The history of slavery is closely linked to the practice of separating children from their mothers at an early age. Douglass notes, “My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant—before I knew her as my mother” (2). This practice was common as children were used for work and as servants to maintain the structure of slavery (Holden para. 4). The children of enslaved people separated from the family were treated as the property of enslavers and moved with them away from their mothers. In the case of Douglass, his mother was hired on a remote farm, and he himself was taken away and later used to work in the fields (Douglass 2). Therefore, slavery did not consider family ties and the relationship between mother and child as valuable and significant.
Thus, separating the children of enslaved people from their mothers was the rule rather than the exception. In particular, this process gained popularity after the closure of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808 (Holden para. 4). Slave children were bought and sold as a commodity, especially in cities with large slave markets. As Douglas notes, the separation occurred in the early stages of a child’s life, up to 12 months (Douglass 2). The mothers, in turn, went to distant locations for work so that the family would not have a chance to meet or reunite. This practice had an exclusive economic benefit for slave owners and made it possible to use slave labor more efficiently. For the separated families, however, and for the children, in particular, the consequences were lifelong.
The mother is a key figure in the life of the child, especially in the early years of development. The mother-child relationship is characterized by attachment, which is fundamental to the formation of the child’s cognitive, behavioral, and emotional skills. As part of the interaction with the mother, the child learns patterns of self-image behavior and emotional regulation. These aspects in the future become the basis for building interpersonal relationships, self-perception, as well as the ability to analyze feelings and emotions in order to choose the optimal behavior. It is also critical that the separation from the mother makes children experience insecurity. The mother is a protector figure and a guide to the outside world for the baby, as well as a source of nutrition. Without her support and care, the baby is in an unprotected position and in mortal danger. Additional, emotional separation is significant stress and negatively affects the psyche.
Separation from the mother is the most traumatic experience of the early life of enslaved people. Douglass notes that this practice was used to destroy the affection between mother and child (Douglass 2). He further mentions that even when they met, there was little communication between him and his mother, and her death did not arouse strong emotions in Douglass (Douglass 2). Notably, separation at a later age entails emotional trauma and a lifelong desire to return to mother and family (Holden para. 5). Holden tells the story of a girl who was separated from her family at the age of seven and experienced grief throughout the rest of her life (para. 5). Thus, Douglass exemplifies how a child’s character is shaped by early weaning. He has no emotional connection with her and is completely cut off from his family.
Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Library of Congress, 1849. Web.
Holden, Vanessa M. “Slavery and America’s Legacy of Family Separation.” Black Perspectives, 2018, Web.