Introduction & Identification
The issue of slavery is an acute one and remains a highly sensitive topic even two hundred years after emancipation. James Hammond wrote the 1845 compilation of papers titled Letters on Southern Slavery. Hammond, the author, was a well-known South Carolina plantation owner and politician. The purpose of the letters was to defend and legitimize the system of enslavement in the Southern United States as a reaction to the burgeoning abolitionist campaign. Thus, James Hammond’s voice was a symbol of a pro-slavery movement that justified immoral views through economic and social benefits.
Historical Context
When it comes to the historical context, it is vital to understand that there was tension between the North and the South in terms of the system of slavery. By the 1820s, the majority of Northern states—many of which had long before stopped using slave labor—had outlawed enslavement, and the North served as a launchpad for newly inspired campaigns against the South’s slave system (Library of Congress, n.d.). Meanwhile, supporters of the system in the South spoke their visions and promoted slavery in public speeches or publications, such as James Hammond.
Content Description
In his writing, Hammond makes the case that slavery is a good and advantageous system that benefits both slaveholders and those who are enslaved. According to the author, slavery is “a moral and humane institution, productive of the greatest political and social advantages” (Hammond, 1845, p.1). In this case, the author offers a perspective based on which enslavement of people can help the enslaved people themselves since they will be protected by their owners and contribute to the economic prosperity of the South. From an economic point of view, Hammond claims that “this trade cannot be abolished by the use of force” (Hammond, 1845, p.3).
It was believed that for the Africans, it would be much more favorable than it was if commerce was unrestricted and allowed to deteriorate over time due to competition and natural causes. The author also focused on the biblical perspective, emphasizing that “it is vain to look to Christ or any of his Apostles to justify such blasphemous perversions of the word of God” (Hammond, 1845, p.4). By demonstrating mentions of enslaved people in the Scripture and offering the economic and social benefits of slavery, the writer wanted to highlight the necessity of the system.
Historical Meaning and Interpretation Section
This paper sheds light on the attitudes of Southern slaveholders and their defenses of slavery, which aids in readers’ understanding of the past. In the paper, James Hammond makes explicitly it evident that there ought to be lower classes, such as enslaved people, who would serve the upper-class households. First, the letters emphasize the callous nature of some humans, ready to put their interests above others. Additionally, the letters serve as signs of human immoral nature that are justified and promoted to others to find like-minded people and support the policies based on the priorities of the privileged minority group.
Second, aside from individual perspectives outlined in the letters, readers see to what extent white supremacy and the nation’s economic interests were prioritized. In other words, James Hammond was not the only individual who expressed such sentiments when discussing slavery. At the same time, his voice symbolizes the mindset the South adopted that sought to retrieve benefits from such a system. Overall, the paper shows how slavery influenced Southern society at the time not solely as an economic system but also as a social and political structure.
References
Hammond, J. H. (1845). Gov. Hammond’s letters on Southern slavery: Addressed to Thomas Clarkson, the English Abolitionist. Walker & Burke, Printers.
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Resistance and abolition. Web.