteristicsofAfrican-Americanslavery

3.1TheoriginoftheslaveryintheUnitedStates

WhenColumbusdiscoveredthenewcontinent,therewasonlyapproximatelymorethanonemillionpeopleonthisground,sowhenthegreatlandlordsandcapitalistswhichwascomefromNorthAmericanwereeagertoobtainthelocalnatureresourceandexchangeittotheprofitsinthelimitedperiod,thesubstanceofhumanresourcewasoneofthemostprominentlyandobviouslyproblems,inthisseriousnesssituation,somanymeasuresshouldbetakentosolvedit,sosettleupthecolonialsystemnotonlyfiguredouttheissueofthelaborforcebutalsocanmakeprofitfromthelaborbyslaversmoreeasily.Ontheotherface,accordingtotheChristianreligioninthatperioddarkhistory,slaveryinstitutionwasrationalwithoutanydoubt.Intheseparticularcases,inthelandlordsandcapitalistsinNorthAmericatooknativeNorthAmericanIndianastheoriginalslaversinthefirstplace.Atthispoint,theslaverywasestablished.

3.2ThedevelopmentandcharacteristicsofAfrican-Americanslavery

Atfirst,inordertogavethemosteffectivesolutionlinkedtothelackofhumanresource,capitalistssetupslaveryonalargescaleoftheUnitedStatesandthisinstitutionhadstrongcompulsive,apartfromtheAfricanAmericanslaver,evenifthegroupofthewhitepeoplethemselveswasnotimmune,onthisoccasion,creatednewsystemcalledwhiteindenturedservitude,thisindenturedservitudehadserviceduration.Inmostsituations,thetermsofservewereaboutfivetosevenyears,afterthattheywouldachievethefreedomonceagain;theslaveholdersalsohadresponsibilityandobligationtogivethemsomeexpensesandlifenecessitiesinreturn.Itgoesbeyondanydisputethatthiskindofslaverywasposedthreattomostofthelandlords,therefore,theychangedtheirstrategies,theywereassentandconsentthenewlawwhichwasexpresslyagreedtermsthechangeonsocialpositionoftheblackpeopleintoslavetenure.TheadvantageofthisissueisthattheycouldtreatseparatelybycomplexionforeaseoffurtherdeepeningthediscriminationtoNegro.Besides,itwasalsocementthedominantpositionofthecapitalist.

Alongwiththedevelopingoftheslavery,mostoftheslaverswereunabletoescapethenetofthepainfulpunishment.Inadditiontothis,literallybuyandsellslaverswasreallynormalphenomenon.Forthisreason,manyAfricanAmericanfamilieswerebrokenup.However,intheworldoftheAfricanAmerican,interpersonalrelationshipwasconcentratedreflectbyfamilyeventhoughthiswasillegalatthattime.Thiskindofrelationshipwasdestroybytheruleoftheslavetradeatanymomentbutthemarriageattitudeofthemwereserious,evenifthecouplewasbrokeupformanyyears,theywouldalsomaintainthisstablerelationshipaswell.Thisfirmmaritalrelationshipplayedapositiveandsignificantroleforthelaterresistance.

ByreadinganddiscussthenovelUncleTom'scabin.ItcangreatlyreflectthatalargescalenumberofAfricanAmerican’sfatecouldbeseparatebytwoforms.Oneofthemweresofortunatethatcameacrossthekindowner,forinstance,thegirlwhosavedbyUncleTom,herfatheristypicallandlordwiththecharacterofkindnessandheartwarming.Theotherformoftheslaversarenotsolucky,ifthelandlordisviolenceman,theywillpunishedandkilledatanywayinanyway.Intheendofthestory,wealsocansafetydrawtheconclusionthatthebrutalslaverycontributesdirectlytothepainfuldeathofUncleTom.

4.TheimpactofresistanceofslaveryintheUnitedStates

4.1Thecivilwar

TheAmericanCivilWar<1861–1865>,alsoknownastheWarBetweentheStatesandseveralothernames,wasacivilwarintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.ElevenSouthernslavestatesdeclaredtheirsecessionfromtheUnitedStatesandformedtheConfederateStatesofAmerica<theConfederacy>.LedbyJeffersonDavis,theyfoughtagainsttheUnitedStates<theUnion>,whichwassupportedbyallthefreestatesandthefiveborderslavestates.Unionstateswerelooselyreferredtoas"theNorth".

In

the

presidential

election

of

1860,

the

Republican

Party,

led

by

Abraham

Lincoln,

had

campaigned

against

the

expansion

of

slavery

beyond

the

states

in

which

it

already

existed.

The

Republican

victory

in

that

election

resulted

in

seven

Southern

states

declaring

their

secession

from

the

Union

even

before

Lincoln

took

office

on

March

4,

1861.

Both

the

outgoing

and

incoming

US

administrations

rejected

the

legality

of

secession,

considering

it

rebellion.

Withoutanydoubt,thereasonofthewarwasthattheslaveryoftheUnitedStateswasthesourceoftheracialdiscrimination.Fortunately,theabolishmentoftheslaveryofferedtheenoughlaborforceandcreatedthenewmarketingforthedevelopmentofthecapitalismintheUnitedStates.However,theracialdiscriminationwasnotendupwiththeabolishmentoftheslavery;inspiteofthegreatprogresshasmaking,it’salsoevolvedasaverytoughandcomplicatedsocialprobleminthemodernsociety.

ThecivilwaristheturningpointinthehistoryoftheAfricanAmerican;thiswarwaslastaboutfourmonths.Inthisperiod,everyoneinthewarwerewithstandingstrongpainregardlessofyouwereAfricanAmericanslaversornot.Inthiswar,thesoldierswhowerecomefrombothsideslootedeverywhere,confiscationofpropertyandfood;furthermoretheycommittedoutragesoninnocentcitizens.TheAfricanAmericansalsotookpartinthiswar,inthismeaningfulprocess,betweenthewhiteandblackpeople,demonstrateddifferentandunusualrelationship,insomesituation;theysupportedeachother,Someslavehasbeenloyaltohisownerforlongyears,duringthewarthelandlordstookprotectionmeasurestothefamilyandslaversasawhole;Corresponding,thebehavioroftheAfricaAmericanslaveswereactuallyverycontradictory,thesameslaver,heoughttosavedtheownerwhogetinjuredbackthebattlefield,hiddeninasafeplaceandfledtowardtheoppositeway.Atthesametime,thelongingforthefreedomwasalsoverystrong,sothatafterthewarevensomeslaverownerswaswillingtospendmoneytohiredthethemagain,theyalsodidn'twanttostay.

4.2jobopportunity

Theblackpopulationisabout20million.TheirancestorswerebroughttoAmericaasslavesintheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies.NearlyalltheirdescendantswerekeptinlegalslaveryintheSouthuntil1865.ThesouthernstatesweredefeatedintheCivilWarandwereforcedtoabolishslaveryandsettheslavesfree.

ForlongtermsofslaverytoAfricanAmericanwerenotonlyreflectedinthedamageofthebody,butalsoonthespirit.Eventhoughttheyfinallyachievedthefreedom,anotherdifficultlifepositionwasalsoatoughwork,manyofthemsenthimintoexileinordertofoundtherelativewholostforalongtime,inanotherpartoftheslavers,insearchofthenewplacetobeginwiththebrandnewday.ThesouthernersweredeterminedtokeeptheNegroesfrombecomingequalinanythingbutconstitutionallaw.Therefore,therewerenodifferentbetweentheperiodsoftheslaveryforahugenumberoftheAfricanAmericansonthepointofthejobchoice.Oneofthemalsoreliedonthegovernmentaids.

Intheslavery,manyslaversfallintotheterriblehabits,suchascarelessness,lackoftheforesightanddependonthewhitepeople,theseseriousnesshabitsalsoresultintheobstructionoftheblackcivilizationoveralongtime.Butasthetimegoeson,inthemarketofhumanresource,thebalancebetweentheblackandwhitepromptedthedevelopmentthecountry,theblackpeoplealsocouldgetthepropersalarytoimprovethequalityofthedailylife.Evenracialdiscriminationisstillaproblemtobesolved.infact,thiswereonlyreflectontheemploymentaspectthatavarietyofthehighincomepositionusuallyrefusetogiveoffertotheblackpeople,ratherthanunequalpayforequal.So,comprehensiveallthefactors,thegapoftheincomecouldbeignored.

4.3culture

Almostalltheslaveswereilliterateunderthetormentedbytheslavery.Althoughthereweresomanyformidableobstacles,blacksintheUnitedStatesstillhavealongandoutstandinghistory.Inthelate18thcentury,allkindsofphilanthropistsandcreatedfromthesouthsetupalargescaleofcharityschoolforblacks.Especiallyinthesouthofthepostwar,justgetfreeblackshavebeyondimaginationdesiringtoseekingknowledge,intheUnitedStates,in50yearsaftertheliberation,from100%illiteracytoaround75%ofthepeoplecouldread,achievementistrulyobjective.Althoughtheprogressofformaleducationwasslowanddifficult,developedanewtypeofculturalstyle,theyreflectinspeech,dress,anddailylife,etc.Promotionofculturalliteracygivesmorespaceandthepossibilityofablacktocreateallkindsofthefields.Intheprocessofeconomicstatusslowlyrisinganewmiddleclass,membersmostcomefromtheblackpeople;becomeasignificantpartofthesocialelite.

5conclusions

ThroughtheanalysisofuncleTom'scabin,wecantotallydrawtheconclusioninthecourseofhistorywithoutanyhumanrightsinstitutionmustbeeliminated,suchasslavery.Soth